I want to build a run.

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clairebeau

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I want to build a run.
« on: July 19, 2009, 19:45 »
Hello all,

I want to build a chicken run.  I just know I will get fed up half way through, rush it and not measure correctly, cut myself and possibly saw a finger off.  Not sure why I am bothering really,  ::) but I have a new drill and 6 weeks off work.  

I don't want anything posh or too expensive and must be easy for me as I have no experience at all!  Although I am quite arty and handy at things otherwise.

So, is there anyone who is brave enough to show me their attempts at making a run?  I have seen on here lots of very fine examples of woodworking that has certainly impressed me, but I want to see first attempts, maybe more like make do sort of projects, using unusual materials that you have found lying around and you have put to good creative use.  

Regarding Mr Fox, he would think he was at an all you can eat buffet if he gave us a call, I guess we've just been lucky upto now, as it is I think it would prob be too much effort to kill our girls as Macdonalds is at one end of my road and a chippy at the other, plus old ladies feeding hedghogs etc, so I think my pen is more just to keep the girls in one spot and not pooing at the back door or scratching up my plants!

I need some encouragment.

Thanks all.  Keep up the good work and if we all wish hard enough this rain will eventually stop, BAH!

C. x
Claire. x


"Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker!" - Ogden Nash

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beulah59

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Re: I want to build a run.
« Reply #1 on: July 19, 2009, 20:17 »


I used some MDPE water piping offcuts ... you could make it any size you want. This is 1.2m x 2.4m and about 3ft high, but I've seen a WIR built a similar way. It's covered with a double layer of 13mm mesh now, of course! :)
two daughters, nine hens, two goldfish, three cats ...

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karlooben

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Re: I want to build a run.
« Reply #2 on: July 19, 2009, 20:19 »
hi there , firstly how many birds do you have and do u have a rough idea of what size run you want to build .

i built my run pretty much on my own which must of been at least 85% of it { had to have help with the roof } its 10 m by 6 m an 7 foot tall and so far has proved to be totally fox proof although its not to say oneday i may have that visit all chicken keepers hate .

if your doing this on your own then you will find it hard an tiring work , my run took 3 months to build but that was in between work horses dogs etc .
i trace some pics to show u they are not the best pics .
"Until one has loved an animal, part of their soul remains unawakened."

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karlooben

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Re: I want to build a run.
« Reply #3 on: July 19, 2009, 20:23 »
i would show you pics of my run but the main pics have dissappeared i'll need to do some more tomorw if the weather is good .

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poultrygeist

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Re: I want to build a run.
« Reply #4 on: July 19, 2009, 20:44 »
I found this thread Looby with a link to your photobucket pics.
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=29317.0

I think it's worth looking at. It's the ultimate fox-proof run. A bit like a luxury version of guantanamo bay  :D  But nobody wants to leave.  :)

If you do a search for run and photos, you may find a few choice examples. Good luck with it. You'll be proud of anything you manage to build. :)

Rob 8)

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karlooben

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Re: I want to build a run.
« Reply #5 on: July 19, 2009, 20:50 »
I found this thread Looby with a link to your photobucket pics.
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=29317.0

I think it's worth looking at. It's the ultimate fox-proof run. A bit like a luxury version of guantanamo bay  :D  But nobody wants to leave.  :)

If you do a search for run and photos, you may find a few choice examples. Good luck with it. You'll be proud of anything you manage to build. :)

Rob 8)

thankyou very much for doiing that rob .. i reckon i could keep a monkey in there an it would not get out  :lol: :lol: ohh thats sooooooooooooooo tempting

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agingchick

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Re: I want to build a run.
« Reply #6 on: July 19, 2009, 22:36 »
Hi well mine isn't fox proof (I have a fox watch) and like you the foxes round here go to Macdonalds. its made up of wood that was lying around my dads, my daughters and my garden just brought the wire and roofing so its a bit of a hotch potch. As you can see I am no diyer


I use to be indecisive now I'm not so sure

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clairebeau

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Re: I want to build a run.
« Reply #7 on: July 19, 2009, 22:57 »
Thanks guys, I feel ready to get out there tomorrow and have a good old think about it now. 

