Run Ideas?

[dominiques]

Finished my coop last week. Girls have been very happy in their new home. Now it's time for the run. Any suggestions, tips on a run? I know to use hardware cloth that chicken wire is not predator proof. I know washers and/or wood over the edges rather than staples. Anything else? 1/2 the run will be under cover and 1/2 will not be. I'm thinking about 10X16 will be the size. Wondering about height as the pop up door is obviously in there and will need to be opened/closed. Also water and food will need to be dealt with but can't imagine a 6' high run. Or is that how tall you all have your runs? Wondering about the gate to get in and how to do that and how deep to make the trench to bury hardware cloth into and should it be buried going out away from the run or facing in under the run? Thanks!!

 

[Erin~TheChickenLover]

I have walk in runs that are 6' and I love them. A few weeks with a run that you have to bend over in and you will be sick of it. It makes cleaning very difficult if you can't stand in the run and move around well. Walk in runs give you more possibilities. You can add roosts, cages for smaller birds, or a second floor to better utilize the space. Walk in runs are also necessary for my flighty bantams. I know people say that chicken wire is not predator proof, but that is what I have and it works for me. Unless you have really large predators like bear, I can't see chicken wire being a problem. Hardware cloth is more difficult to use and more expensive. I got a big roll of chicken wire for $88. I've found that if a predator manages to get in my pens it was because of human error, not properly securing the wire to the frame, etc. Not because of the chicken wire. I bury the wire around my pens. The wire should go out away from the pens to keep predators from digging in.
Here is a picture of the run we have for some of the bantams:

 

[dominiques]

Thank you Erin! Love your run especially your wood. I will follow your advice and go with a 6' tall run. Makes perfect sense to me. Where did you get your chicken wire from? Maybe I'll do that and just put hardware cloth on the bottom 2'. Anyone else do something like that? The guy down the street from me lost his flock one by one because the chickens would go to the chicken wire when the fox was there and the fox grabbed them through the wire. That's my worry. Thanks again and for posting a pic. Helps me visualize it.

 

[JackE]

I used the electrified poultry fence from Premier for my 100X100' run. It was much less expensive and easier to install than a wooden framed structure. I had/have a fox problem and the fence has taken care of that. The birds can spend the whole day out and I don't have to worry about coming home to another massacre.
Jack

 

[Erin~TheChickenLover]

Thank you Erin! Love your run especially your wood. I will follow your advice and go with a 6' tall run. Makes perfect sense to me. Where did you get your chicken wire from? Maybe I'll do that and just put hardware cloth on the bottom 2'. Anyone else do something like that? The guy down the street from me lost his flock one by one because the chickens would go to the chicken wire when the fox was there and the fox grabbed them through the wire. That's my worry. Thanks again and for posting a pic. Helps me visualize it.

Your welcome! I got my chicken wire from Tractor Supply. The wire gaps are only about 1''. The only thing that can get in my pen is snakes and those I shoot. You can also leave golf balls in the nesting boxes and the snakes will eat them and die. I can not imagine a chicken going anywhere near a fox. My chickens would freak out and run in the coop to hide if a fox came anywhere near.

 

[carolinasculpture]

Hi! We used a chain link fence. It is 50x50 and have a structure in the center. The structure holds a net over the whole thing. Stringing the net was the hardest part, but so worth it! The net goes from around 12' off the ground in the center to 4' at the fence. We have an electric fence around the whole thing. The only predator we have had is an egg nabbing snake. Oh, babies can easily fit through the chain link, but they always come right back in. Never lost any. Good luck!

 

[Tetonia chicken]

Hello! Our run is 4ft tall 8x10, and we used hardware cloth mostly so other birds wouldnt get in the run. We built frames for each side (two 4x10's and a 4x8) and for the top (two 8x4 frames wired plus a solid 8x2 piece for so some shelter) using 2x4's cut in half. We screwed the hardware cloth on securely. Then put the run together with screws with the screwed edges meeting each other so nothing sticks out. When I want to clean the run I can unscrew the top take it off so I can stand up in there easily. Works for me.

 

[dominiques]

Thank you Tetonia and Jack. Got any pics you can post? These sound interesting. I saw your coop pics Jack. Very nice. Got any of your run?
Thanks again you all! Anyone else have other suggestions?

 

[Jakoda]

mines about 6 feet, only because I came off the side of a shed that has double doors so the roof had to be higher than the doors. Here's a pic, the run is 12 x 20

 

[ONSTAD1]

Mine is a whopping 6.5'. Love the head room. (6.5 rather than 6 because the 50' roll of hardware cloth allowed a few extra inches in my application)

Sides are hardware cloth and the top and bottom are welded wire fencing to save on cost












Next summer I'm going to put a corrugated roof over the run.