My Chicken Run Design

cameron_g · **Posted:** Tue Jun 26, 2012 6:27 pm

Hi All,

Below is my design for my chicken run. It is 4 metres long, 2 metres wide and 2 metres high. I have designed it so that it can be dismantled, making it a flat pack. The red lines indicate each panel. The panels on the long sides and roof are 2 metres long and 1 metre high. One short side consists of a door which is 2 metres high and 600mm wide and 2 panels that are 1.4 metres long and 1 metre high. The other short side connects to the hen house which I'm yet to design. All the bottom panels are made of corrugated iron so that the dog can't see the girls and as such will finally (hopefully) leave them alone. The top panels and roof are covered by mesh. On the door panel there is a 300mm part on the bottom that will not open so that the girls can't walk out when I open/close the door.
I am looking for thoughts, suggestions and potential flaws in this design so feel free to post :-D

Cheers, Cam

buffy the sussex · **Posted:** Tue Jun 26, 2012 6:34 pm

portable? or non portable?
if you make it portable, get a few, big trolley wheels, so you dont have to drag it... (me and my dad never tought of that when we made my chooks first cage :lol:

)
nice work !

cameron_g · **Posted:** Tue Jun 26, 2012 7:05 pm

Yes portable, it's like a massive chicken tractor. I'm planning on putting two metal rods on each side, that has thread on the ends, of the hen house that I can lift up, slide wheels on and put a nut on so I can move it around.

Cam :-D

Petite Poulet · **Joined:** Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:17 pm **Posts:** 5219

Can the chookies see out of the "tractor" at ground level? Do they have a view of the outside world?

cameron_g · **Posted:** Tue Jun 26, 2012 7:40 pm

Hi Petite Poulet! I have so very much enjoyed reading all your posts and comments on other threads and I feel very honoured to have you answer mine! To answer your question, no they can't, this is my major concern. If I have the girls in plain view of my mum's dog he harasses them. I'm worried that he will stress them out so much that they will die or that they will never start laying. I'm planning on putting mesh under the corrugated iron so that as soon as I move out of home I can remove the iron and the girls will be able to see the outside world!

Cam :-D

Petite Poulet · **Joined:** Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:17 pm **Posts:** 5219

Thank you, kindly

Cameron,

I am honoured. What breed of dog does you mum have? Can you integrate your chooks with the dog without the dog stressing the chooks? There have been previous topics of integrating puppies and chooks, maybe start a new topic on integrating adult dogs and chooks? Are you attaching mesh under the structure to keep out tunneling foxes and dogs?

The neighbour's Jack Russells have dug and tunnelled under the fencing and attacked our chooks

The coop they live in have an attached mesh floor to keep out foxes and any other predator.

Good luck and glad that you worked out how to use Google Sketch Up. You and Philip keep up the good work and designs!

cameron_g · **Posted:** Tue Jun 26, 2012 8:16 pm

She has a poorly trained, 4 year old Tibetan Spaniel x Pomeranian. He has got in with them a few times and doesn't want to harm them, he just wants some friends. He chases them around and plays with them for a little bit and then rushes them into a corner so they can't get away from him and licks them. He's just very intrigued by them but they don't like it at all.
Good idea on the new topic, will do that now.
I was going to run wire along the ground around the outside of the run so as not to interfere with their scratching ground. Do you think that flooring like the stuff featured in the photo below would be a better idea? I sourced the picture using this link: http://www.royalrooster.com.au/products ... t=Chicken-
My design isn't half as good as Philip's but thank you!

Cam :-D

Petite Poulet · **Joined:** Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:17 pm **Posts:** 5219

Pretty good for your first design [smilie=a_goodjobson.gif]

If it's their permanent residence, I would go for small gauge rodent proof mesh on the floor the coop, if you can afford it,to keep out the wee beasties like mice and keep foxes from digging under and getting into the coop and your girls or you can get a rooster to keep the dog away

That's just my opinion.

Can you take him to obedience school so he can learn to socialise correctly? I don't have a dog, but it's important that they learn socialise and integrate with man, beast and chookie alike.

cameron_g · **Posted:** Tue Jun 26, 2012 8:34 pm

Yes, they will be living in there full time. Won't a small gauge mesh interfere with their scratching/digging, as they so love to do? I live in town so can't keep a rooster. The nearest dog obedience class is an hour away and as I work two jobs I certainly don't have the time to take him but I certainly do agree, he does need to learn to socialise and integrate with man, beast and chookie alike.

Thanks for the advice, keep it coming! Cam :-D

Petite Poulet · **Joined:** Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:17 pm **Posts:** 5219

The wire mesh isn't too good for their little feet unless you have litter (sand, ton toxic wood shavings, straw, organic cane sugar mulch) on top, as they can get sores and cuts but it keeps out the beasties, but being a chook tractor a very large one at that I will leave it to someone with more eggsperience to help you out.

Can your mum take the dog? Do you have a local dog whisperer? Private obedience training is rather expensive though. Maybe the borrow a book and or DVD from your local library on obedience training?

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