[LittleRedHen]

I'm going to make an extension run onto our existing one and was wondering if anyone had any plans or advice to give me?  What size/grade wood should I use?  Thanks!

[poultrygeist]

What is your existing run made of LRH ?

Might be easier to match to the existing. Mesh needs to be minimum 19gauge/1mm thick welded mesh, ideally 25mm x 13mm to keep rats out.
I used 2" uprights in post spikes with 2 x 2 cross members about 2'6" high and 2 x 1 around the top.
There are some photos of some excellent runs that you could copy. It depends on your budget, your skills, your space and what you're fixing to.

Rob

[Roll Roll]

Is the run going to be permanant or one to be moved around the garden?

[Little Red Hen]

The run is definitely going to be permanent.  I saw heavy mesh squares of the galvanized wire in B&Q and I thought I could staple a bunch of those onto wooden frames and then screw them together, hinging a couple on the top for access.  I'm going to take the suggested size wood made here to make the frame.  My biggesdt worry is Mr Fox falling through the top!   I attempted earlier to post a picture of the two house/runs we have combined but for some reason the post hasn't come through yet.  I'm on the wroing computer to upload the picture again. 

[poultrygeist]

I can reccomend putting corrugated plastic roofing sheets on top (using suitable timber framework) to keep the rain and foxes out.

We did it gradually and it's made a huge difference.

If your photos haven't appeared, you'll need to try again unfortunately.
Have you had a read of this...
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=19476.0

If you need help with it, shout up when you're ready.

Rob

[karlooben]

best way of keeping the fox out  is to build the run as high as u can so that the fox cant jump over the top , my run is 10 m by 6 m and is something like 7foot high .i have poulty netting as a roof to stop any birds getting in and then around the top of the run along the beams i have attached bendt  steel at 45 degree angle  with thin strands of wire going though and all the way round  my run looks more like a prison camp  someone said when i finished it that i needed to add little plastic men with machine guns in each corner 

my guys are on a allotment site behind my house and so far i havent had one single probelm, my only regret is that i did not bury the wire into the ground .

[LittleRedHen]

Looby, I think you did the right thing with your run if it's on an allotment.  But I bet that it is funny to see!  What?  No search lights and sirens? 

[Roll Roll]

The roof of our run has 5" square mesh. If a fox jumps on it his paws will go stright through it, so stopping him in his tracks. A chicken "could" fit through the 5" hole but it is 8ft high so it would require some acurate flying.

[karlooben]

i was thinking about putting up secruity lights but the only thing is i can see the run from my window an i would wake up though out the night when it went on , i am bad enough with all the lights around the garden  . i do have fake cameras going up around the shed in the run but thats mainly for some added protection agaisnt the theives .

[Rubellite]

Err - ever thought of moving to the country?
We don't have the quantity of crims you urban dwellers have. 

[poultrygeist]

They just live further apart !! 

[stoko]

Hello littleredhen,
Ref the wire mesh from B&Q. It will be much cheeper to buy a 30mtr x .9mtr 19 gauge roll from weldmesh. From memory I paid about £46 plus delivery and it still worked out at less than a third the price,
Regards,
Stoko