Ideas wanted...enclosed run on a slope

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Chemguy

Chemguy

Songster
8 Years
May 30, 2011
680
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131
Springfield, Ohio
Hi All,

I am wanting to build a fully enclosed run on a grade that slopes downward from the coop to which it will be attached. The total drop over the 25 foot length is about 2.5 feet. The top of the run will be covered with hardware cloth or welded wire. I would like to avoid having the top be an even 6 feet above grade for the entire length, which would give a sloped corridor leading up to the coop. So, I know what I do *not* want, but cannot envision other options. For someone like me, who needs to have a vision before starting, that means that I'm stuck!

Does anybody have any ideas, experience, pics or pointers that might help me to come up with a design? Any and all replies will be deeply appreciated. Thanks. -Pete
 
My coop and run are on a slope. If you level the coop and have it raised on blocks it creates a fantastic haven for them to cool off in the day by going under the coop. It's their safe place during the day.
77645_dsc05380.jpg


Carpentry can get a little tricky, i.e., making a gate in a run, but the slope helps the run drain, the downward side becomes the dust bath area since most everything seems to migrate that direction including any sand or hay you put in there. So far I can't complain about the slope.

Note that I ran hardware cloth 6" down and 30" out all the way around the run and coop.
 
We faced the same problem, although in our case the ground slopes upwards from the coop.

The only way to get a level run is to have a level foundation. We solved ours this way:

84140_img_1128.jpg


The frame was built, the run (a 10 x 10 dog kennel placed on top.....rails first which were attached to the 2x6 foundation...followed by the chain link fencing):

84140_img_1141.jpg


The final step is attaching hardward cloth to the exposed opening (sunk in concrete), followed by a skirt of 36" hardware cloth around the bottom perimeter of the run and finally a hardware cloth roof:

84140_img_1137.jpg



Gail
 
While our coop & run aren't on a hill - our garden beds are terraced up a hill. We used a design from Urban Farm magazine as a template. Perhaps this will help a bit in thinking it out? Our back yard is on a pretty steep hill as you can see. Our coop is at the bottom of the hill behind me when I was taking the picture so it is all level but we wanted to utilize the hill for something. It's kind of like a series of raised beds. I wonder if you could dig into your hill a bit for the coop, then drop down a level for a run using this idea?
Not exactly what you are looking for but having a hill in our yard, I understand your frustration! Hope this helps even a bit.
58060_deck_progress_016.jpg
 
Quote:
Thanks! Even though what you show isn't a run, it does give me some good ideas! The main problem I was having was in imagining how I might securely attach fencing either at the top or the bottom of the run walls. I know, it's not impossible to cut out triangular pieces of fencing, but I really didn't want to do that.

But the tier idea....now THAT'S something I had not considered. I think that I am going to sit down to do a bit of planning based on that. Thanks so much!
 
Place your supports on what ever center you wire is wide. 24" on center, 30 "on center what ever it is , then run your wire vertically. It is easier to do,plus you don' end up with either the top or bottom sagging if you are a little out of level. I use this method on all my runs. Just staple the wire to the supports then install a trim strip over it with either nails or screws, It works really well.

90646_ptdc0258.jpg
 
franklinchickens said:
While our coop & run aren't on a hill - our garden beds are terraced up a hill. We used a design from Urban Farm magazine as a template.  Perhaps this will help a bit in thinking it out? Our back yard is on a pretty steep hill as you can see. Our coop is at the bottom of the hill behind me when I was taking the picture so it is all level but we wanted to utilize the hill for something.  It's kind of like a series of raised beds. I wonder if you could dig into your hill a bit for the coop, then drop down a level for a run using this idea?

Not exactly what you are looking for but having a hill in our yard, I understand your frustration! Hope this helps even a bit.
58060_deck_progress_016.jpg
Click to expand...

I like your raised beds. We also live on a slope and want to do raised beds and a chicken coop and run. What type of wood did you use to build your raised beds? And is that beauty bark or pine shavings alongside the beds? Just need to get some ideas or a place to start. Thanks!
 
Okay I like the suggestion from Backwoods Bntms about taking some kind of piece over where the hardware cloth is secured to the wood. In the run here, what size lumber did you use for these supports, and then for tacking over the supports with the staples...? Just curious, as I'm planning....
 

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