New To Raising Chickens

[CarpCharacin]

Welcome to BYC! We're glad you decided to join our wonderful community!
I think hardware cloth is the best material for a run.

 

[drumstick diva]

me too

 

[DobieLover]

Dobie Lover if I were a chicken, I would love to live at your place. You've thought of everything to keep them safe.

 

[007Sean]

Howdy and Welcome to Backyard Chickens.

Happy to have you here with us. Enjoy your time here at BYC!

Thanks for joining our community!

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Not to sound repetitive but, 1/2 galvanized HC is best. Some folks don't think they have a predator problem until they lose a few chickens. Also, make sure you provide them shade. Chickens deal with cold temperatures better than hot. Good luck with your flock.

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC. Great suggestions given on a 'safe' pen. Hot wire is always a great mammalian predator deterrent.

 

[Hencraze24]

We have 7 chickens (3 hens and 4 chicks). We are doubling it to 3000 SQ FT in a few weeks. We have two ducklings coming soon too. We would free range our whole 3 acres but I have a feeling the neighbors dogs wouldn't be so great with them.

we have 15 and our run is like 50*40. is that too small?

 

[drumstick diva]

so glad you joined us at Backyard Chickens

 

[chkva]

we have 15 and our run is like 50*40. is that too small?

50 ft x 40 ft? That's 2,000 SQ FT... That gives the chickens each 133 SQ FT. That is plenty big!

 

[CityslickerHomestead]

There are a lot of factors involved, like are you in or out of the city? What type of predators are in your area? Cats and dogs? Raccoons and skunks? Coyotes and hawks? Bears and mountain lions?

Ultimately you want to protect from digging predators (bury 1/2 inch hardware cloth 2feet below ground surface), climbing and bomb diving predators (roof and/or chicken wire/ hardware cloth over the run). And grabby/pushing predators that can reach through chain link fences (wrap run in hardware cloth).

My neighbors let their girls free range and only have a loafing shed for shelter. I on the other hand have a locking coop for nighttime safety, run walls built with chain link fencing wrapped in hardware cloth to stop raccoons, snakes, and mice, clear and metal corrugated roofing for sun, cat, and hawk protection. And buried hardware cloth for the coyotes and my in-law’s rambunctious dog.
I do not worry about bears or mountain lions.