Show me your chicken runs!

[DarlaS]

I have eggs in an incubator at this moment.

 

I guess this means we'll need somewhere to put them eventually. I think I have the brooder figured out, but next they will need somewhere to go outside.

 

I have in mind making panels with 2 x 2s and chicken wire for sort of a lightweight portable run. Kind of like a big movable playpen. How tall do they need to be? I was thinking about 4 panels 4' high x 8' long would do to start with, and I'm toying with putting a roof of some sort (most likely more panels made from wire and 2 x 2s) over it.

 

I see hawks everywhere lately (This is Michigan and our trees are still bare.)

 

We are incubating 24 eggs and hope to keep 6 - 12 good layers at the end of this adventure. I have had chickens before as a kid, but it's been a while!

 

ETA: I have an idea in mind for the coop and outdoor run etc. but would love to see what others have done. I know chicken people are out there! Any pictures or descriptions of your set-up, general chicken tips would be helpful. Thanks!

Edited March 29, 2010 by darlasowders

[Lolosoli]

I want to see some different ideas as well. It might be a few years before we are in your shoes...but, I'd like to be prepared. :)

[joannqn]

:lurk5:

 

We're talking about chickens too. But we live in the city with a small backyard. We've been told it can be done.

[Susan in KY]

You can go to my blog and see a post from yesterday about our chicks, who are currently feathering out in a cage on top of our bathtub. I will be updating it within the week to show the chicken run as well. Unfortunately, I don't have pics at the moment.

 

I will try to describe the run. Currently, we have 2 hen houses with 6 foot posts and trees holding up a chain-link fence. That is under some pine trees, offering protection against the hawks and whatnot (but not the raccoons, unfortunately). We will semi-free range them in different parts of the property during the day, using portable chain-link dog kennels covered with camouflage netting to protect them from the coyotes, foxes, and hawks that destroyed our previous flock. :(

 

Hope that helps.

[DarlaS]

I want to see some different ideas as well. It might be a few years before we are in your shoes...but, I'd like to be prepared. :)

 

Being prepared is a good idea!

 

I had no idea Saturday morning we'd be doing this now. I went shopping with dd and came home to my husband all excited about raising chickens. He'd been talking to my brother (who loaned us the incubator and supplied the eggs).

 

It seems my brother remembered dh wanted to get some chickens and gave us a call to offer the incubator and eggs. I guess they're buying chicks this year. It's a great incubator too with a self-turner. (Good thing because I'm likely to forget.)

 

Now I'm wanting to build a BIG chicken coop with pretty windows like this one: http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=37862 :drool:

 

Ok, I know that's probably overkill but I raised numerous critters as a kid with slapped together digs, and I want my girls to have a nice house. :D

[myfunnybunch]

http://myfunnybunch.blogspot.com/2008/05/home-sweet-home.html

[fairfarmhand]

If your run is shorter, that would be fine as long as it is portable so you don't have to crawl around trying to clean it out. I would recommend a roof, since raccoons/possums LOVE chickens. They will likely need some shade from the sun and some sort of winter shelter in the fall. Keep in mind that this type of arrangement only works if the pen is LIGHT ENOUGH TO BE MOVED! We made one that was way too heavy and it took dh and I to move it. Therefore, it didn't get moved as often as it should have. Hawks will carry off your baby chickens, but generally they leave the adult birds alone. What breed are you trying?

[DarlaS]

oops - double post

Edited March 29, 2010 by darlasowders

[DarlaS]

If your run is shorter, that would be fine as long as it is portable so you don't have to crawl around trying to clean it out. I would recommend a roof, since raccoons/possums LOVE chickens. They will likely need some shade from the sun and some sort of winter shelter in the fall. Keep in mind that this type of arrangement only works if the pen is LIGHT ENOUGH TO BE MOVED! We made one that was way too heavy and it took dh and I to move it. Therefore, it didn't get moved as often as it should have. Hawks will carry off your baby chickens, but generally they leave the adult birds alone. What breed are you trying?

