What I need: A small picket fence run that the chicks can access at will when we're not home to free range them.
What I have so far:
I put together 4 sections of dog ear picket fence, 24 inches high, 8 foot in length. (Goodness does it take time to do! First cut everything, let the lumber dry out, paint, paint again before even putting it together and then touch up with more paint, I think the fence took longer than the coop!) When installed the upper runner of the wood fence will be 24" above ground.
1 50' roll of 60" high welded wire.
1 raised 4 x 5 coop, nestboxes sticking out an additional foot making it 4X6, 26 inches off the ground.
So.. how do I best combine these?
Do I
1. Put the coop smack in the middle, Use 8 foot long sections of the wire fence bending it in a Z shape with a 2 foot long section from the bottom of the coop horizontally to the top of the picket fence,bend, 2 foot vertically on the inside of the picket fence and then a 1 foot apron (which I can extend with the excess welded wire). This gives me 18 unused feet of welded wire, before extending the apron.
2. Put the coop against the rear section of picket fence, having the pen stick out 4 foot in front. This would make accessing the inside of the coop easier than 1, as I wouldn't have to open the pen wire roof and step over the picket fence. How would I run the welded wire in an efficient manner if I go this route?
As I write this I'm thinking 4' (top- horizontally) + 2' (side - vertically) + 2' (apron - horizontally) next to eachother in the front part of the run would give me a 2 foot wide 8 foot excess section that I guess I could use for the rear picket panel. For the sides two 8 foot sections like in (1.) but with a 1' roof and 2' apron, and then just add an apron to the back. This way would also mean 32' of used welded wire but with only the rear apron and corner pieces to cover from the excess 18 '.
I guess I might just have answered my own question,
but is there a better way to do it?
What I have so far:
I put together 4 sections of dog ear picket fence, 24 inches high, 8 foot in length. (Goodness does it take time to do! First cut everything, let the lumber dry out, paint, paint again before even putting it together and then touch up with more paint, I think the fence took longer than the coop!) When installed the upper runner of the wood fence will be 24" above ground.
1 50' roll of 60" high welded wire.
1 raised 4 x 5 coop, nestboxes sticking out an additional foot making it 4X6, 26 inches off the ground.
So.. how do I best combine these?
Do I
1. Put the coop smack in the middle, Use 8 foot long sections of the wire fence bending it in a Z shape with a 2 foot long section from the bottom of the coop horizontally to the top of the picket fence,bend, 2 foot vertically on the inside of the picket fence and then a 1 foot apron (which I can extend with the excess welded wire). This gives me 18 unused feet of welded wire, before extending the apron.
2. Put the coop against the rear section of picket fence, having the pen stick out 4 foot in front. This would make accessing the inside of the coop easier than 1, as I wouldn't have to open the pen wire roof and step over the picket fence. How would I run the welded wire in an efficient manner if I go this route?
As I write this I'm thinking 4' (top- horizontally) + 2' (side - vertically) + 2' (apron - horizontally) next to eachother in the front part of the run would give me a 2 foot wide 8 foot excess section that I guess I could use for the rear picket panel. For the sides two 8 foot sections like in (1.) but with a 1' roof and 2' apron, and then just add an apron to the back. This way would also mean 32' of used welded wire but with only the rear apron and corner pieces to cover from the excess 18 '.
I guess I might just have answered my own question,
