Run Expansion Advice

[Tooshay89]

This week I tried expanding my 80 sq ft run with some omelet fencing covered with aviary netting. I spent a while trying to make this work (more hours than I'd like to count) and when my husband came over to help, he suggested that we just build a larger, permanent run. I'm obviously not going to turn down a run expansion that keeps our flock safer than my makeshift plastic fencing. We're thinking of coming out from the front of the run and basically making a large 45x45 ft square, very similar to this run wall (this is a picture I found on Pinterest)

Our main predators are hawks and owls. I've seen snake skins on the property (throughout the 10 acres but not by the coop - so far) and wild turkeys that now believe they belong here. In trying to keep the project a little more cost effective, I'm trying to figure out what kind of wire I can get away with. I don't want something flimsy and ineffective like chicken wire. I was going to use all hardware cloth, but it's pretty costly. I can do it if it's entirely necessary, but would it work just as well if I did the lowest 3 feet in hardware cloth and something else for the other 4 feet? Welded wire, maybe? Any advice?

Also, our small run is 100% hardware cloth and currently there's a solar pop door between the small run and the coop, and soon to be (as of this week when it gets here) another solar pop door between the small run and the expansion.

This is the expansion I have set up currently. Don't laugh! lol.

 

[Chickenaddition]

Not laughing at all. Just going to throw this out there. I highly suggest making the largest run you can afford, but doing it in hardware cloth. I am not saying go bankrupt doing it. You can always do it in sections and expansions.

I know you say what your predators currently are, however the thing being is you are adding confined prey. New predators will come. They always do. Raccoons are everywhere, so are possums, and there mice and rats. Hardware cloth is the best protection your chickens can have. That's my 2 cents

 

[Tooshay89]

You're right. I just thought maybe I could get away with only doing the bottom half of the wire in hardware cloth, but if nothing else is going to be as safe, I can just bite the bullet and do the whole thing in HC and be done with it.

I was hoping to use the black PVC coated hardware cloth for aesthetic purposes, but I'm only finding it online. Has anyone used it and found a decent deal (in bulk) on it? I'm going to need 200 feet of 48" and 200 feet of 36". The cheapest I've found it online was about $1,000. Not including shipping, because I found out after I added it to my cart that they don't ship. Pick up only, and not in my state. Go figure.

 

[Chickenaddition]

I will keep searching for the best price I can find on it. As I will be in the same boat as you here soon. Amazon so far is the best I can find so far, but give me a bit more time.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079XV5NMK/?tag=backy-20

 

[21hens-incharge]

You can do the bottom 2 feet in hardware cloth over welded wire and if you need to make the welded wire holes smaller add chicken wire up high.

Just throwing it out there.

 

[Chickenaddition]

found this. 1/2"x1/2" 48"x100' $113.00

https://www.wireclothman.com/shop.php?cPath=41

this looks to be the best price I can find around. Ships to FL.

 

[imnukensc]

I would do the bottom 2 or 3 feet in 1/2 x 1, 16 gauge, welded wire (often called cage wire) and do the upper portion in 2 x 3 welded fence wire. I'm not a fan of HWC although many here on the forums like it quite well.

 

[aart]

I was hoping to use the black PVC coated hardware cloth for aesthetic purposes

You could paint it...have seen several do that here.

As to doing just the bottom....depends on how safe it needs to be during the day.

 

[Tooshay89]

You could paint it...have seen several do that here.

As to doing just the bottom....depends on how safe it needs to be during the day.

It'll have a hardware cloth skirt around the bottom for digging predators, but I guess what I'm asking is if the hardware cloth all the way up the sides makes any difference if we're not going to put a roof on the run? It'll just be aviary netting. If a raccoon/rat/etc REALLY wanted to get in, couldn't they climb and get in through the netting up top? Keep in mind, at dusk there are TWO automatic pop doors blocking access to the coop - the first from the large run extension into the original hardware cloth "fort knox" run, and the second that goes into the coop. If they can get through both pop doors, they deserve the chickens!

We were over at the property all day today to clean up the trees/pile up branches. Right before dusk we had another hawk stalking the chickens. We have way more than our fair share of hawks.

 

[aart]

but I guess what I'm asking is if the hardware cloth all the way up the sides makes any difference if we're not going to put a roof on the run?It'll just be aviary netting.

Nope, then, not really.