Ideas for a large enclosed run...40x24 ft

[IRL]

I don't know about chi-rn, but 2x4 welded wire has worked well for me. It has stopped foxes and bobcats from entry. If you use it, make sure to have hardware cloth 2 feet up the sides if you have raccoons, and I would skip it altogether if you have weasels or anything similar.

 

[Capvin]

IRL gives very good advise. Racoons reach through the 2 x 4 wire and grab and kill what they can. The sight is not pretty. Weasels, rats and snakes also get through. Myexperience is if you are starting from sratch go with the hardware cloth.

 

[jfishdr]

How durable is the hardware cloth? I have found a supply for 16 Gauge 1 inch x 2 inch welded wire. I heard larger predators can tear through hardware cloth much like chicken wire.

We have coyotes regularly but I've never seen rats or weasels or racoons, not to say they aren't here I've just never seen them in the desert.

Any thoughts?


Reed

 

[Capvin]

The only predator that will get through hardware cloth is a bear or a feral pig, and we have both. For them I have an electric fence around the entire perimeter. I do not believe that anything else will get through the hardware cloth. Comparing it to chicken wire is like comparing a bb gun to a 50 cal. Machine gun.

 

[boogiedog]

I was able to find 1x1" welded cloth and used that around all sides. We have tons of raccoons, possum, skunk, rats - never had a problem. Ditto on above re: 4x4 wooden posts every 6-8 feet, with boards at the bottom, mid and top - makes for a sturdy anchor to u-nail the hardware cloth. My run is 40' by 10'.

 

[wishingbee]

I found this a few weeks back and proclaimed to my husband "THIS IS WHAT I WANT!!" Yes, it was built as an outdoor cat run, but I can't help but feel that this would be absolutely amazing as a chicken run.

http://www.showcatsonline.com/x/wyndabbey2.shtml

And to this day, I dream of a pergola type chicken run...

Make it happen so I can live vicariously through you!

 

[jfishdr]

That Cat enclosure top looks promising. I would like a few more boards on it.

Have you all found a good place to get Hardware cloth in 48 in panels?

Reed

 

[jfishdr]

Boogiedog,
do you have any pictures of your run?

 

[2overeasy000]

My run is 20x20x6'

 

[catsew]

This is what my friend has for her chickens, and even with racoons, they haven't had a problem. We are going to do the same thing for our run, but they will get locked up every night a a very predator secure coop.