Run built from wooden tomato stakes and chicken wire

[Annabella]

Well when the dog fatally injured one of the Red Sisters I decided the days of free ranging were over.

So I moved the coop over next to the kids cubby house and with a good supply of tomato stakes, chicken wire and a staple gun I managed to put a run around the coop. Its quite a sight but effective. We have no predators (I know the dog is a predator but he doesnt hunt. He is just a big boofhead and tries to tackle the girls).

The girls are contained, the dog is free to roam, and I can grow my gardens again. Its a win win.

 

[wava1vaughn]

Hi from Ga. Sounds like you have it all together.

 

[elmo]

If your dog wants in there, he'll be in there, though.

 

[Nicole01]

The problem with chicken wire is it's not strong enough to keep predators out, including dogs.

. You need something stronger like welded wire our hardware cloth.

Good luck!

 

[shadust1]

Please whatever u do...do not understimate anything....where i live i didnt think there were no "predators" either until one night something tore my poor banty to shreads...and i mean that literally....we have never ever seen nething around but they r there....i feel really awful about what happens to my baby but it also opened my eyes...i have a heavy gage fence around the perimeter plus another fence wrapped around that and we r also gonna enclosed an area so if nething is chasing them they have somewhere to escape...plus i shut n lock there poop door now everynight like clockwork....i almost had a heart attack last saturday when we had a cookout and we were sitting around talking still around 2:30am and i thought my boyfriend had already shut them down for the night....i asked him n he said no...we r just right here...lol...i yelled at him and went n shut them up....lol.....

 

[3goodeggs]

Chicken wire was made to keep chickens in the run or out of the gardens, it will not keep anything out that really wants in.
Keep an eye on them, put them up at night, and hopefully they will be out from under Fido's nose.
Sorry about losing one of the red sisters. That's a bummer.

 

[gale65]

I thought every area in the US had some kind of predator.

edit-I see the OP lives in Australia but aren't there lots of predators there too? At any rate, good luck!

 

[juliaaa]

It is amazing what you can come up with from stuff you have laying around! Good job.

 

[Annabella]

Thanks guys. My construction looks funny but works.

I have planted a cucumber vine that hopefully will grown over the top covering and give the girls shade in summer (we are still winter here).

Our suburb is such an old suburb that we don't even have snakes here to worry about. The only thing will be concerned about is if the neighbours change and they may have dogs get through the fence. (Worry about that when we get there)

Boofhead won't force his way through the fence as is stands now. Like I said he's not a predator, he just tackles them when he sees them. He's 20 kilos they are 2 (poor things).

The future plan will be to build something stronger, just havent had time/money yet to do that. This was a quick reaction to what occurred.