New Run

[krthaymp]

Finally moved Mr. Bonsi and the ladies to a new run. Bought a 9x19 that came with just chicken wire. I will have to fortify it soon with hardware cloth and still need to install the tarp. I have some chicken wire overhang and some tie tails I need to trim, but it’s enough to get them out of their tiny starter coop and run. I just took the run off and attached the chicken wire (and soon hardware cloth) to the coop itself so they have that outside the run and I can access the nesting boxes and litter tray from outside the run.
I plan on adding some roosts, ladders to climb, an official dust bath bin, tarp, and making a new coop door. I don’t like the ‘security of the sliding one that’s on there now.
Outside, I’ll run hardware cloth up the side and out on the ground a few feet. I plan on placing railway ties against the outside bottom to further fortify the bottom, and place planters on the ties filled with things the ladies can snack on, should it grow through the fence into the run. I also want to add lighting around the perimeter and some motion lights.
Any other suggestions?

 

[rosemarythyme]

I plan on placing railway ties against the outside bottom to further fortify the bottom, and place planters on the ties

If you're putting anything on top of the apron, make sure to add extra width to compensate for the width being eaten up by whatever is on top of there (i.e. 10" wide planter, the apron should then have an extra 10" added to it).

 

[krthaymp]

If you're putting anything on top of the apron, make sure to add extra width to compensate for the width being eaten up by whatever is on top of there (i.e. 10" wide planter, the apron should then have an extra 10" added to it).

I thought that so long as the apron was wide enough it was ok if something was on it. I can definitely extend the apron… why is that though?

 

[rosemarythyme]

I thought that so long as the apron was wide enough it was ok if something was on it. I can definitely extend the apron… why is that though?

If something large (pavers, planters) is on top of the apron, any pest or predator that's trying to dig in from the edge of the run will get bumped back by the width of the objects on top, so if let's say the apron is 24" wide and you have something 10" wide on top, the coverage from edge of the object to edge of the run is now 14" instead of the original 24".