Earlier this summer I did a major reno on my run, adding sand over gravel. It's all documented here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=526887
This past weekend I accomplished the second part of my planned reno--adding a second 10x10 chainlink run. I'm hoping to be able to keep grass there by not letting them into this run all the time, so I replaced one of the solid walls of the old pen w/ the door wall of the new pen. I can open or close the gate as I please.
This all coincided nicely with the end of new girls Bianca and Audrey's quarantine. So when I finished around noon on Sunday, I put the new girls in the new pen (old girls in the original pen) and let them spend the day getting used to the idea.
Here are Bianca and Audrey in the new pen before I let the other girls out.
VIDEO:
And here is the first time Clarice and Svetlana met Bianca and Audrey through the wire. Clarice cracks me upshe not only puffs up really big but she also stands on the 1x6 to make herself appear larger! Svetlana is up higher, but note that she's BEHIND Clarice, LOL. Clarice is not a big chicken and Bianca (white) is going to be HUGE once she bodies outshes already way taller than even Svetlana! It's clear from this video that Clarice knew it was Bianca she'd have to deal with--Audrey is very passive and Clarice barely even noticed her!
VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VogcuWdH9nU
The rain has put a crimp in my intro plans. I was hoping to be able to keep the new girls in the new pen for a few days, but it isn't working out that way. Bianca and Audrey have never really been outside beforewhere they lived before they were in an indoor coop b/c they were babies, and in quarantine at my place they have been kept inside. So yesterday was the first time they experienced rain, and we had a lot of it, supposed to continue through Tues. I put a vari-kennel in the pen with them but I didnt want to risk leaving them w/ no other shelter all day long. The original pen is not only connected to the coop but it is also covered.
So last night I put B and A in the coop w/ C and S after everyone was sleepy. That went fine, and this a.m. all was quiet. I just opened up the pop door and left the door open b/t the 2 pens. I'm at work today so all I can do is HOPE that it's all going OK. FINGERS CROSSED!!!! It should be plenty of room so that the new girls can get away from Clarice, and I left food in 5 different areas, plus 2 water containers.
CONSTRUCTION DETAILS:
As with the first pen, this one has a woven wire cover, supported by a 6' 4x4 with a 2x4 running from one side to the other (bolted on via a chainlink pen part that permits this). It's securely attached to the pen with wire every 6 inches.
Door going from new pen to old pen (pic taken prior to top going on new pen):
I did the digging apron a bit differently this time. Instead of using hardware cloth in an "L" as I did before, I used heavy woven wire fencing (stronger than hardware cloth) laid along the ground and staked in securely:
I will add hardware cloth along the bottom 2 feet of the pen walls this next weekend. I'm not terribly worried about raccoons b/c my girls are inside at night, but in the wintertime I usually come home after dark and occasionally they are still out, so I'll add the hardware cloth as a precaution.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=526887
This past weekend I accomplished the second part of my planned reno--adding a second 10x10 chainlink run. I'm hoping to be able to keep grass there by not letting them into this run all the time, so I replaced one of the solid walls of the old pen w/ the door wall of the new pen. I can open or close the gate as I please.
This all coincided nicely with the end of new girls Bianca and Audrey's quarantine. So when I finished around noon on Sunday, I put the new girls in the new pen (old girls in the original pen) and let them spend the day getting used to the idea.
Here are Bianca and Audrey in the new pen before I let the other girls out.
VIDEO:
And here is the first time Clarice and Svetlana met Bianca and Audrey through the wire. Clarice cracks me upshe not only puffs up really big but she also stands on the 1x6 to make herself appear larger! Svetlana is up higher, but note that she's BEHIND Clarice, LOL. Clarice is not a big chicken and Bianca (white) is going to be HUGE once she bodies outshes already way taller than even Svetlana! It's clear from this video that Clarice knew it was Bianca she'd have to deal with--Audrey is very passive and Clarice barely even noticed her!
VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VogcuWdH9nU
The rain has put a crimp in my intro plans. I was hoping to be able to keep the new girls in the new pen for a few days, but it isn't working out that way. Bianca and Audrey have never really been outside beforewhere they lived before they were in an indoor coop b/c they were babies, and in quarantine at my place they have been kept inside. So yesterday was the first time they experienced rain, and we had a lot of it, supposed to continue through Tues. I put a vari-kennel in the pen with them but I didnt want to risk leaving them w/ no other shelter all day long. The original pen is not only connected to the coop but it is also covered.
So last night I put B and A in the coop w/ C and S after everyone was sleepy. That went fine, and this a.m. all was quiet. I just opened up the pop door and left the door open b/t the 2 pens. I'm at work today so all I can do is HOPE that it's all going OK. FINGERS CROSSED!!!! It should be plenty of room so that the new girls can get away from Clarice, and I left food in 5 different areas, plus 2 water containers.
CONSTRUCTION DETAILS:
As with the first pen, this one has a woven wire cover, supported by a 6' 4x4 with a 2x4 running from one side to the other (bolted on via a chainlink pen part that permits this). It's securely attached to the pen with wire every 6 inches.
Door going from new pen to old pen (pic taken prior to top going on new pen):
I did the digging apron a bit differently this time. Instead of using hardware cloth in an "L" as I did before, I used heavy woven wire fencing (stronger than hardware cloth) laid along the ground and staked in securely:
I will add hardware cloth along the bottom 2 feet of the pen walls this next weekend. I'm not terribly worried about raccoons b/c my girls are inside at night, but in the wintertime I usually come home after dark and occasionally they are still out, so I'll add the hardware cloth as a precaution.
Last edited:
