Run decisions - need advice!

[hkijo]

Hi all! I'm a first time chicken owner and would LOVE advice on my run plans! My girls are only two weeks old right now and are in the brooder in my basement, but I'm finished building their coop and just need to figure out the run!

I'm on 15 partially wooded acres in MO, so lots of predators. My coop is located inside a 1/2 acre fenced area (post and rail fencing with 2x2 mesh wire attached) and while I originally wanted to let them free range in the fenced area during the day, we have a ton of hawks and owls and I would hate to lose one to an aerial attack. The coop plans I used had a run attached, which I built, but it's smaller than I'd like and not a great long-term solution.

My other option is to utilize a large dog kennel area that is also in this fenced part of my property. It has concrete floors that slope to a drain, there is water, electric, and a 12' lean-to/metal roof over the entire area. Chain link fencing encloses the kennels.

Now I'm wondering if it would be better to move the coop to the kennel area? I wouldn't have to worry about anything digging under since it's concrete and the roof would protect them from hawks and owls. I can screw hardware cloth to the support beams instead of using the chain link for most of the run. But, for instance, the gate to get into the run is chain link...if I covered that with chicken wire would that keep them safe?

I'm thinking concrete would be super easy to keep clean, I'd keep it bedded with shavings (I have horses too so I have an abundance) but at least I can strip it and sanitize it every so often.

Any advice or ideas appreciated! Thanks!!

 

[sloanbychoice]

I feel you on the predators. We’re in KS.

So about the gate...
Hardware cloth is gonna be lots better than chicken wire if possible.
Try a piece just bigger than the door. Use zip ties to hold it, and wire it around the galvanized bars, leaving a slight excess to cover the gap between bars.
When you open and close the gate, it will move with it.
Does that make sense? I don’t know if it’s coming out of my head the way I see mine. Lol.

 

[Kat2141]

It has concrete floors that slope to a drain, there is water, electric, and a 12' lean-to/metal roof over the entire area.

I have my girls in an old horse stall with a door out to an 40x75 "pasture" just for them, woods nearby but not in the pasture. I worried about hawks too when I first got them 3 years ago. A lot of people say crows will drive hawks away and I have to say that we have quite a few crows around and the 2 hawks that I have seen that saw my girls did not stay around long. Even so, I did put different things in their pasture to give them something to go under if need be (I know it may be a false sense of security on my part), along with being shade in the summer. Just going by how mine act, I would say they would absolutely HATE being on a concrete floor all of the time. They LOVE to scratch in the dirt. In fact, a couple weeks ago we tried out a new rototiller in there and they spend hours in that strip of dirt looking for worms and bugs, even now.

Since the dog kennel area is also inside your fenced area, maybe you could have the coop in that, lock them in there if there is an obvious reason for concern but let them "free range" the rest of the fenced area as a rule. I would have liked to have had a secure outdoor run for them the one day the one hawk was sitting in the tree nearby, but I don't have one yet. But having water and electric is SO very handy at a coop for heated water and lights for winter and a 12' roof for shade would be much appreciated when the summer sun hits.

I agree with Sloan that you can wire a smaller grid of wire to the chain link gate, that would probably be the easiest fix and trust me, those chicks can get out through some pretty small holes when they want to. Not so bad once they get older.

Enjoy your time with your girls.

 

[hkijo]

Thanks guys! @sloanbychoice I have plenty of extra hardware cloth and that makes total sense about the gate! Thanks for the tip

@Kat2141 Good idea, I am definitely planning on letting them free-range in the fenced area when I am able to watch them, or when my dogs are outside to scare the hawks away! But, I do like the idea of a predator-proof run that they can be confined to if necessary, or if we go out of town or something..