Chicken Runs

[Hinksy]

Sorry about the time of the post and I doubt anyone will be replying until later on in the day.... I work nights though at the moment so this is my only time..

Building my own Chicken house and run, the chicken house is easy enough, have found many plans on internet, what materials do people use for the run though? Is the Galavanised Hex wire type being sold in Homebase strong enough to keep out a fox?

Thanks

ja

[Suechooks]

If you can use weld mesh its much stronger. Chicken wire is just that - keeps chickens in. The best price for weld-mesh I've found is Hills of Devon - just Google them. I bought a 30m roll of 4' wide 1"mesh for £66 delivered.

[MaureenHall]

I got mine from Hills too, it was 5' wide and perfect for the sides of the runs. I've used the less-strong stuff for the roof thinking that it'd be wobbly and (hopefully) a bit scary for a fox to try and balance on it to get through. Mind you, on the fox-deterrent side I think I've gone with almost everything I can think of - sonic deterrent, movement sensor lights, human hair, male wee, wild animal spray deterrent etc etc

[Snadger]

I got mine from Hills too, it was 5' wide and perfect for the sides of the runs. I've used the less-strong stuff for the roof thinking that it'd be wobbly and (hopefully) a bit scary for a fox to try and balance on it to get through. Mind you, on the fox-deterrent side I think I've gone with almost everything I can think of - sonic deterrent, movement sensor lights, human hair, male wee, wild animal spray deterrent etc etc

Ah,..................... glad to see you've found a use for that bottle of pee I sent you!

[dexterdoglancashire]

Ah,..................... glad to see you've found a use for that bottle of pee I sent you!

Wot are you like?

[Bramble-Poultry]

if you have known fox activity near you then i would agree and opt for weld mesh. we went a bit too far over the top probably with ours - we used 2" square welded security mesh - designed to keep people out let alone foxes, but then again i can see a fox den from where we live in the copse of woods not that far from us. watch them from the kitchen window in the morning! so we werent taking chances.

Also remember that the wire is only one point of entry for a fox. the dig under the wire as well as happily rip of boards from the house if they arent thick enough or stringly nailed to the frame. would hate for you to spend loads of money on wire only to find they have burrowed under and dismantled the house instead.

[Hinksy]

Thanks for the replies and ideas, I am sure I will end up going over the top and making it a little too secure which runs with my job of keeping the (Animals!!) locked up at night!


We do not seem to have a great amount of Fox activity around here especially since I moved them on about a year or so back, we just of course get the general towny types raiding the bins. But I am thinking that chickens may well attract them so want to make it as secure for them as possible and I do not want one of the kids finding a splattering of blood and feathers up the garden!

I was looking ad double siding the Wire mesh like a double glazing type thing, and have looked into digging a boarder trench all the way around filled in to stop a fox from digging under.

How feasible would it be though to build the run out of trellis, and backing it with wire mesh, as in making the whole run, sides, front and top with trellis panels.

Would it work?

[Eco-Chic]

Why not make the roof of the run out of exterior ply or onduline or corrugated plastic to give shelter from the rain and shade from the sun? Should there ever be an avian flu pandemic, a covered run apparently constitutes an indoor housing.

Wire mesh and trellis sounds like it would be secure and it would certainly look attractive.

[Hinksy]

I was just thinking of that looking on the Homebase website, would the first two not cut too much daylight out though? and the currugated plastic make it too hot for them?

I did like the idea of a covered run just the light thing, but they would only be in there whilst we are at work I suppose.

[Suechooks]

I have the end of the run nearest the coop fully covered with Onduline and chicken wire and the other end just covered with chicken wire. They have straw bales in the covered area and a board to on one side and the side nearest the prevailing wind is boarded and polythene lined for shelter. Logs and tyres to perch on and floor lined with pallet tops and covered in wood chips and straw. Its about 30' x 12' and the other is 40' x 12' and done the same way. Chooks spend most of their time under there in winter when they're not freeranging.
I bury the wire in the ground and also have paving slabs, concrete posts, concrete gravel boards and old kerb stones around the edges of my runs to deter foxes, also electric fencing! When I was building a new run someone gave me some old chain link fencing so I skimmed off the turf and buried it around the inner edges of the run and then replaced the turf which has now grown over so can't be seen.
Good luck however you do it!

[MaureenHall]

Ah,..................... glad to see you've found a use for that bottle of pee I sent you!

It was what???????????? Why the heck did you put it in a Chardonnay bottle!!!!!!!!!!!

[Eco-Chic]

Ahh...Now I know why people say Anything But Chardonnay

[Hilary B]

I was just thinking of that looking on the Homebase website, would the first two not cut too much daylight out though? and the currugated plastic make it too hot for them?

I did like the idea of a covered run just the light thing, but they would only be in there whilst we are at work I suppose.

If the sides are 'open' (apart from mesh of one kind or another) then plastic roofing shouldn't make things too hot. It's only when much more fully enclosed that plastic causes over-heating. If you use the not-quite-clear plastic, it may even be cooler in very sunny conditions.

[tlck9]

I have the end of the run nearest the coop fully covered with Onduline and chicken wire and the other end just covered with chicken wire. They have straw bales in the covered area and a board to on one side and the side nearest the prevailing wind is boarded and polythene lined for shelter. Logs and tyres to perch on and floor lined with pallet tops and covered in wood chips and straw. Its about 30' x 12' and the other is 40' x 12' and done the same way. !

Have you posted any pictures of your setup, I would like to see how your got in for some ideas, if you dont mind me being nosey

[Suechooks]

Have you posted any pictures of your setup, I would like to see how your got in for some ideas, if you dont mind me being nosey

Sorry Tick - not that technical! I'll try and photo it tomorrow but the hut is 6 x 4 with popholes in both 4' sides and the runs go from the back of the hut both ways for 30 and 40' and have a gate at right angles to the hut so there is a small "patio" area about ( 6' x 6') which I have now put a gate on. The covered runs are adjacent to the hut and the popholes open into the covered area. The Onduline runs for 2 widths and 2 depths and the rest of the runs are just covered with chicken wire. It's all a bit hotch potch and has evolved rather than be designed but works very well for me! Watch this space!