Tempoary run help

[Jrobinsonmtplus3]

Hey all,

I need some ideas for a temporary preditor proof run for my girls while we build a larger one.

I just realized I don't have a front pic of the finished coop so bear with these...

The top of the door sits about 10 feet off the ground. maybe more. I'm having a difficult time figuring out a way to secure a temporary run to the coop while we build a larger one. I currently have some 4 foot welded wire fencing, and the oppertunity to aquire more of that inexpensivley, so I would like to utelize that if possible.
I am thinking I could encircle the coop tightly around the bottom and extend out where the ramp and door are about 4 feet thus giving them 4'x8' in front of the coop and the 8x8 under to do their thing. But I am at a loss at how to preditor protect from overhead, and figure out a way for us to get in and out of the run to get to the coop door to open the pop door and bring food and water out.

we are in SC, and I live in a neighborhood near a stream that has flighty preditors like hawks, owls etc.

What material could I use to make a "roof?"

Thanks so much!

 

[PD-Riverman]

Someone is for sure going to some expense to build this coop with just the metal!! But that's OK. I am in SC too. I buy and use used 6ft tall dog kennel panels for my runs/pens with deer netting across the top. You can add a little top/roof over the door---out far enough that the door will open then The deer netting can go from the edge of that down to the fencing.

This is one of mine---a 2 section coop-----you can see the netting going up to the roof etc.

 

[Jrobinsonmtplus3]

My husband was not confident in toenailing the 2x4s so that's what he came up with for strength and durability. I just went with it. Never really thought about the cost of those...
How did you attach the deer netting to the fence and coop? Be specific for this novice...

I have metal sheeting I can make an awning with somehow possibly... that's a good idea.

 

[Jrobinsonmtplus3]

And I've been on the hunt for 6ft dog kennel panels on the cheap too... the swing gate would be so nice! Another thing I'm trying to figure out if I use the 4 ft wire...

 

[PD-Riverman]

And I've been on the hunt for 6ft dog kennel panels on the cheap too... the swing gate would be so nice! Another thing I'm trying to figure out if I use the 4 ft wire...

I attach the netting to the building with a hand stapler being the building is wood. Most of my chain-link kennel panels are the older type with the wire bent at the top joining the next wire, etc, etc I slightly bend open every 3 or 4 of these connections and put several weaves of the netting under it. I always make sure when installing the kennel panels that the chain-link is on the Outside the pipe. The new kennel panels has a wire that spirals the pipe to hold the chain-link to it. I did use the plastic tie straps on those but now the tie straps break/brittle from the sun and I reattach the netting with hog rings----should have done that to start with.
Blow up this pic and you can see the netting attached like I describes---in the door the netting went around the pipe and back to the netting and was attached--netting to netting with J clips like cages are made with. I also used those J clips to join each piece of the netting to the next.

My first chicken run I used 2" chicken wire across the top and held it up in the middle with a old swing set frame and pieces of pipe---what ever I had---it lasted a long time---just cost more and was harder to put up.

 

[TalkALittle]

Well, having the chicken door in the human door seems problematic to me. Any run (even a temporary one) is going to need to be tall enough to accommodate both so you can get in and out easy. Given that you want it to be predator proof too makes it doubly difficult.

If it were me, I might frame in an additional chicken door on one of the other walls and build a small hoop run from cattle panels made predator proof with hardware cloth or welded wire fencing. Then you can take your time building the permanent run off the front.

Once the permanent run is done you can close up the temporary chicken door and dismantle the hoop run or repurpose it. I can think of a bunch of uses for a little hoop structure.

 

[Jrobinsonmtplus3]

Hmm I'm not really seeing the problem with the chicken door being in the human one? We will need to open the door to get the food and water out (will be putting it in the coop at night)
We are considering running a wire somehow for the pop door to be able to open and close it without entering the run, but still will have to enter for food and water purposes at least in the beginning till we get the big run done.

I think I figured out a work around for now though.
I picked up some all purpose netting from ts today and my plan is to use the awning in the pic in front of the coop. Hang some netting from the coop to the awning frame, and down to the galvanized wire fence that will encircle the coop and most of the awning.
Then I'll frame in a swing door that we will reuse in the big run.

 

[TalkALittle]

That's my whole point. You will need to use that human door so the temporary run has to accommodate it. There is no problem with the chicken door being in the human door once the permanent run is all built. The difficulty I foresee is that you said you wanted the temp run to be predator proof. You also implied you were looking for a low-cost option. IMO, it would be harder to hit all 3 of those marks while having to make it 10' high to accommodate the opening of the human door that you have to pass in and out of at least twice daily than it would be to make a separate run that doesn't involve the human door.

Netting is not predator proof so, regardless of how you rig it up, it will be able to be breached.

 

[Jrobinsonmtplus3]

I see your points...
PD- how long have you had your netting in place And how has it worked for you?

 

[PD-Riverman]

I see your points...
PD- how long have you had your netting in place And how has it worked for you?

Only 5 years for the present pen with the netting and Never a problem or a loss of chicken to a predator while using it. But, I agree netting is Not a preditor proof top, even though I have seen a possum walking on the netting trying to figure a way in. Its strong but they could chew through it even if there was not a hole they could squeeze through. I visit my chicken pen several times a day---even some nights----I look for tracks every trip---if I see a possum, coon, dog track close to my rows of chicken pens---I immediately set traps----I do not wait for them to try and break in. I usually catch the predator the first night after seeing the tracks. I might loose some tonight, but so far in years I have not been hit.