I have 4 hens, 2 are bantams and hope to get a couple more eventually.

I hadn't thought until seeing the extention on your run 'Agingchick' that I could just go half way up.  The girls will still be allowed full use of the garden, just not all the time, like they get now.   They beg for food something terrible the cheeky mares, get in the way of the football, climb on the climbing frame and poo on the slide!  We love it ha ha!!!  But I do think we need an area to contain them in sometimes.  Hence this 'Hen-Pen' idea!

Right, off to sleep now to dream about how easy this is going to be!!!  NOT!

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chickenlady

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Re: I want to build a run.
« Reply #8 on: July 20, 2009, 00:01 »
Hi there! this is what i have been working n over the past couple of months! just need a door and we can drill the pop hole from the growers shed  :D


Debbie
thinks her guardian angel`s gone on strike !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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karlooben

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Re: I want to build a run.
« Reply #9 on: July 20, 2009, 06:15 »
 i wasnt planning on building such a large run but knowing me i would of wanted to extend it within months anyway so i just went ahead and built it as large as poss from the begining . what u have to be carefull with is the birds can fly pretty high if they need to and if you have foxes around then your first concern is to make the house an run as secure as humanly possiable . its better to build securely now an spend time an money on it then to just quickly chuck something together an then end up regreting it when the fox or other pedators have killed all your birds , i know my run so far is fox proof as they have pooed  an probably peed all round the enclosure but not once have the even attempted to get in  yes my run cost money but at the end of the day worrying about a fox getting in and losing all 22 girls is something i just do not worry about.

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agingchick

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Re: I want to build a run.
« Reply #10 on: July 20, 2009, 10:51 »
Hi the extended bit is for when there is some one at home(which is most of the time) if no one is home they are kept in their covered run.  I built it in the winter when they were destroying my garden (it just couldn't keep up with their scratching). During the summer they freerange most of the time, but then I have chickens that like their veg cooked.
I found that if there isn't any visible top to the fence(ie a wooden bar) they don't try to get out, I have also clipped they wings.
Good luck on your build
Diane

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andreadon

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Re: I want to build a run.
« Reply #11 on: July 20, 2009, 10:54 »
yours is great, looby!

here's mine:

the original run used an old outhouse, so all we had to do was make a mesh roof and frontage. and block up a bit of the window.
the extension was the hard work - all dug out underneath and lined with wire, then filled back in with hardcore and soil.
and it's not finished in the picture, but we covered the whole thing (inc roof) with 1cm sq weldmesh and a door in the far end near the outhouse. and they enter it from the orignal window in the outhouse.
run extension not finished.jpg
run building front 1.jpg

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bexy

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Re: I want to build a run.
« Reply #12 on: July 20, 2009, 11:32 »


Built it all by myself with a little help from Mother.
Made with old pallets (ok they was long pallets),2x2"timber,old conservatory roof panels and wire netting.
Cost me approx£45.
It is tall enough to walk in,fox proof as since i took the photo i have put a path of bricks around the outside where there is 12" of wire netting on the floor to stop foxes digging.
Also have since added more roosting perches and a raised feeding platform. :)

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anton3181

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Re: I want to build a run.
« Reply #13 on: July 20, 2009, 11:55 »
Hello there, i built a 10x10 foot run to incorporate the hen house. The run is 6 foot high with a door, the first thing is to draw a plan and build separate panels.You can get pretreated 2''x2'' wood from a wood yard this is about 90pence a metre. Cut this to your lengths screw together at the joints  you can also strengthen with right angle brackets and i stapled welded mesh (about £45 30 mts on ebay) on the insides when who've made all the panels bolt them together with coach bolts.

Mine is static to incorporate the house and stands on 18'' slabs so no foxes burrowing underneath i'll take some pics today and try and post them

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karlooben

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Re: I want to build a run.
« Reply #14 on: July 20, 2009, 18:36 »
this is a great way to see all the different tpyes of houses an runs that  are out there  :D



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