 

They are all half Rhode Island Red. That we know for sure as my SIL's only rooster is a RI Red. The other half varies from Araucana to Barred Rock & some others I don't recognize (mixed breeds likely), some will be pure RI Red as I did see a couple pretty red hens. Basically they are a back-yard proprietary blend of my brothers mixed up mongrel birds. :D

 

If I were to choose, I'd choose all RI Reds. I had one as a kid who was so friendly she followed me around the yard. We won't talk about the rooster who was too friendly. :tongue_smilie:

 

Oh, about the lightweight coop/run. I am definitely giving that much thought. We do have a tractor, but it only starts sporadically. I hope to have the coop itself on skids. I'm thinking about 6' x 8' is as big as it would need to be. Maybe even 4' x 8 ' would do. I rather like the idea of a wire floor the size of a truck bed so we could use a truck bed liner in the winter to cover it. Not sure if that would be enough though for our Michigan winters. Might have to think up a way to have a warmer floor.

 

The panels I have dreamed up for the outdoor part of the run will be able to separate so if I need to move it, I'll shut all the chickens in the coop in the evening, disassemble (if needed) and move it in pieces the next morning & then move the coop up to it before letting them out.

 

My other choice would be a very large permanent coop/run made specifically with ease of access and cleaning in mind. Maybe two coops: one for winter and a movable "chicken ark" type one for summer is ideal. Not sure how to make it raccoon & possum proof though. We do have those around. In abundance. :glare: We could whip the summer one up pretty quickly and then work on the winter one when we have a little more time on our hands.

[justamouse]

:lurk5:

 

We're talking about chickens too. But we live in the city with a small backyard. We've been told it can be done.

 

 

Check out Mad City Chickens

[fairfarmhand]

It is really not too hard to make it raccoon/possum proof. Simply make it completely enclosed, with the latches something that is a little more complicated to open than just a hook/eye thingy. There are several types that work. We left about a 4 inch fringe of wire on the bottom, and let it flare out around the bottom of our pen to discourage digging predators. The books all say you will want about 1 square foot per chicken, but the more space you can give them the better; space discourages all sorts of undesirable behaviors, like egg eating, picking at each other, etc. Whatever you decide in the winter, make sure there is good ventilation, since chickens have very sensitive lungs, and they can be so dusty. You could also surround your coop with square hay bales. They are excellent insulators. And putting out a couple 100 watt light bulbs may just provide the warmth that would keep them alive. Of course, I live in TN so I'm just working in theory here :) The main problem we have in winter is keeping the water thawed enough for the hens. I am sure there are devices for this though, we've never used one.

[chickenpatty]

 

Here's one we built almost a year ago. PVC pipe makes for a lightweight and portable run, but you don't want to drag it across the ground or it will eventually come apart - even if it's glued.

[Susan in KY]

Here's one we built almost a year ago. PVC pipe makes for a lightweight and portable run, but you don't want to drag it across the ground or it will eventually come apart - even if it's glued.

 

Fabulous! I am going to do that instead of purchasing 2 dog kennels. :) Thanks for posting!

[kokotg]

Our set up is a 6 by 10 foot dog kennel with a hutch inside (we bought a hutch, but I think next time we'll just make something simple; we're in GA, so we really just need something to keep them out of the wind at night). We have hardware cloth wrapped around the bottom half of the dog kennel, aviary netting on top, and cinder blocks around the outside of the perimeter to keep anything from digging under.

[DarlaS]

Here's one we built almost a year ago. PVC pipe makes for a lightweight and portable run, but you don't want to drag it across the ground or it will eventually come apart - even if it's glued.

 

That does look really cool. A little light duty for Michigan, but good for reminding me to think out of the box.

 

Now I can't wait to go to the Tractor Supply and Home Depot and see what looks coop/run worthy.