Run Question

[Bush84]

Have been thinking about run design. There are some topics out there, but certainly not as much info as with coop design. I'm not sure how big I want it yet or even what material to make it with. I have a bunch of metal posts laying around. I think the previous owner had electric fencing at one point. Not sure if I should use those or 2x4s.

http://www.menards.com/main/buildin...-50-welded-utility-fence/p-1356929-c-5769.htm

Holes in that stuff to big? I'm mostly worried about fox, coyote, coons, and large birds.

Also the bottom. It seems that some just put it flush and others bed some hardware cloth or something. Is there an easy way to bury the stuff? I'm not terribly interested in digging a trench by hand. Can I bed it in an L shape and lay it flat on the ground or does it have to be buried?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I use that welded wire fencing for my runs.

I have had hawks and owls pull chickens through those holes where they are standing next to the fence. So if it is a huge chicken yard it is a reasonable fencing to use, but if you are depending on it keeping them safe in a small run, then you need to line it with 1/2 inch hardware cloth along the bottom to keep them from being pulled through (same for chainlink kennels).

Only 1/2 inch hardware cloth is predator-proof, due to weasels and rats, which kill chickens. Raccoons just climb my fencing and I always close my chickens up tight at night.



Also, google hardware cloth apron...you can apron out the hardware cloth without burying it, or you can bury it along the bottom of the run. For my pens I just have the fencing and no burying or aprons.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

For the top of the run, you can use heavy knotted netting (think snow load and don't hang it over your fencing or it will pull it down- hang it onto posts and if the snow is very wet it may cling anyway and bring it down...it is an experiment). But that isn't predator proof.

You basically have to have a cube that is made of 1/2 inch hardware cloth to make it predator-proof, and so a lot of us just do the best we can and close them up at night tight. It is very expensive stuff, that hardware cloth.

You can see my netting on the right...it is only over a small part of the run, to give them a place to rest since we have lots of hawks, eagles, and owls.

 

[Tweetie]

Im as well trying to plan out my chicken run. I found this on ebay
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271535592092?var=570365458997

best price I have found. I have read that you can bend about a foot on the ground to prevent predators for digging under. I read that you can bury it or just use "garden staples" (not sure what they are called) to hold it into place and the grass will just grow through it.

 

[Bush84]

I have made a 4x8 A frame coop to start. I plan on getting 5-6 chickens to put in there. I plan on only making a small run for that coop. In the long run I plan on outfitting an old pole barn for poultry and making as large a run as I can afford. So I suppose the small run should get the 1/2 cloth and the large should get the bigger stuff.