tYarisdaprincess
Chirping
Hi chicky friends!
My husband and I are on a limited budget and are looking for the best way to construct a run for our chicks that are just under 2 weeks old right now. We are in the process of converting our large shed into a coop (will use half for chickens, half for ducks). We plan on putting an automatic door on the front side, then covering the ramp as a wire-covered tunnel for a few feet to a run that we would like to construct on the short side of the shed.
We are planning on a run that is 15' by 20', which would be about 10sqft for chicken. Right now we only have 10, but we are planning for up to 30 eventually, so that run should be plenty big. Since our coop will be completely predator proof we want to make the daytime run protected but not technically predator proof as this would be a little too expensive.
We have power tools and imagination, but little DIY experience. We have 8ft 2x4s that we could use to construct the frame, and some old screen doors we would cover in wire mesh to get into the run. We eventually plan to make a duck run on the back long side of the shed that would bump up on the run we are building to skirt a long and short side of the shed altogether.
Another option we are entertaining is t-posts, but I'm not sure how we can do this while still putting some sort of cover over the top. We want to be able to walk into the run in order to clean it out easily.
My main questions:
1. What is the best, most simple, and least expensive option for keeping our chickens safe during the day from predators (including fox, raccoon, neighbor dogs, hawks, eagles, and snakes)?
2. What materials would be best to use for making a secure run with a top that we can walk inside of?
3. How can I make this run with little experience and limited tools?
Thank you for the advice! We have been doing so much research and there are so many opinions. We need to get moving on actual assembly asap, and want to know what wire/hardware cloth/supports etc. to purchase!
My husband and I are on a limited budget and are looking for the best way to construct a run for our chicks that are just under 2 weeks old right now. We are in the process of converting our large shed into a coop (will use half for chickens, half for ducks). We plan on putting an automatic door on the front side, then covering the ramp as a wire-covered tunnel for a few feet to a run that we would like to construct on the short side of the shed.
We are planning on a run that is 15' by 20', which would be about 10sqft for chicken. Right now we only have 10, but we are planning for up to 30 eventually, so that run should be plenty big. Since our coop will be completely predator proof we want to make the daytime run protected but not technically predator proof as this would be a little too expensive.
We have power tools and imagination, but little DIY experience. We have 8ft 2x4s that we could use to construct the frame, and some old screen doors we would cover in wire mesh to get into the run. We eventually plan to make a duck run on the back long side of the shed that would bump up on the run we are building to skirt a long and short side of the shed altogether.
Another option we are entertaining is t-posts, but I'm not sure how we can do this while still putting some sort of cover over the top. We want to be able to walk into the run in order to clean it out easily.
My main questions:
1. What is the best, most simple, and least expensive option for keeping our chickens safe during the day from predators (including fox, raccoon, neighbor dogs, hawks, eagles, and snakes)?
2. What materials would be best to use for making a secure run with a top that we can walk inside of?
3. How can I make this run with little experience and limited tools?
Thank you for the advice! We have been doing so much research and there are so many opinions. We need to get moving on actual assembly asap, and want to know what wire/hardware cloth/supports etc. to purchase!
