Oregon

[Blooie]

I threw together a grow up pen with the cattle panels, mine was an a-frame instead. I tackle all kinds of building so not a big deal. Words of advice, if putting smaller wire on the panels put it on the inside. Unless secured smaller birds can get themselves caught between the wire and the panels.

Hi, all. I'm Blooie, and I appreciate Leslie sharing our run with you and your comments. As she said, we covered the arch with chicken wire. We used a welded wire fence cut to size and shape on the ends. We have hardware cloth running up 2 feet right over top of the chicken wire and extending outward some distance from the run as an apron. First chance she got our dog tried unsuccessfully to dig her way in. One broken and bleeding toenail later she decided that wasn't such a good idea. The apron is solid, and as soon as we get back home from a family emergency we'll be covering the apron with dirt and huge flat red rocks we've been collecting for years. I mean these rocks are huge - it takes two of us to pick most of them up to move them. That solved the problem of covering the area where the cattle panels meet the ground.

Our wiring is all done on the outside of the run so that predators can't push their way in. The chicken wire is wired tightly to the cattle panels and is absolutely taut, and the hardware cloth is literally sewn onto the chicken wire and panels. I understand the concern about smaller birds getting caught between, but believe me that isn't at all likely to happen. I had trouble pulling the flat, empty tip of my glove out! In a pinch for shade, we ran landscape fabric over the top in two places and it has shaded it perfectly and repelled water during a recent rainstorm. All in all we are very happy with it. This is the completed run.

 

[OR4-hmom]

I can only guess the hours you spent securing the wire and panels together.
I had a broody with chicks I had to move in a hurry, I spent hours doing it the easy way.
Your girls look quite pleased with your handy work.

 

[Reedgirl20]

I love the coop run idea with the cattle panels. One question though, to make the arc high enough for a person to walk in, is one panel enough or did you have to use two?

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Hi, all. I'm Blooie, and I appreciate Leslie sharing our run with you and your comments. As she said, we covered the arch with chicken wire. We used a welded wire fence cut to size and shape on the ends. We have hardware cloth running up 2 feet right over top of the chicken wire and extending outward some distance from the run as an apron. First chance she got our dog tried unsuccessfully to dig her way in. One broken and bleeding toenail later she decided that wasn't such a good idea. The apron is solid, and as soon as we get back home from a family emergency we'll be covering the apron with dirt and huge flat red rocks we've been collecting for years. I mean these rocks are huge - it takes two of us to pick most of them up to move them. That solved the problem of covering the area where the cattle panels meet the ground.

Our wiring is all done on the outside of the run so that predators can't push their way in. The chicken wire is wired tightly to the cattle panels and is absolutely taut, and the hardware cloth is literally sewn onto the chicken wire and panels. I understand the concern about smaller birds getting caught between, but believe me that isn't at all likely to happen. I had trouble pulling the flat, empty tip of my glove out! In a pinch for shade, we ran landscape fabric over the top in two places and it has shaded it perfectly and repelled water during a recent rainstorm. All in all we are very happy with it. This is the completed run.

I love the way this was done very much and I'm stealing the idea for my ducks!

I was thinking I can prep individual panels with the layers of wire by standing them on edge and leaning them against something ... then IF I can ever get someone to pound the stakes for me we can set them up.

That will just leave the ends and doors to sort out ...

We can do our covers with shade cloth and greenhouse plastic. But to be honest, the ducks don't like much protection.

 

[Suzierd]

Good point...I'm using 9/16" staples (heavy-duty kind) so hopefully that will hold...it better!! There'll be a gazillion staples in that chicken run!! 

Put some screws in it, coons have been known to push staples out. Love the hoop coops! Great ideas.

 

[Blooie]

I love the coop run idea with the cattle panels. One question though, to make the arc high enough for a person to walk in, is one panel enough or did you have to use two?

We only needed 1 cattle panel for each section, and ours is 3 sections. The ones we used were 16 feet long and we just adjusted the arch until we had maximum floor space for the girls (and Charlie) as well as plenty of head room for me. I'm 5'6 and don't have to bend over at all to work inside.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I can only guess the hours you spent securing the wire and panels together.

I had a broody with chicks I had to move in a hurry, I spent hours doing it the easy way.
Your girls look quite pleased with your handy work.

I just had a mini brainstorm. Part of our farm business is putting baby fruit trees into plastic bags, with moist shavings, so the baby trees can sit outside places like Home Depot without the roots dehydrating. We use wire ties with loops on the ends and a hook with a ratcheting function so all you have to do is put the hook through the loops at both ends of the piece of wire, then PULL and it snugs up.

So ... I looked for a Wire Tying Tool (ReBar Wire Tying Tool) and found this YouTube video ...

I used zip ties on my coop, but if I build some hoop coops I think I'll use something like this so I can use wire.

 

[OR4-hmom]

Great idea! The zip ties only last about a year here between the frozen winters and the 100°+ summer heat.
If you wholesale to Home Depot DH has inspected anything shipped down here.

 

[Blooie]

I just had a mini brainstorm. Part of our farm business is putting baby fruit trees into plastic bags, with moist shavings, so the baby trees can sit outside places like Home Depot without the roots dehydrating. We use wire ties with loops on the ends and a hook with a ratcheting function so all you have to do is put the hook through the loops at both ends of the piece of wire, then PULL and it snugs up. 

So ... I looked for a Wire Tying Tool (ReBar Wire Tying Tool) and found this YouTube video ...

I used zip ties on my coop, but if I build some hoop coops I think I'll use something like this so I can use wire. 

That certainly would have been easier and faster than the way we did it! Took several hours hooking the wires through the chicken wire, attaching them to the cattle panels, pulling, twisting then cutting off the tails!

 

[DaisyMeadow]

I've been hatching and will be hatching extra muscovy babies. Currently have about 13 extras that are about 3-5 days old. Super cute and ready to cuddle with you!





The ones I have left look like they will be black and white. Salem area.