Chicken run questions

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Chicken run questions

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boisdevie1

Joined: 11 Aug 2006
Posts: 3897
Location: Lancaster

Posted: Sun Nov 27, 16 8:47 pm Post subject: Chicken run questions

My GF is looking to get some hens. I had them in France but free ranging. These will have to be in a run so I have two questions
1. Can I make a run that's say, waist height with a fenced roof on hinged panels that we can open up to let us get in?
2. Does the chicken wire on the side panels have to extend down into the ground or can I use wire stapled onto timber along the ground? I don't know if there are foxes around here - it's an urban area.
Thanks all.

OtleyLad

Joined: 13 Jan 2007
Posts: 2737
Location: Otley, West Yorkshire

Posted: Mon Nov 28, 16 7:12 am Post subject: Re: Chicken run questions

boisdevie1 wrote:

1. Can I make a run that's say, waist height with a fenced roof on hinged panels that we can open up to let us get in?

No reason why not.

boisdevie1 wrote:

2. Does the chicken wire on the side panels have to extend down into the ground or can I use wire stapled onto timber along the ground? I don't know if there are foxes around here - it's an urban area.
Thanks all.

Safer if the sides go into the ground as you never know (I saw more foxes in a week when we lived in Leeds than 10 years living out of town).
What sort of house will they have? If possible raise the house on stilts so the hens can shelter under it in inclement weather - they don't mind cold but hate rain.
If you can arrange to have two runs and alternate access then you can let one half regenerate before it gets stripped bare - otherwise if space is limited you will end up with a bare stinky swamp in no time in winter.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46207
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Nov 28, 16 12:15 pm Post subject:
2 a 90 degree turn so as the wire lays against the ground on the outside is the most effective way to stop a digging fox. tis also worth considering electric fencing .a domestic sized kit is about the price of half a dozen hens. 1 yes but being able to easily walk about in the pen is rather good and they will probably jump out if you have the lid open with them in there

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Mon Nov 28, 16 12:27 pm Post subject:

I'm with dpack about laying the wire along the ground (it really should be weldmesh, they can bite through chicken wire) or edging with paving slabs. You would not believe how foxes can dig if there's a chicken in it for them. I had one dig a four foot tunnel a good foot underground trying to get into my slabbed greenhouse. They don't work out they need to move back to get round an obstacle, and only dig forward (it was only slabbed inside)

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