Building chicken run

green-backer

Hi all


I'm planning on building a chicken run and aiming to get some chickens in August. I've got an area in the garden I plan to fence off for them. I plan to buy some fence posts and my question is what is the best method of fencing between them? Should I go for galvanised panels and then attach them between the posts? I have a young toddler who will helping out around the garden and I'm mindful I don't want to have anything sharp or dangerous that she could hurt herself on. Also is it necessary to bury something in the ground under the fence? We live in a village but there is never any foxes about.

forgotmyname

Never any foxes? I live in a city and there are foxes.

I think you may find out there are foxes if you skimp on the enclosure.

Cuts and bumps are a part of growing up.

Justagardener

There will be foxes. Use the galvanised panels, foxes will bite and tear at anything less and the smallest mesh size you can get, fence staple the panels on between the posts, if you are worried about the sharp edges you can screw a strip of wood over to cover them. There must be some mesh dug into the ground. Dig down about 8 inches and then 8 inches out at right angles from the fence. when the foxes start digging they come across flat mesh and will hopefully give up. Never under estimate the wiley fellows!

green-backer

Not saying there is no foxes about but I have just never seen any in the 3 years I have lived at the property. I see plenty of road kill about but again no foxes. Spoke to somebody about it the other day and their theory was they have enough going on in the farms and fields around the village as I have seen plenty of pheasants and rabbits about there.


My mum lives about 1.5 miles from the centre of MCR and has plenty of foxes around there so I know all about town foxes.

forgotmyname

Yeah but pheasants and rabbits can escape, your birds will be trapped in the chicken run. Once one gets in its a free buffet.

I would lay it flat even further out than the 8" mentioned by Justagardener. Not hugely but a bit more.

Once it gets a nail caught it will think twice about digging under it.