The run and coop rehab that was three months in the making

[WillowHavenFarm]

We moved to our current home 4 years ago and brought our free range birds with us. Unfortunately, we have both hawks and eagles on our property so after losing a few of our beloved hens, we decided to re-home the birds as we were gutting a foreclosure and couldn't take the time to build a proper run back then.

Fast forward to us purchasing 13 chicks in March and April. The plan was for the coop to be rehabbed and the new run to be done by the beginning of May but with winter lasting an extra month in MI, a death in the family, and only having my dh home on Sundays, this took way longer than we had thought it would.

The run is 66' by 30'. It is comprised of 6' tall rolled wire fencing plus more fencing buried under ground to keep digging predators out. The top is covered, circus tent style, with heavy duty aviary netting. The coop is as tight as Fort Knox so the birds are very secure at night. The remodel of the coop consisted of new roll away nesting boxes, new roost limbs, and we added an additional door. Within the next couple weeks we will be adding roosts and other chicken entertainment to the run.

The run is about 2,000 sq. ft. and was made this big so that we could use half as a run and the other half as garden, flip flopping every other year while also adding many soil amendments and compost to keep the soil balanced. My main garden is a true kitchen garden that wraps around my deck but this garden space will be perfect for more unruly plants like squash and melons. Eventually there will be elderberry bushes planted on the North end of the run, black berries on the West side, and the South and East sides will have edible perennials and comfrey. Plan to start prepping the ground for these plants this fall for spring 2019 planting. Eventually I would like to slide a 12' by 16' shed in place of our truck bed topper coop but that will have to wait a couple of years.

 

[bigz1983]

That's really cool

 

[TheYLWFlock]

Wow! Amazing job! Those birds are living the dream!

 

[aart]

That's pretty darn awesome!

I worry about that netting in the snow, have you used it in sow before?
....and weather protected ventilation in your truck coop.

Where in MI are you?
Add it to your profile?

 

[laurenhomer]

Hi there - I love your setup. We used our truck bed (on the truck) as an emergency coop a few years ago when we had a weasel decimate half our flock. The chickens loved it and were very safe until we could button up their coop.

We have a large somewhat circular garden fenced in with 2x4 welded wire that I would like to keep some ducks in but need a solution for the hawks. I like your circus tent style design - can you tell me more about how you built it it and if it’s held up over the last few years? We are in central mass so can get heavy snow loads. My son and I were just discussing the same style to protect the ducks from the hawks. They will have a secure duck house to be kept safe at night. Our last batch of ducks lived in the garden until one succumbed to a raccoon at night. They weren’t locked up at night then though.
Thanks!