Ideas for big predator proof run?

[BigTex19]

How would 2 x 4 welded wire keep
out predators such as , minks, weasles or rats ?

It probably won't. I used to own ferrets, which are close cousins too mink and weasel, and they could get through amazingly small holes. It is hard to ferret proof your house if you let them roam outside their cage. For our chicken run, we used 6 ft tall deer wiring and over-laced it at the bottom with chicken wire to make the openings smaller. Also remember, members of the polecat Family (ferret, mink, weasel, skunk, etc.) are all excellent climbers. So not only do you need small openings at the base of the fencing, but a good top too. I say all that too say this. You can't keep your chickens and other birds safe from all predators without building Fort Knox around them. We do our best to protect our beloved yard birds, but in the end, you have to leave it in God's hands to protect them. I wish you all the luck in the world building a run that protects them the best you can, Merry Christmas!!!

 

[BigTex19]

It doesn't. Needs reinforcement with smaller opening wire like hardware cloth.

Some of us don't have fully predator/pest proof runs, more like "predator resistant." For example mine is chain link with hardware cloth up the bottom few feet and aproned out a few feet, netting over top for aerial predators.

That is good enough to make the predators think twice about messing with your chickens. Unless their desperately starving, most predators want an easy meal that they don't have to spend too much energy on catching.

 

[dreamofwinter]

Seconding the suggestion for cattle panel hoop run - mine is 8x16 and quite comfortable in size for my birds, though if they were in there full time I would want it larger ( have 10 chickens and 3 ducks). It's covered in hardware cloth and in winter I also put tarps over it to keep out snow, rain, and wind.
The only problem I'm having with it is that rats or squirrels are tunneling under it. I didn't bury hardware cloth, only draped it like an apron, and now I'm paying the price. Of course the ground is too hard to do it now (but not too hard for the rodent army, argh).

 

[JesusisGod]

6.5 meter walk in run. U can overlap the wire on the floor to try make it dig proof

Bought ebay the metal pipes just click in together

My 2 pens 1 for 5 chooks other for my quails and two chicken chicks atm. They live with the quails

 

[BigTex19]

Seconding the suggestion for cattle panel hoop run - mine is 8x16 and quite comfortable in size for my birds, though if they were in there full time I would want it larger ( have 10 chickens and 3 ducks). It's covered in hardware cloth and in winter I also put tarps over it to keep out snow, rain, and wind.
The only problem I'm having with it is that rats or squirrels are tunneling under it. I didn't bury hardware cloth, only draped it like an apron, and now I'm paying the price. Of course the ground is too hard to do it now (but not too hard for the rodent army, argh).

You can lay it on top of the ground and attach it to the fencing at the bottom. Then you put a good layer of dirt, fine wood shavings, grass clippings, etc to keep your birds feet safe. That is what we did in the duck coop to protect from our local nocturnal predators.

 

[Ridgerunner]

How would 2 x 4 welded wire keep
out predators such as , minks, weasles or rats ?

It won't keep snakes or mice out either, but I'm not trying to. I have an 8' x 12' coop that is pretty predator proof where I lock then up at night. I think I finally got all the places a snake could get in at night but that was a challenge. A weasel probably could find a way in if it tried but so far that hasn't been a problem. During the day with the pop door open anything that can get in the run can get in the coop. That's one reason I go inside the coop every night when I lock them up, to see what is in there.

In my 12' x 32' run during the day I'm trying to keep coyotes, foxes, bobcats, dogs, raccoons, possum, and skunks out. I'm not worried about the little critters, just the bigger ones. I did put chicken wire along the bottom 18" or so, more to keep baby chicks in than to keep other critters out. I have an apron of hardware cloth or 2x4 wire (whatever was left over) to stop critters from digging in. And it is covered so nothing can climb in. I don't consider this predator proof, just predator resistant. That's why I lock them in the coop at night.

I also have an area around 3,000 square feet inside electric netting where they spend a lot of their time grazing on the grass and chasing creepy crawlies. Flying predators haven't been a problem for me, some people have huge problems with flying predators. I used to free range without a big problem but then people sometimes abandon dogs in the country. I lost 13 chickens in two different attacks so I got the electric netting. It has worked against the bigger predators I'm trying to stop.

We are all different with different goals and set-ups. We are willing to spend different amounts of money. The larger the coop and run the harder and more expensive it is to keep everything out. Hardware cloth can be torn, for the doubters you might follow this link. Heavier wire that can stop bigger predators usually comes with some pretty big holes. One effective but expensive technique is to use both, a small mesh wire over a heavier wire that can stop almost anything. The title of this thread is about bigger runs, that double-wire method could be really expensive. 2x4 welded wire offers a certain level of protection, it just depends on what you are looking for.

Torn Hardware Cloth

http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1105056/dog-vs-hardware-cloth#post_17001519

 

[HomesteadDeb]

20x20 carport, but an old fashioned one built with heavy pressure treated lumber. Plenty of space for my 8 girls, and will be roomier once the new coop is built and these prefab ones out of the way. It's really nice having the headspace in this thing, my old run was one of those waist high deals with a tiny roof, so you always had to crouch. Looking forward to spring when I can build the new coop and then make them more things to climb on when I free up the space.

 

[dreamofwinter]

You can lay it on top of the ground and attach it to the fencing at the bottom. Then you put a good layer of dirt, fine wood shavings, grass clippings, etc to keep your birds feet safe. That is what we did in the duck coop to protect from our local nocturnal predators.

Funny, I woke up this morning thinking exactly that. I'll have to remove their thick layer of straw (I've got it about 4-6" deep in there for winter), but once that's out I can put a wire floor in and then put the straw back over it. In spring when the ground thaws I can add more dirt too. Thanks!

 

[BigTex19]

Funny, I woke up this morning thinking exactly that. I'll have to remove their thick layer of straw (I've got it about 4-6" deep in there for winter), but once that's out I can put a wire floor in and then put the straw back over it. In spring when the ground thaws I can add more dirt too. Thanks!

No problem, our run was originally built for our Great Dane to be in when we were not home (he got nervous when we were gone and messed the house up) so it was built very big. Then we got him a friend and now he is calm and doesn't destroy the house when were gone. The fencing that was used originally was not designed to keep predators out since the only predator we have around here that can go up against a Great Dane is the occasional black bear. With that in mind, I knew that opossums will dig to get chicken and duck so we laid down chicken wire, in a double layer, down and put the coop on top of it. Then put dirt and wood shavings several inches deep for the duck coop floor. The Chicken coop has a wood floor so no need for that. Have a Merry Christmas!!!!

 

[Krugerrand]

Seconding the suggestion for cattle panel hoop run - mine is 8x16 and quite comfortable in size for my birds, though if they were in there full time I would want it larger ( have 10 chickens and 3 ducks). It's covered in hardware cloth and in winter I also put tarps over it to keep out snow, rain, and wind.
The only problem I'm having with it is that rats or squirrels are tunneling under it. I didn't bury hardware cloth, only draped it like an apron, and now I'm paying the price. Of course the ground is too hard to do it now (but not too hard for the rodent army, argh).

I'm also a huge fan of the cattle panel hoop run. Mine is only 8'x8' but I only have 3 chickens. They can get plenty big by extending them, simple construction limits them to about 8' wide. There is a post out there somewhere where somebody constructed something with elevated cattle panels that ended up much wider. If interested I can try and find it.

dreamofwinter: how wide is your apron? I also simply extended my hardware cloth covering from the run about 2'. So far nothing has tunneled under. I hope it stays that way.