making a new run

[Deviant]

this is my 1st time building a run and I was at Lowes today and I saw metal deer fencing. I was going to put this up for my 12x12x6 tall run and then put 1/2x1/2 holes that is two foot tall around the bottom with a foot under ground so something would not dig under. Is this a good thing to do? Also I was going to use 4x4 post that are 18 to 24 inches in the ground. I might put chicken wire over the top to keep out things that fly. If there is something eles I can do let me know.

 

[Judy]

Sounds good to me. Personally, I'd lay the wire mesh on the ground extending out a foot rather than dig down a foot, but I'm lazy.

 

[Deviant]

I can be lazy also and thanks now I got to find out how to cut the grass around the run now haha

 

[Jaxon4141]

I'd recommend doing what flockwatcher says. Foxes or other large predators can dig down a foot in a matter on minutes. If you stop them from digging at the fence line that is pretty much the end of there digging. Attach the fencing or hardware cloth to the run fence and lay it on the ground. Pin the outside down with some U shaped pieces of wire. Wire on the ground quickly disappears into the ground. Much easier and far superior to buried wire for protection.

 

[Deviant]

ok and thank you both That's what I will do. Two feet high and one foot on the ground should do the trick.

 

[Dutchess]

Sounds good to me. Personally, I'd lay the wire mesh on the ground extending out a foot rather than dig down a foot, but I'm lazy.

Yea, x2. It works great! LAZY?! That's darn hard work with all the roots and rocks!

 

[joan1708]

You may want to consider hardware cloth at the bottom, so the chickens can't stick their heads out or predators stick their arms and teeth in.

 

[Deviant]

I have 36 inches of hardware cloth that is 1/2x1/2 I was going to put 12 inches on top of the ground and run the other 2 feet up the run. If that is good?

 

[Deviant]

wow I am digging holes and putting up 4x4s for the run. Every side is 12 feet but the middle one way is 16.10 and the other way it is 17.2 feet dose it have to be sq? I asked my chicks and no one said "yes it dose" they just said then are not going until it warms up some lol

 

[buffs only]

My run post are 6 X 6's and I put chained link on one side of the 6 by and on the other side ( inside of the run ) I put up 36" galvanized garden fence so nothing could reach through the chain link and grab any of my chickens. The best thing I did to the run was cover it will a tin roof, providing shade in the Georgia heat, and protection from the elements. My chickens spend most of their time in the 400+ square foot cover run.

Buffs only