Need suggestion on letting the chickens out in a controlled run

[Ridgerunner]

they habitually hop up on the top rail of the chain link portion of the enclosure.

Chickens like to perch. With your top rail solid they have a great place to perch. What you are doing will raise the fence 1'. Raising it is not what will make that work, they could still fly up that high. Having the top of your fence wire instead of a good place to perch is what will make it work. Good solution.

 

[McChooky]

I’m in Middle TN. We don’t get snow but very rarely. And when it snows it’s usually less than a couple inches and gone the next day. The PVC tractor is probably the best option. If I could somehow make it to be disassembled and re-assembled that would be even better. I’ll look more in to that option.

We made a large pvc cat catio using 10 ft sections of 3/4 " pvc pipe years ago and it still looks good as new.We attached it to a wood base to make it heavier lol

 

[Aunt Angus]

We made a large pvc cat catio using 10 ft sections of 3/4 " pvc pipe years ago and it still looks good as new.We attached it to a wood base to make it heavier lol

That's awesome!

 

[McChooky]

That's awesome!

Thank you! Our cats love them!

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

Due to the number of chickens you have and how big the tractor needs to be I suggest you make a pvc tractor 10 x 15 (pvc comes in 10' sticks).It would be easy to assemble and pull without wheels ( it would be light). They're popular with folks who raise meat birds on pasture because they can hold a lot of meat birds! https://www.itsoverflowing.com/pvc-chicken-tractor-plans/

PVC is so expensive these days!

 

[David61]

An old post on here from a meat chicken guy showed his 2 1/2 foot tall PVC pipe and chicken wire yard tractor.
Now if it was me, two 12' tall 4x4 posts in the ground 3' with a milk create on top. A 6 foot 1 1/2" pvc through the milk create for spreaders. Now drape the 25' x25' poultry netting from pinnon hatch farms. https://pinnonhatch.com/poultry-sup...cj4-bc8s2-fwpxt-bch5a-mng6l-78jty-t4r2g-rgmr6
your run is done.

 

[Silkie fluff butts]

Have you heard of grazing frames? I have a mud problem too. Going to try this out soon. You wouldn't have to let them out of their yard.
https://www.thegardencoop.com/blog/grazing-frames-backyard-chickens/

 

[Toothpick]

Have you heard of grazing frames? I have a mud problem too. Going to try this out soon. You wouldn't have to let them out of their yard.
https://www.thegardencoop.com/blog/grazing-frames-backyard-chickens/

I had one I built a few years ago. It worked quite well. But IDK, just never moved it around

 

[Toothpick]

I don't know about this. It's an awful lot of moving stuff around. I'd be exhausted. Why not just put the dog in a kennel with some treats while the chickens free range in the yard?

Because I like the dog better .
He’s got an electric fence buried in the ground and has free range of the whole yard. Kinda defeats the purpose of the fence to just toss him in a kennel. BUT, that isn’t a bad idea just for a day here and there to give the chickens a “treat” and let them free range.