The Run thread

[cabinchicky]

aatx, very nice! I wish I had that much space.

 

[norcalchet]

I'll play. Here's our run. Read about the build here.

 

[georgiagail]

The run on the first coop we did..



And one of the follow up runs (a duplex)..

 

[cmpembro]

We planning out our run so we can get chickens in the next few weeks. We're converting the kids playhouse for the coop. I can't tell from photos how secure we need to make the run. We live in a very urban area with a fence around the backyard secure enough to keep large dogs in or out but there are racoons, hawks, rats, etc. The plan is to be able to let the chickens into the run during the day and allow them to range the whole yard (minus garden) when we can supervise them. Do we need to bury the hardware cloth? Are there other good options? Is anyone else in Houston and are there day time predatory animals I should be concerned about?

 

[georgiagail]

We live in the city but still have racoons, hawks, possums, owls, even a fox in the area. Around the edges of the coops (they are up on 4x4 posts) we bury the hardware cloth in cement. The bottom of the runs have wire that is attached to the kennel posts and along the edges three foot high hardware cloth attached with zip ties.

The tops of the runs have 3/4" inch PVC pipe held in place with brace rail clamps (typically used with chain link fencing) with hardware cloth run over these and secured with zip ties. The first run we got fancy and used an arched method but for the others just a flat roof since the kennels are six feet tall.

It is not unusual to come out and see a hawk or owl on our privacy fence looking wistfully down at the runs. If we didn't have roofs on them we'd have lost many a chicken, even living in an urban area.

Gail

 

[DaveOmak]

Here's my run under construction.... Probably 80% recycled materials.... It's 12 X 20.... 6' clearance except for the long stringers... I hit my head quit frequently... Click on "my coop", in my profile, to see all of it.. It's been complete since 8-5-14.... but continuing to upgrade as I find faults.....

Where it's located, I can't get a full view to photograph....

24" metal roofing on the lower sides... 48" 1" chicken wire to the full metal roof... for shade and rain protection.... Electrified at the top of the metal sides to deter varmints...... Sally Sunshine called it "Fort Omak" .....

 

[cmpembro]

Thanks! I forgot about possums too! We do see a lot of hawks, I haven't seen owls much yet but I probably will

. It sounds like we will definitely want the top covered and should bury the hardware cloth as well (I was hoping to skip that step!) Thanks for the input.

DaveOmak - That's quite a palace! Nice job!

 

[georgiagail]

We found burying the hardware cloth is easiest if you use concrete; the trench doesn't need to be very deep (perhaps just two or three inches); place the wire, then run dry concrete along the trench and follow with a hose to wet the concrete (my days of mixing concrete in a bucket are over!).

Gail

 

[DaveOmak]

When building a run, consider the cold weather, rain and wind..... You saw my run with "side boards" and a roof....

It's 13 degrees now and the wind is blowing 20-30 ish.... The birds are outside all day..... they find a place out of the wind and in the sun... And roo found the lower of the 2 roosts to watch over the girls..... must not be as windy there...

 

[21hens-incharge]

We planning out our run so we can get chickens in the next few weeks. We're converting the kids playhouse for the coop. I can't tell from photos how secure we need to make the run. We live in a very urban area with a fence around the backyard secure enough to keep large dogs in or out but there are racoons, hawks, rats, etc. The plan is to be able to let the chickens into the run during the day and allow them to range the whole yard (minus garden) when we can supervise them. Do we need to bury the hardware cloth? Are there other good options? Is anyone else in Houston and are there day time predatory animals I should be concerned about?

There is a Texas thread here https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/26/where-am-i-where-are-you

Folks on there can probably help you with what is in your area.
I am in Colorado and in the city. We have tons of predators here too. I have had hawks come in and try for hens with me in the yard with them. I have gone out to the coop in the morning (hours before daylight) and found a fox sitting on the step to the coop. I have turned my huge dogs into the yard only to see them tree racoons and spook a fox looking for a chink in the armor. So far no predator losses for me.

So to answer the question.... Build it as strong and secure as you can afford because everything thinks chickens are delicious.