Need to Build a GIANT Chicken Run

[BekkiH]

I'm looking for advice from those who are more experienced than I am!

I wanted to free range my chickens, but it's just not going well. Our house is practically in the woods, and I lost two of my four chickens yesterday. In broad daylight. I'm guessing it was a fox or something, because there was no trace of anything. Just down two chickens.

I want them to have a BIG area for foraging, especially because we plan on having more than 20 chickens soon. We currently have a 12x5 run attached to the coop, but that won't be enough for that many chickens.

I would love to build a fence around a pretty decent area to keep the chickens in, and most of the predators out. I want the fencing to go into the woods a bit, because they love scratching around in the leaves and getting at all those bugs!

Any recommendations? Tips? What sort of materials did you use? How much did it cost?

Just looking for basic information right now.

 

[JackE]

I have a 100X200' run area for my birds. I used electric poultry netting/fence from Premier. I have a FortKnox coop that keeps them safe at night. But after a couple of daytime attacks by the resident foxes, I had to do something, and the netting was the answer for me. I started with 300', it worked so well, I bought 300' more. You can get either 115VAC powered, or you can go with a solar charger. It isn't the cheapest, but it is waaaaaay less than the cost of a wood framed, hardware clothed run half the size. Check out the website and check out the options.
Jack

 

[fiddlebanshee]

I have a 100X200' run area for my birds. I used electric poultry netting/fence from Premier. I have a FortKnox coop that keeps them safe at night. But after a couple of daytime attacks by the resident foxes, I had to do something, and the netting was the answer for me. I started with 300', it worked so well, I bought 300' more. You can get either 115VAC powered, or you can go with a solar charger. It isn't the cheapest, but it is waaaaaay less than the cost of a wood framed, hardware clothed run half the size. Check out the website and check out the options.
Jack

x2. I have exactly the same setup. i have 3 164' electronets with a secure run and coop inside of it. The only critter that will get in is hawks and I'll just have to live with that. Mine is in an entirely wooded area, no grass to speak of, but yes, they love digging in the leaves, don't they! I calculated that I have approximately 1/3 of an acre fenced in with the electronet.

 

[Weasleymum]

Ditto the above replies! If I were in your situation, I would definitely go electric. I've seen it used on some of the small farms in the area (gotta love Farm Tour day!)-- they have large, mobile coops with electric netting securing an area around it; that way they can move the entire operation from field to field. It really looks like the most sensible option-- I can only imagine what it would cost in money and effort to build a wood or wire fence that big, and it wouldn't even be as secure!

 

[BekkiH]

Wow, thanks!!! This looks great - and much cheaper than I would have expected!

Looks pretty easy to set up, too - which is a plus!

Thanks so much! I think I will have to get this. I feel so bad confining my chickens to that 12x5 area when we have 3 acres of land!

 

[BekkiH]

Just a question - which particular Premier netting do you use?

 

[JackE]

Just a question - which particular Premier netting do you use?

I used the PoultryPlus netting. The posts are thicker, and closer together. It comes in 100' max lengths, 4' high. I chose the double ground spike netting.
Jack

 

[BekkiH]

I used the PoultryPlus netting. The posts are thicker, and closer together. It comes in 100' max lengths, 4' high. I chose the double ground spike netting.
Jack

Thanks!

I can't seem to find Poultry Plus, but this is what I am finding: http://www.premier1supplies.com/detail.php?prod_id=20170

 

[JackE]

Thanks!

I can't seem to find Poultry Plus, but this is what I am finding: http://www.premier1supplies.com/detail.php?prod_id=20170

Sorry, THIS is what I used. PermanetPlus.
Jack

http://www.premier1supplies.com/fencing.php?mode=detail&fence_id=93

 

[FrogEggs]

Our rancher (that we have cow shares and CSA with) has the same fencing..... they recently discovered who has been stealing 15 chickens: a fox that hops right over that electric fence (they though an owl was getting them)....