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That’s why this chicken run is built much shorter, reducing the materials that you’ll need to construct it. That helps keep the cost and time factor of this chicken run very low; almost as low as the ceiling. To help you construct the perfect run for your chickens, we’ve gathered 19 great DIY plans that you can tackle today. Each set of plans will guide you through the process of constructing a safe and protective chicken run for your flock. What follows are tales of six urban homesteaders and how they personalized their chicken coops, in budgets that ranged from $750 to $14,000. If you want to go all out on your run, add aviary netting to ensure your chickens stay in, and those hungry predators stay out!
Building a Pallet Chicken Coop Extension for More Space
A well-designed chicken run allows for adequate exercise and access to fresh air while protecting the flock from predators and harsh weather conditions. If you want to keep those critters out, you’ll need to go with hardware cloth or chicken wire. But if you want to enclose a larger parcel or pasture, keep appearances, and be able to depend on the strength of your metal fencing for longer, chain link is a fine option. Once the posts are set, attach the wire fencing to the posts using staples (u-shaped nails ) and a hammer.
How to Build a Chicken Run
Depending on your setup you can also free range chickens all the time or part of the time. It is helpful to think about how chickens fit into your overall homestead and if there are small changes you can make for healthier chickens and your garden. The other concern is, of course, for other animals on your farm and potentially children and pets, though they too will learn to stay away from the fence if they stray too close!
Using Eggshells for Plants in the Vegetable Garden
This fence consists of a length of chicken wire that is supported by t-posts or steel fence posts. This fence is not the most robust but is easy to install and effective at keeping chickens out of small gardens. I used cattle panels arched over a wooden framework, like a hoop house.
The first design is generally for a large number of birds (such as raising meat birds) and includes a large moveable tractor that is typically trailered from space to space. You then build a run around the tractor each time you move usually with electric fencing. This is great for a big flock, but it doesn’t provide overhead protection. This works well when you have a large space and I’ve seen it be very effective in orchards. Chickens are typically housed in stand alone chicken coops, barns, or moveable coops with some type of outdoor enclosure.
½” hardware cloth, more popularly known as rabbit cage wire is basically a supercharged type of welded wire fencing. In essence, it combines the advantages of welded wire fencing and chicken wire with few disadvantages except for cost. In general, this sort of fencing is not robust enough to offer chickens much protection.
They’re also surprisingly sturdy assuming they have any service life left. The good news is that if a single plank goes bad it can be replaced easily; you won’t have to replace an entire section as you would with metal fencing. Wood picket fencing has been a standard around the world basically forever. It’s reliable, adaptable and if kept in good repair has an undeniable cottage- or farm charm that completely surpasses the other more utilitarian options on this list. Hardware cloth is available in multiple sizes which denote the spacing between the strands.
Keeping your flock safe from predators is of the utmost importance. This chicken run might be a bit more involved and expensive than others on this list, but it’s also considerably more secure than most runs you’re likely to see. It’s built with steel wire fence panels and pressure-treated lumber cemented into place with a row of cinderblock planters surrounding it for added protection and a dash of decoration. This is one of the more professional-appearing chicken runs on this list. It’s well-built and very secure, offering excellent protection against predators to keep your flock safe. Constructed out of pressure-treated lumber with a metal roof, it will hold up for the long haul, even in humid climates.
Wood Post Welded Wire Fence
Birds of prey, such as hawks or owls, can swoop down into your chicken run if it is not covered. To prevent this, consider installing a net or wire mesh over the top of the run. You can use a similar material to your fencing or opt for specialized bird netting.
Not only is it simple to build, but it’s not an eyesore like some chicken runs can be. The Downeast Thunder Farm Chicken Run and Coop is the perfect run and coop to keep the predators from snacking on your chickens. No matter where you live, there will be hawks, eagles, bears, foxes, bobcats, weasels, raccoons, dogs, cats, and more that would love to eat your chickens for dinner. The best way to keep them out is to build a chicken coop and run that is durable enough to do so.
In the countryside of Yorkshire,[16] a flock of chickens live on an egg farm structured like a prisoner-of-war camp. The farm is run by the cruel Mrs Tweedy and her submissive husband, Mr Tweedy, who kill and eat any chicken that is no longer able to lay eggs. Led by the rebellious Ginger, the chickens constantly devise new ways to try to escape but are always caught.
Medium to larger setups can run from $500 to $2,000, depending on complexity. Now that you have laid out the pallets, it’s time to fasten them together. Depending on how technical you want to be, square up the “fence line” using a string and level. The grade of your land will determine the level of your fence-line. We dug out and added dirt as needed at each pallet to accomplish our level fence. The advantage, of course, is that pallets are very, very cheap or even free depending on how you acquire them.
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Smaller pieces of lumbar are also added in between the two pallets so no two pallets are in contact with each other. The crossbeam at the top is added and bolted in place and the process is repeated until the support for the fence is complete. This type of fencing can make use of t-posts or whatever else is robust enough to serve as a fence post.
Your chicken run should be attached to your coop, with a little door on the side of the coop that will allow the chickens to come and go during the day. They will need access to the coop to lay their eggs, and might choose to spend time in the coop on cold or rainy days. Finally, a safe pen will also ensure that your chickens don’t wander into the road or into a neighbor’s garden or onto their front porch.
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