New run design please help asap

[Chickenlover2017]

Hi so I had four chickens but I lost one to a dog so I got three more and I don't have them in the coop yet and this is my first time raising chickens so like this is pretty Interesting for me anyway my run for my three older hens is perfect but the run for all six hens will be to small if you have any designs please share ASAP because my chickens (little) are growing to be to big for the bin they are in.

 

[Chickenlover2017]

If you have questions please ask

 

[Folly's place]

Any dog or raccoon can get into your run; make it over with hardware cloth! Can you use the side of your building as a wall, and build off that? It all needs to be much sturdier. Mary

 

[rosemarythyme]

As noted above the run isn't predator proof at all, chicken wire is generally flimsy and can be torn apart by most predators. I like the idea of building off the shed as that gives you a solid wall to frame off of.

Also you didn't include measurements - just by eyeballing it it looks too small for additional birds, especially since integration usually takes up extra space as the birds may need to take shelter from one another.

 

[Chickiemom25]

I would make a new run around the existing. Rectangular, with a walk in door for humans... I am guessing your current base is 3 feet and should be expanded to at least 6 feet X 8 or maybe 8X8 if you do not allow free ranging. I agree the side of the building can be one side of the run

 

[bobbieschicks]

Your coop looks big enough for six chickens so that's a good start.

The most economical way I found to have a large sturdy run is to use the 4' or taller green metal garden stakes and a roll of 2x4 welded wire. You would bury the first foot of cloth outwarded at the bottom to deter diggers (dogs) so you want to get at least the four foot tall version. The fence will be somewhat wobbly at the top to deter your chickens from trying to fly over, but if any do you can also put the chicken wire you have on top sort of angled inward so it looks to the chicken like there's a fence overhead and they won't try to get out that way. Think prison fencing.

Then depending on how big you built it you could cover the run with bird netting or just string some fishing wire and hang old CDs or DVDs on it to deter flying predators.

Lastly if you have predators such as roaming dogs or raccoons you may also want to put a hot wire or two around the perimeter for added protection. The wire setup I did for our run was around $70 for all parts of it. You don't have to attach it to the run but you could set it up around the perimeter to keep it hot all the time.

 

[Chickenlover2017]

It is concrete under there in the run I just put sand in there and grass so nothing can dig also I have never seen a racoon I have a fully fenced in backyard so no dogs get in other than my own and he is pretty good with the chickens.

Any dog or raccoon can get into your run; make it over with hardware cloth! Can you use the side of your building as a wall, and build off that? It all needs to be much sturdier. Mary

 

[Chickenlover2017]

I have never ever had predator problems with the chickens and my dog protects them at night and the one time I had a weasel in my yard well it died that day I have not seen anything since even if there was my dog is there

As noted above the run isn't predator proof at all, chicken wire is generally flimsy and can be torn apart by most predators. I like the idea of building off the shed as that gives you a solid wall to frame off of.

Also you didn't include measurements - just by eyeballing it it looks too small for additional birds, especially since integration usually takes up extra space as the birds may need to take shelter from one another.