I did this today and it worked great.I got a 10x10 kennel run today at lowes to make a new more secure run for my girls. I am going to put hardware cloth around the bottom and make a apron, and cover it with wire as well. My first intentions was to put the coop on the chicken tractor inside the run. Now I would like to put it on the outside to give more room for roosts, piles of leaves, and other chicken toys.
It was an inexpensive run, a frame with a roll of wire to attach. I havn't attached the wire yet, but I am wondering how to go about cutting a hole in the fence for the coop entrance without the wire unraveling. I was thinking of securing the chain link area I want to cut with wire, then make a wooden frame around it, then cut the opening once it's stabilized. Another idea is to secure the part around which I am going to cut with that super sticky strong metal tape. I could samwich the wire between two layers of the tape and cut it. Then make a wooden frame around it so the chickens won't get stuck on sharp wire ends.
I guess if my kennel run were made of linked panels I could have just done one of them in hardware cloth but they are not, it's one long roll of chain link. I think I need to stabilze around the area I cut so it just doesn't fall to pieces. I know someone on this forum will have allready done that and can save me some trouble.
1) Build a 2x4 frame the size of your opening
2) Get some 9ga 1” fencing staples
3) pound a fencing staple to hold the line of the chain link for every vertical link across the top, and a few down the sides (it’s the same link, you just want some to maintain horizontal tension).
4) cut the links with enough wire to pull them back across the staple
Tips: We found it helped to have someone with a scrap 4x4 on the outside of where we were pounding. Also, if you hold the staple with a pair of needle nose pliers flush against the wood, t’s MUCH easier to pound them.
