run height

[kywest]

Okay, I see so many pics of runs that are short (well, shorter than me, 5'2", anyway). What i want to know is, how do you get in to clean?? I envisioned a 5 to 6' tall run for easy cleaning, but hubby wants it to be short for unobstructed views of the lovely shed he just sweated over. Those with short runs - how do you rake them out?
Thanks for the tons of advice we have gotten so far...

 

[CMV]

Quote:
Infrequently and painfully.

Seriously- I have a tractor so I just move to whole thing, but I am planning to make my next run detachable from the coop because I want to keep the low profile, but also need to clean the space as well. If you have the ability to build a run with head clearance DO IT! You will save yourself many backaches in the future.

 

[KDbeads]

If you have to compromise do something like this:

I can stand in it and clean it out with no big problems other than catching my hair in the wire.

 

[jjconcepts]

I used a 3' tall run - used to pick it up onto it's side... went with a 6' tall run in a hurry.. and would never dream of going back to a smaller one..

 

[joamos2]

What type of top did you have when you had a 3' tall run? I really need to keep the run hidden as much as possible to keep the neighbors from complaining. The coop is up against a garage that is hidden but I am trying to figure out a way to make a reasonable sized run that doesn't stick out. Any ideas?

 

[wombat]

Build a run you can stand up in.

You can use green 1"x2" welded wire, which won't be very noticable, and run some 4' high hardware cloth around the bottom, burried a foot deep. Roof it with more hardware cloth if you have climbing predators in your area.

 

[4HillsSumatras]

Our first run was only 3' tall. What a pain!! We will never do that again. This time I built panels almost 6' tall. Now we have no problem cleaning or anything else we need to do inside. Make it tall enough for you to be comfortable.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Camouflage the run, or however much is visible to neighbors, by slapping some lattice panels onto it (not as a substitute for predatorproof wire mesh fencing, *doubled onto* it as camouflage). It will look like a decorative arbor or suchlike.

Although frankly, most chickens make enough chicken noises that your neighbors are GOING to know you have chickens, and if they are going to complain they will, visible run or not.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[stretchc1]

This is a great question. I followed advice I got from BYC and made my run--and my coop--big enough to walk into. In my case, that meant 5'--I have to duck a tiny bit, but not enough to dissuade me from going in to rake/scoop poop from the run and to remove the droppings board from the coop. Since my coop/run is relatively close to the house (we have a very small lot), keeping the manure under control is a SERIOUS issue. I feel like a much more relaxed, responsible chicken-keeper than I would if cleaning felt like an awful chore.

I tried hard to follow the examples of lots of the attractive run designs I found here on BYC in order to make the thing as neighbor-friendly as possible. Simple things like staining the studs on the run before you attach the hardware cloth and putting the mesh on the inside of the studs instead of the outside (which sacrifices some square inches of run space, I know) make the whole thing look like part of the landscape "design." I'm working on a plan to build a lower, garden fence next year that will match the run to tie everything in together so that it doesn't seem like the major feature of the back yard is a big cage.

 

[tinyscrafts]

I made mine 2 ft tall and regret it! big time! Only my kids can get in there, sometimes the chickies hide in the corner and everyone is dragging their butts in poo. or I have to lift it and play catch the chickens..

I'm going to be redoing it.