Run Expansion Advice

[Suzi18]

And look! She didn't use HWC for her fencing!

She probably has snipers that patrol the run.

 

[Suzi18]

Don't do it. Don't look at them.

Once you look there is no going back!

 

[paneubert]

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.

If you are willing to use 1 inch hex, you can get coated for much less than $1,000 from Strombergs.

https://www.strombergschickens.com/...Flight-Pen-Fencing-PVC-Coated/poultry-netting

1" Hex Wire - 4' Tall X 150' Long = $154
1" Hex Wire - 3' Tall X 150' Long = $110

Don't know about shipping.....

Don't know if higher fence height would be of value to you, but the difference between their 4 foot and 5 foot is not much.....

1" Hex Wire - 5' Tall X 150' Long = $162.

Hell.....buy the 5 foot height and bury more of it as a predator skirt so you only have whatever height you want exposed in the end.

 

[Tooshay89]

If you are willing to use 1 inch hex, you can get coated for much less than $1,000 from Strombergs.

https://www.strombergschickens.com/...Flight-Pen-Fencing-PVC-Coated/poultry-netting

1" Hex Wire - 4' Tall X 150' Long = $154
1" Hex Wire - 3' Tall X 150' Long = $110

Don't know about shipping.....

Don't know if higher fence height would be of value to you, but the difference between their 4 foot and 5 foot is not much.....

1" Hex Wire - 5' Tall X 150' Long = $162.

Hell.....buy the 5 foot height and bury more of it as a predator skirt so you only have whatever height you want exposed in the end.

Oh wow, that's a lot better than the coated HWC! Do you think it's okay predator wise? Because they're locked in Fort Knox at night, my main concern would probably be dogs during the day (mainly mine once we move over there - he's never tried to eat the chickens before but he's a golden retriever, I wouldn't put it past him.) I know they can't climb a 7 foot HWC fence but can they chew through the hex wire? Is it stronger than chicken wire since it's coated?

 

[21hens-incharge]

I would not trust it to keep a dog out at all.

 

[aart]

Do you think it's okay predator wise?

No.

 

[aart]

No.

This is pretty good info on predators and mesh:
http://www.poultrydvm.com/featured-infographic/tips-for-protecting-poultry-from-predators

 

[Suzi18]

We recently added a 32×16 , 8 foot high run to our existing run. It started out we were going to do16×16, then we decided to make it bigger. Hardware cloth apron all the way around and on all sides. Then we thought we may as well put hardware cloth on the top. Then......we decided to put a roof on it. Metal seemed roof panels on both ends and clear roof panels across the rest.So after changing our minds over and over..... We love how it turned out.So how ever big you think you want it.....make it bigger. You wont regret it

 

[21hens-incharge]

We recently added a 32×16 , 8 foot high run to our existing run. It started out we were going to do16×16, then we decided to make it bigger. Hardware cloth apron all the way around and on all sides. Then we thought we may as well put hardware cloth on the top. Then......we decided to put a roof on it. Metal seemed roof panels on both ends and clear roof panels across the rest.So after changing our minds over and over..... We love how it turned out.So how ever big you think you want it.....make it bigger. You wont regret itView attachment 1665856 View attachment 1665858 View attachment 1665860 View attachment 1665861 View attachment 1665849 View attachment 1665853 View attachment 1665854

HA! Take that Martha Stewart!

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

wish we had the budget for a big run I am going to build a box had tractor run... The brand new run being built with my new Coop is only 8x10.