Show Me Your RUN!

[Freckle Face Farm]

Quote:
It's all 1 peice of chicken wire till you get to the door...We even ran it across the top to make sure they are safe a night.. We used a stapler and pulled and pulled the best way is to use the claw of your hammer.. After it was all stapled we used u hooks for chicken wire..I am gonna build another the same on the other side of the yard so I can alternate runs..

 

[Schroeder]

Well, it's my turn to show you mine! All done with run except for covering the hardware cloth on the ground with a few inches of dirt, pouring concrete slab under the gate and adding 2 sections of corrugated roofing adjacent to coop. I sure underestimated how long it would take me to construct the run, but I'm happy with it now. My 9 week old chickens finally have access to the outside world!

 

[tdgill]

very VERY nice!

 

[Anny]

wow! Holly Hard ware cloth! That is a nice run.

 

[DarkWolf]

Holy hardware cloth indeed... That's an awesome run, Schroeder... Nice work! Nice framing too.. Looks like 2x4 and 2x6?

 

[will hunt for food]

Quote:
What are the specs on that? Did you sink the posts in the dirt? Cement? What demension lumber did you use besides 2x4's? I have to start my run, and really like yours!

GREAT JOB!

I like the way you used an "apron" to go out with the hardware cloth. That is easier tthan digging a ditch, and can be covered easily with vegetation in no time.

 

[Schroeder]

Quote:
Thank you. Yes, 4x4 corners and center, 2x4's between.

 

[will hunt for food]

Also, have any pictures of how the run is attached to the coop?

 

[Schroeder]

The run is 16 x 16, not quite 6 ft high at sides. I cemented around each of the posts. The hardest part is getting all of the posts aligned and square to each other. I also had to strip pieces to attach to the edges of the 2x4's so that I had a smooth, mating surface to the bottom boards and outside joists, to which to attach the hardware cloth. You may be able to see what I'm describing in the first photo below. A 2x2 upright extends vertically from the top of the bottom board.(Sorry if that doesn't make any sense.)

I installed the bottom, horizontal boards before I set the 2x4 upright posts in concrete. I doubt you could line everything up if you put the 2x4 uprights in prior.

The other challenge was to line up the posts so that the hardware cloth on the far end met the coop wall. The far joists are actually attached to the outside of the coop. See photos below.

 

[tdgill]

This might turn out to be the biggest day tractor/movable run EVER! hahahahah

actually thinking I might be able to use this tho I'm not sure why. ha. Right now it just keeps roosters and their respective gangs apart. I have 2 dogs that babysit while I am home, this is obviously not predator proof. Except it will work for hawks. I still don't have something that I feel is secure enough to leave them in unattended for any length of time. I trust my fenced in backyard with my dogs to a degree, but I should be clipping wings sometime soon I would think.

oh yeah, forgot to say... thinking of somekinda supports etc. Its big enough to string a line and make like a tent. But I think I would like to have 2 corner supports that are movable and use a pole in the middle. My neighbors young son said, "cool fort!"