How To Build A Chicken Run In 4 Easy Steps
Most people will tell you that they decided to raise chickens in order to save money on meat and eggs, yet when you hear their stories, you are met with varying degrees of success.
Some will tell you of how their hens produced eggs at an astonishing rate, where others will talk of paltry poultry returns, and more often than not, the answer to each of those successes and failures lies in the chicken coop.
it helps to think of the hen house as the workplace of your chickens and, much like us, they like a warm, dry, comfortable environment, which makes them much more likely to be happy and productive.
Planning the run Building your chicken coop properly is one way of making sure that they stay happy, but another way is to add a chicken run onto your existing structure.
This will allow your chickens to get a little bit of fresh air and exercise, rather than just being cooped up (pardon the pun) all day long.
It may sound like a big project, but building a chicken run is probably much easier, and quicker to do than the effort you put into your coop, and it will also require a lot fewer tools and materials.
Measuring the run The first step is to measure out the area where the run will be located, using string and anchors to mark out the area.
The size of the run will depend on the number of chickens you have, as well as your available space, but an area of 8 feet by 8 feet is usually more than enough.
Building the chicken run You will then want to insert 4x4's on the corners, making sure to use untreated wood, and set them with cement once they are level.
You could skip the cement step, but you want the structure to be as sturdy as possible, so it's not really recommended to do so.
The next step is to finish the framing by adding 2x4 supports, on top as well as along the bottom to create ground rails.
Adding a door to your chicken coop Adding a door is next, and that is simply done by hinging it to one of the main supports, and adding another strip of wood, top to bottom, so that you can attach a latch.
While many use chicken wire to enclose the run, a better method is to go with hardware mesh, as this is sturdier and will do a much better job of keeping out any would be predators.
That's pretty much it for the construction of the chicken run, but you will also want to add a door from the coop to the run, as well as a waterer and feeder on the outside of the coop.
Keeping the area clean, and free from food at night will help keep predators at bay, and with a nice new space to run in, you can expect your chickens to be happy, healthy, and productive, which is a true win/win situation.
Some will tell you of how their hens produced eggs at an astonishing rate, where others will talk of paltry poultry returns, and more often than not, the answer to each of those successes and failures lies in the chicken coop.
it helps to think of the hen house as the workplace of your chickens and, much like us, they like a warm, dry, comfortable environment, which makes them much more likely to be happy and productive.
Planning the run Building your chicken coop properly is one way of making sure that they stay happy, but another way is to add a chicken run onto your existing structure.
This will allow your chickens to get a little bit of fresh air and exercise, rather than just being cooped up (pardon the pun) all day long.
It may sound like a big project, but building a chicken run is probably much easier, and quicker to do than the effort you put into your coop, and it will also require a lot fewer tools and materials.
Measuring the run The first step is to measure out the area where the run will be located, using string and anchors to mark out the area.
The size of the run will depend on the number of chickens you have, as well as your available space, but an area of 8 feet by 8 feet is usually more than enough.
Building the chicken run You will then want to insert 4x4's on the corners, making sure to use untreated wood, and set them with cement once they are level.
You could skip the cement step, but you want the structure to be as sturdy as possible, so it's not really recommended to do so.
The next step is to finish the framing by adding 2x4 supports, on top as well as along the bottom to create ground rails.
Adding a door to your chicken coop Adding a door is next, and that is simply done by hinging it to one of the main supports, and adding another strip of wood, top to bottom, so that you can attach a latch.
While many use chicken wire to enclose the run, a better method is to go with hardware mesh, as this is sturdier and will do a much better job of keeping out any would be predators.
That's pretty much it for the construction of the chicken run, but you will also want to add a door from the coop to the run, as well as a waterer and feeder on the outside of the coop.
Keeping the area clean, and free from food at night will help keep predators at bay, and with a nice new space to run in, you can expect your chickens to be happy, healthy, and productive, which is a true win/win situation.