Ideas for a new outdoor run?

[alycoop]

Our small attached run has served its purpose for chicks and pullets but we now see that our 6 girls will soon need a larger area to run in.

Eventually we think we'll properly fence off a separate area but in the meantime (this summer) we're talking about using tall fence rails and using temporary fencing and let them free range while we are at home to watch them. They already put themselves back in the coop in evening or during hot weather.

Here are pics of the area we plan to enclose for them. I'd appreciate any ideas or suggestions since we are new at this. We'd be moving the kitchen garden to another area.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

You are going to need to fence in your garden because they are going to eat it!!

 

[Mahonri]

my thoughts exactly.

 

[consdrs]

Hi neighbor!!
How much run you have and or want depends on a couple of things. do you expect your run to remain green? If so the bigger the better! I have a 11x25 SECURE run that is just dirt with 9 hens. I have another 50x20 INSECURE temporarily fenced run that they get to have supervised access to a couple hours a day. it has grass and has been there a year. I clean up all the poo and make sure they aren't destroying the grass so it stays that way. Living in Vancouver you may want a smaller secure run that your chooks have access to all the time that is covered! mud is a pain, smells and is just plain unpleasant. my hens have access to the covered out door run all the time. we have a automatic door that goes up at first light. rain, wind, sleet, snow will not keep them in the coop.

Connie

 

[alycoop]

Hi Connie!

We do have a small secure run attached to coop but I think the girls will get bored by end of summer - they use it and the coop during the day.

In the meantime we'll be putting up a temp. fence so the chickens can come out to play under our supervision in the early evenings. We just get a kick out of sitting and watching them every evening after hectic jobs. It's a great way to relax...eat dinner by the chickens!

After much looking around in our area we went to Home Depot and bought the Yard Gard 1-inch mesh plastic fencing. It is dark green and comes in rolls of 40-inches x 25 feet for 8.97 a roll. We'll use "u-stakes" with it. We purchased 4 rolls so that should be plenty.

It looks like this:

We were going to go with construction barrier plastic fencing but all they had was that awful bright orange color and the holes were pretty big. I could see a chicken poking its head through and getting it bitten off or strangulating itself.

Eventually we do plan to put in a permanant sturdy fence and let the chickens go free-range in a secure area but this will be what we use for this summer. The advantage is that we can re-use this product later when we get the much larger garden planted elsewhere next year. We'll use it around that garden.

We just need to work out how big we want this to be now that we have 100 feet of it.

 

[consdrs]

Quote:
Oh you mean watching "the chicken channel"!! LOL We do that here too!

After much looking around in our area we went to Home Depot and bought the Yard Gard 1-inch mesh plastic fencing. It is dark green and comes in rolls of 40-inches x 25 feet for 8.97 a roll. We'll use "u-stakes" with it. We purchased 4 rolls so that should be plenty.
It looks like this:
http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn...ons.com.au/forestry/images/5mm-green-mesh.JPG

I have some of the exact same stuff. very sturdy. but believe me when I say I have cheap temp fence... that would be an "expensive" fence compared to the temp one I have up!

Eventually we do plan to put in a permanent sturdy fence and let the chickens go free-range in a secure area but this will be what we use for this summer. The advantage is that we can re-use this product later when we get the much larger garden planted elsewhere next year. We'll use it around that garden.

With chickens... you'll need it...

We just need to work out how big we want this to be now that we have 100 feet of it.

hummm I'm thinkin 625 sf! LOL
this is the same set up I have a secure run and a very temp supervised "free range" run every one seems happy with this setup. Well I haven't gotten any messages in the complaint box lately any way... I'm at home most all the time so they are out a lot.

Connie​

 

[codybird]

If you made a circle out of your 100 feet of fence, 16' radius, you would have 800 sq. ft. enclosed.

 

[cmom]

I agree with the other posts. If they have access to your garden it's bye bye garden. I fenced in my birds because when I let them free range they were destroying my gardens. They dug up my newly planted plants and got into the compost piles and was spreading them out. Since your fence isn't very tall hopefully they won't fly over it. I use chicken wire which is 48" high. I still have a yellow rope several inches above the top of the fence. This is an older picture. I also have electric wire around the outside of the fence along the bottom as prior a neighborhood mutt dug under my fence and killed one of my hens.