Last week we decided to redo our chicken run that we had put in as a temporary run. It was the classic dilemma of chickens arriving before we were ready for them so we created a chicken run without any support beams and surprisingly, it lived through the winter and we have had no predator losses. Well, it finally had to get redone so I decided to take step by step pictures so that people can get an idea about how we built our run. The charm with it is that it does not require a saw whatsoever which saves a lot of time for a very unskillful person like me. It is 100% based on 8ft centers, so all you do is to use landscaping timbers and 2x4x8s and nail/ screw it all together. The other charm is that you can simply increase and decrease the size of the run to your liking. I will increase the size of this run next year, so all I will have to do is to take out the fencing for one of the 8ft sections and add on. We use 6ft tall wire that also comes in handy to install roosts within the run. Just slide a 2x4 through the squares and adjust as needed. The wire is so strong that it keeps the 2x4 nearly wiggle-free and chickens like to sit on them all day.
So here is the way we built it originally. The wire was sagging, we couldnt stand up, it was just terrible.
I started to deconstruct everything and replaced the timber that was holding up our door.
Next we began installing the first 2x4s as frame support. This is where we will later nail in the ceiling wire to keep birds and other predators out. As you can see, hubby was testing the strength of my construction. It passed the test.
Here is the finished end product. I ended up with 2 8ft sections but will continue to add if necessary. I still needed to install a facial board in the area between the house and the run door which I bought for less than $1 at a store since it was not perfect. But it sure did the job here. The red building in the back is my next chicken house project. By decreasing the size of the run a little bit, I gave myself plenty of room to double the size of this future chicken house if needed. All in all it took us about 5hrs to build with many coffee breaks.
So here is the way we built it originally. The wire was sagging, we couldnt stand up, it was just terrible.
I started to deconstruct everything and replaced the timber that was holding up our door.
Next we began installing the first 2x4s as frame support. This is where we will later nail in the ceiling wire to keep birds and other predators out. As you can see, hubby was testing the strength of my construction. It passed the test.
Here is the finished end product. I ended up with 2 8ft sections but will continue to add if necessary. I still needed to install a facial board in the area between the house and the run door which I bought for less than $1 at a store since it was not perfect. But it sure did the job here. The red building in the back is my next chicken house project. By decreasing the size of the run a little bit, I gave myself plenty of room to double the size of this future chicken house if needed. All in all it took us about 5hrs to build with many coffee breaks.
