Large Run Plans

[Brahma Chicken5000]

I think the best thing is to have a covered run, but if you can’t I guess wood chips could work.

 

[aart]

Whenever it rains, my chicken yard turns to mud. Anyone have any ideas what would be best to pout down? Wood chips? Hay? Any other ideas?
Thanks,
Bob McCarthy

http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1037998/muddy-run-help-please#post_16017992

 

[Jessdesk]

Oh wow, those look great. I just got finished with a temporary run that will keep things covered until after Christmas... which I will be gone for a week. It is made from 24 tall pallets secured to Tposts and has chicken wire up to 10 feet, with a chainlink door. This will keep the dogs out until I can build a presentable run. With Christmas and me being so busy I had to make something fast. My father-in-law came over to help me.

He said he will help me build a better one in the next few months.

The chickens have always been freerange, so they aren't very happy with me. But I give them lots of food water and stuff to play with. It is 24'x23'.

Since we had 2 hens snatched last week, we are down to 12 chickens... But I'm over on cockerels, so 2 will need to go

 

[aart]

I just got finished with a temporary run

Pics... or it didn't happen
Mostly kidding

 

[Jessdesk]

Lol, had to buy 3 rolls of chicken wire, the rest was all free stuff.

 

[lazy gardener]

Whenever it rains, my chicken yard turns to mud. Anyone have any ideas what would be best to pout down? Wood chips? Hay? Any other ideas?
Thanks,
Bob McCarthy

Deep composting litter: wood chips, hay, garden debris, coop litter, leaves, grass clippings... My goal is to have DL be 6" deep, but that's a never ending task b/c it melts into the soil.

 

[jthornton]

Lol, had to buy 3 rolls of chicken wire, the rest was all free stuff.
View attachment 1209611

Make sure a dog can't knock that fence down... my temporary run fence was knocked down and dogs killed all my chickens. I'm still hunting the one dog that got away.

JT

 

[Cluckies]

Aart - Your tractor hoop coop looks awesome. I actually had designed and built my run before I saw any of the hoop coops on here or I probably would have gone that route. I imagine it would have been more expensive, but probably a little sturdier.

I will get an article put together as soon as I get pictures of my finished coop. I've looked in to some of the sunshade cloth and will probably add it next summer when things start heating up. I also have plans to section off part of the run to use as a garden in the spring and summer. We have a hard time growing things here because the deer devour anything we plant, so my run should serve double duty.

I would definitely get some shade clothe before summer. Heat kills more chickens than cold, they need a way to get out of the direct sunlight. Mine are always in the shade, even when they could be in the sun...

 

[M_coosae]

I have made runs with pallets and fence posts, with netting over the top. I set them on top on cinder blocks (for a little more height), stand the pallets up and drive fence posts through them. it's not the most aesthetic design. But the advantage is that it is easily movable. Takes me about an hour to disassemble and reassemble

 

[Jessdesk]

Yeah, that's on the East side of the house, so it gets shade after about 11. Cold in the winter, but better for the summer. The final run with have corrugated tin roof... that's the plan.