The Run thread

[cabinchicky]

Pls go a bit bigger if you can. winter is hard on them, pecking is an issue. also chicken math can bite you in the butt. you start with 5 and next you have 20. they are addictive! started with 12 now have 24 plus 2 ducks and waiting on a pick from a friend who is hatching out my eggs.

 

[Jdc361]

Pls go a bit bigger if you can. winter is hard on them, pecking is an issue. also chicken math can bite you in the butt. you start with 5 and next you have 20. they are addictive! started with 12 now have 24 plus 2 ducks and waiting on a pick from a friend who is hatching out my eggs.

But I don't think I cAn go much larger

 

[cabinchicky]

if you are restricted due to space I understand just research as much as possible. also if you live in town look for any restrictions owning chickens in town.

 

[Jdc361]

if you are restricted due to space I understand just research as much as possible. also if you live in town look for any restrictions owning chickens in town.

Ok thanks

 

[Peep a Cheep]

Hi All,

Here is the run I have...right now, though I did change the set-up of the 'stuff inside' this spring. Inside is a 'sand-box' (old deck boards made into a frame filled with play sand, diatomaceous earth, and a little fireplace ash) for baths, a swing-set (also made of old deck boards), some sumps, and (not pictured) I've fed some branches from a tree we took down as perches.

This is a picture from last fall. The cover we got at TSC. It held the snow OK, but we had to rake it off if we had more than 4 inches. It's still on and it keeps the rain out and provides shade. (By the way, the top of the fencing has double thick deer cloth over the whole thing, so it's not open). The run is *almost* 10/10 in the main area, we have two 10x10 fences, and three 6x6, so it's a superman symbol shape. There is a covered area under their coop, too.




Old Set-up, the swings and sandbox switched sides because the rain hits the left, but not the right. This is between fills of the sand box. We used wood chips as a base, and the girls love to dig around in them for bugs.


Here's the sandbox all filled in, with one of my Lorps trying it out when we first built it (wow, she's grown up since this picture, sniff sniff ). The run still had grass then...that lasted two weeks, hence the chips, above.



We have mesh underground to deter diggers, but haven't yet gotten the hardware cloth on the sides to keep them from sticking their heads out.

Finally, here are 5 of my 6 girls helping build the swingset. Pictures are kind of in reverse order



We live on 10 acres in the woods of west-central Wisconsin, so have everything from fox to bear, weasel and skunk and opossum to the squirrel that likes to antagonize the girls and try to steal their food. So far, so good (Knocking on wood now).

 

[mermaids]

Those of you who used welded wire with larger openings, like 2 inch, do wild birds ever come into your run and steal feed? I'm wondering if I can get away with fence or cage wire with larger mesh size, or if I have to use 1/2 inch hardware cloth, the price difference is huge.

I live in a neighborhood, never seen a fox, raccoon, coyote here. More likely is someone's dog loose or people let their cats out at night.

 

[B-Goock]

This past winter I did have wild birds coming in to eat feed. 2x4 welded wire. I covered it with chicken wire to keep them out.

 

[Blooie]

Our run. It's stood up to winds in excess of 60mph and snow and done beautifully. Tall enough to walk in and work in. Easy to expand - we just did that this spring. Easy to cover with plastic in winter. Not expensive at all to build. Just the two of us old geezers (64 and 67 years old) built it, and we have no building skills whatsoever. Keeps small birds out and the hardware cloth skirt and apron deters predators. (I subscribe to the theory that there's no such thing as a 100% predator proof setup. The minute I start thinking that I might become complacent and that's when accidents happen! Nothing beats diligence in looking for weakening spots before they become problems.)


Our cattle panel run in summer. The lattice fencing was added because our setup is visible from the street and we live in town.


View standing on the south side looking north.


The run in winter. No issues with high winds or snow.


The inside of the run looking south. To the left is the chick brooding pen, which is temporary until the chicks are grown out enough to join the flock. The run was covered in white vinyl lattice to act as a spacer so the little pokey-outie bits of wire ties didn't pierce the greenhouse plastic. It was about 19 degrees when this picture was taken.


The end cap on the south side was removed - in a single piece, with the chicken wire and hardware cloth skirt and apron as you can see - two more fence posts added, and another cattle panel to enlarge the run this spring.


Still need to finish the lattice fencing in front for "pretty".

 

[RonP]

My run's top is 2x3 fencing.

Wild birds do come in occasionally.

If it becomes an issue, I will cover with netting used to keep birds out of fruit trees.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Our run. It's stood up to winds in excess of 60mph and snow and done beautifully. Tall enough to walk in and work in. Easy to expand - we just did that this spring. Easy to cover with plastic in winter. Not expensive at all to build. Just the two of us old geezers (64 and 67 years old) built it, and we have no building skills whatsoever. Keeps small birds out and the hardware cloth skirt and apron deters predators. (I subscribe to the theory that there's no such thing as a 100% predator proof setup. The minute I start thinking that I might become complacent and that's when accidents happen! Nothing beats diligence in looking for weakening spots before they become problems.)

I love this idea so much I stole it to make a new coop and expand an old one. Love, love, love the modular/expandable wire-wrapped cattle panel & T-post construction. I live in the country with no neighbors, so didn't bother to make mine cute. But look at all that great natural light inside! We all know how well birds respond to light.