What We Made: Chicken Run Expansion

About a month ago,  Jenny and I realized that we desperately needed a more secure chicken run for the ladies.  They had taken to hopping the four foot fence between the backyard and front yard, and they could easily do the same into the street.  Before leaving for Canada, I set up a temporary chicken run for them by patching an old six foot fence enclosure attached to our alley.  Aside from it being completely ram-shackled, we quickly found out that six feet was not enough to contain Houdini.   She could perch on the coop and hop over the fence and occasionally would fly out from the ground. 

For a few weeks we kept them in the portable chicken coop and attached run with about 35 sq. ft. of ground space.  They did not appreciate the cramped quarters so I spent all day Tuesday building them a palatial 12'x12' chicken run.

The sides are made of poultry netting with a reinforced 3"x3" welded wire fence panel overlaying it (not pictured).  The top is a plastic multi-purpose netting to create a visual barrier for the chickens flying out and predator birds flying in.  The portable coop was used as one corner of the structure so it is portable no more, but I think the extra space is well worth the loss of mobility.  Truth be told, I nearly gave myself a hernia every time I picked the dern thing up!

Here I am looking very proud of my nearly finished work.  Please note that this is after a shower and a good night's sleep.  Remind me never to spend all day outside in the San Antonio Summer heat.  To say the I was tired, cranky, and hungry by the end of the day is an understatement.

You may notice our dogs lurking in the background of each picture.  By building the coop/run in the front yard, the dogs again have unfettered rein of the backyard through the doggy door.