Whats your favorite, must have, feature of your coop(s) at home?

[WallTenters]

Hands down, our run...

We recently put a permanent run on our main breeder coop (finally!) and to make things easy, we decided to put 2' of OSB plywood up the sides, then do the rest in 4' field fencing (horse fence, 2"x4"). The field fencing we wanted to buy in 4' anyway because that's what we use for our chicken tractors - that way any left overs would be easy to use on another project.

Big bonuses: our chickens are no longer red/icky eyed from all the wind we get here (lots of sand and silt in the wind, pretty much all year round) AND the roosters have to lift up to see over the 2' (we have Dominiques) so they aren't fighting through the wire with the roo's out on free range!! AND, they aren't sounding the alarm every time a little bird or a shadow crosses the ground.

I think they are much less stressed with this situation, it looks great, made the run even sturdier, will keep out snow drifts much better than just plain wire and was cost effective. We also put OSB over the top of the run, so this summer they will have shade and sunlight in their run and next winter they should have some snow-free zones they can peck around in.

The main predator problem is dogs and racoons. Because this field fencing is strong enough to keep either out, it should def deter them and let them go hunting elsewhere. Also the plywood is extra protection from larger dogs, and keeps the racoons from being able to grab a chicken through the wire (though the chickens aren't out in the run at night, but still).

 

[Ivywoods]

Quote:
I have a question for you, and it might just be semantics. You say you used "field" fencing with 2" x 4" openings. Is it a woven wire or a welded wire? Around here our field fencing (as we call it) is usually 4-6" openings. Anything that I've found that has a 2"x4" opening is a welded wire, and not what we would use for field fencing.

The solid wall between the runs at the bottom is a good idea. I had that before I moved here, and that is what we will do when we build our new runs (when we get the new barn done.) I plan to use 2"x4" welded wire around the outside of all the runs, then just regular chicken wire in between the runs with a solid wall at the bottom as you describe.

The other thing I will do is put a piece of welded wire on the OUTSIDE of the run, at the bottom, extending out about a foot along the ground. Predators will get right up against the fence and then try to dig in to the run. The wire on the ground keeps them from being able to dig in.

You talk about wind! The wind has been blowing over 40mph here for two days. We had storms come through last night, but we fortunately didn't get the worst of it this time. Topeka had 80+mph winds with lots of damage. We had our share last year. We lost two barns, everything off the deck and out of the yard and all the siding off the back of the house!

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
I have a question for you, and it might just be semantics. You say you used "field" fencing with 2" x 4" openings. Is it a woven wire or a welded wire? Around here our field fencing (as we call it) is usually 4-6" openings. Anything that I've found that has a 2"x4" opening is a welded wire, and not what we would use for field fencing.

The solid wall between the runs at the bottom is a good idea. I had that before I moved here, and that is what we will do when we build our new runs (when we get the new barn done.) I plan to use 2"x4" welded wire around the outside of all the runs, then just regular chicken wire in between the runs with a solid wall at the bottom as you describe.

The other thing I will do is put a piece of welded wire on the OUTSIDE of the run, at the bottom, extending out about a foot along the ground. Predators will get right up against the fence and then try to dig in to the run. The wire on the ground keeps them from being able to dig in.

You talk about wind! The wind has been blowing over 40mph here for two days. We had storms come through last night, but we fortunately didn't get the worst of it this time. Topeka had 80+mph winds with lots of damage. We had our share last year. We lost two barns, everything off the deck and out of the yard and all the siding off the back of the house!

The field fence I know of has 6 x 6 spaces at the top and smaller 4 x 6 spaces dwon at the bottom. There is another fence that looks very much like field fence. Same knots but its called No climb fence. The spaces are four by six but they are vertical not horizontal. Good for goats and horses. Its much much sturdier than welded wire. heavier gauge too.

 

[WallTenters]

We call everything around here "field fencing".. it's also called horse fencing or no-climb fencing (or "stop the d* neighbor's dogs fencing"). It is welded wire, 2"x4" holes. Much sturdier than chicken wire for sure, if you need the brand/gauge I can go out to the shed and get it for you. We happened to get the last roll at Home Depot, but you can buy the same stuff at every feed store in the state.

 

[Ivywoods]

Well, I wimped out today. I was going to work on the barn, but the wind is blowing so strong it's hard to even walk. The first thing I did was open the top on the nextbox on my chicken tractor to gather eggs. The wind whipped all the shavings, poop and dust right up in my face. Before I could reach all the eggs half of the shavings were blown out of the nest! I decided I didn't want to be working on the old barn slab in this wind and have the same thing happening with that old barn poop every time I moved a block or a board.

Call me wimp, pansy or whatever. The wind and poop won this go round.