10x10x6 chain link pen for coop??

Would this work? If this would work. How many adult bantams would be good for this size area? How many regular size chickens would be good for this area? Figuring on the pens not being moved. Also what be good for housing and nesting for egg laying in a pen this size? Thanks

many predators can get through chainlink I don't have answers to you other questions.

good luck
Henry

This is what I used as my 1st coop (and is still currently in use as one of my many.) If it wasn't 11:22pm I'd take a pic for you. What I did was put tin (the 8x2 'rough guestimate of size' sheets) around the bottom of the pen on all 4 sides, leaving only the door open, thus having the bottom 2' blocked off. Then, I put more tin on the (north? I think) side where the wind/rain is the heaviest, and covered the top w/tin to stop it from being so nasty.
I also built a perch (I forget what chicken ppl call it...I am so used to cockatiels as a kid) and leaned it against the 6' side. I, personally, use milk crates(4) on top of a wood pallett for my nesting boxes.
HTH!
Kristi

I use chain link for my run and it works well. The thing I am most worried about where I live is dogs and so I wanted a good sturdy fence for my run and the stuff works great for that. Be aware that the wholes in chain link are big enough for some predators to get through (and for chicks to get out). I plan on covering at least the bottom 4 feet or so with chicken wire to keep the chicks in.

The square footage for a pen that size is 100 square feet which technically could hold 25 standard chickens with each bird having 4 square feet. I would never recommend having that many birds in such a small space though. In one of my pens I have a 10X10 coop with an attached 10X6 run with 10 hens and a rooster and this number seems to work well for me. I have had as many as 20 in the coop which I found to be too much as they started to peck at each other, about 15 I think is the max. Bantams are said to only need half the space requirements but I personally disagree, although they are smaller in size, their personalities are not and they still have the regular chicken space "bubble" where they will feel most comfortable with at least 4 square feet. If you think about it, a short person likes the same amount of personal space as a tall one.

Quote:
Hey Kristi, I think you are now a chicken ppl too! Better get used to calling the perch, a "roost". I'm just a newbie at this myself, and have learned a dictionary full of new words for this hobby.

Smokeybear, a lot depends on the predators in your area, as to the chain link. If you covered the run with some hardware cloth, you should be safe from dogs, flying predators, and coons at least. To keep the coons from reaching through the chain link and yanking body parts off the chickens, you should put a smaller mesh fence, at least two feet up the bottom of the chain link. Again hardware cloth is probably the best, as your chickens can't get their heads stuck in it, as chicken wire might allow when doubled over the chain link. Wouldn't hurt to bury some fencing around the base of the chain link as well, unless you have a solid foundation, as coons can dig under it.

The mink, and rats won't be detered by the chain link though.

It depends a LOT, I think, on whether you will lock the chickens into a secure shelter at night.

If you will, the run needs only to repel daytime predators, which with the addition of some sort of top (I might just crisscross outdoor-grade string over the top, to discourage hawks) it should be pretty acceptably safe. (I have a chainlink-panel run like yours, this is what I do when I use it, and it has been totally fine and dandy so far).

However if the chickens will *not* be locked away in a predator-proof little coop at night, I think that pen will cost you a lot of chickens or a lot of money or both. To really predator-proof it, it will need a STRONG roof (solid or mesh) - raccoons will go right thru chicken wire, I'd suggest either a solid roof (like, tin panels screwed to rafters and stringersm supported by 4x4 posts) or strong mesh such as 2x4 fencing that's bolstered in a few places with posts and possibly a 2x4 or two. Then your chainlink walls will need to be faced with something like 1" mesh or smaller, up to a height of 3' or so, to repel the grabby hands of raccoons (and it'll also helo discourage weasels and rats).

You may be surprised how fast the cost of all that adds up, so it may make as much sense just to build a predatorprood coop (house) and be done with it. If you do that (even if you could just adapt a secondhand shed or playhouse?), consider attaching it to the SIDE of the chainlink run (that is, adding the building in to the run's sides, so the run is no longer square) rather than putting it IN the run -- same cost, and your chickens will have a lot more room that way.

Hope this helps,

Pat

my run is a 10x10x6 dog kennel with modifications to roof because of all the darn birds around were i live. It was expensive(tractor supply) and now that i look back i would have made my own(free 2x4s) but ifs you do not feel like making one yourself thats fine. No animal around me can get in(mostly birds of prey) or maybe? I dont know but its been working for me. Two problems that can be bad is i didnt put underground mesh(my chickens are digging and so is my one dog) and also there is no roof(unless bought but its more money and covers whole coop). i rigged my own netting roof with 12ft 2x4, plywood braces, and exaust clamps. i'll try to get pictures but my cameras broke its funny to look at because all the roofing parts were all free. when it gets warmer im going to get either plasic or metal roofing on part where coop is for more cover for rain,snow, or ice with also smaller nettin to stop them darn tree monkeys(squirrels). so, all the troubles are no roof and just rap it with finer chicken wire.

part of our run is a chain link dog kennel sections, put together to make a 12x22 section of the run. I covered it with chicken wire to keep flling preditors out and the chickens in. I plan to cover it with plastic corragated roofing over it to cut down on the mud in the thaw spring and during bad rain storms. We haven't had any problems with anyone getting. But minks and small coon or fox could if they really wanted to. I have a coon dog tied at a coop right next to the chicken house and run that might be helping.

That is what I use for my pen. Right now I have 8 chickens in it-standards. I woud think you could fit at least 16 bantams-I think it is 5 sqft of run space per bantam.

Predators, pat is ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. Chcin link does not keep out predators. Raccoons can reach through, possums will climb up and over--although we have it covered with netting and wire on the floor. We actually watch a weasel slip right through the chain link like it wasnt even there. So, we secure our up every evening in the coop. Have only had one loss in 3-4 years, before I realized about the wesel thing. (I did loose one to a hawk last year also). Other than that I am happy with the chain link. I even made a second one to house some bantams.

Good luck.

I have a 10x10x6 chain link, I like the tin idea,i have that and i have hardware cloth, but not sure what to use yet...we have fox, coyote, possum and armadillos, and snakes ( rattlers, cottonmouth, etc) pretty bad...so not sure what would work best? advice?