Advice on upgrading our Run

[abbeypatti]

Hello, one of the tasks this summer I would like to tackle is upgrading our run.

We have a 20 ft long 15 ft wide run basically, and have 9 chickens.

Major concerns:

Since I live in Indiana the wind can be brutal, especially as the seasons change. During the cold season we basically make the run into a green house to keep the girls warm and let them have some 'outside' access.

The only other major thing is that our chickens dig. Out small one is a digging breed and taught all the others how to dig, this they dig at the edges and corners of the run. This makes the whole abit scared as they have escaped before due to this issue, and one nearly got attacked by a hawk. (someone is always home, but rather not have it happen to start.)

Now we have ideas on how to make a better run, but that would be making the spot they are at perminate with cementing poles a good foot or more into the groud which would helpe with the wind issue. Its mainly the digging part I am abit stumpped on since I don't want them getting hurt if I put wires or rocks down.

I do know size wise I want them to have more space, and we are growing things just for the gals to peck and such, but need ideas on the major issues first before we makenit pretty.

Thank you all in advance for any advice, and I hope you have a good monday.

 

[StinkyAcres]

Do you have a predator apron on your current run? I wonder if that would keep or at least slow the chickens from digging themselves out.

You will want to go about 3 feet into the ground with the posts to get below the frost line.

 

[abbeypatti]

Do you have a predator apron on your current run? I wonder if that would keep or at least slow the chickens from digging themselves out.

You will want to go about 3 feet into the ground with the posts to get below the frost line.

Currently we do not have an actual predator apron, we have put wood around the base of the run but it is all loose.

and ah okay, thank you for that information, i'll make note for future for when we do that, thats a major big project due to my father in law owning the land.

 

[thecatumbrella]

Our run is lined on the inside perimeter with a mix of pavers and thick plastic landscape edging, all below grade (maybe 3-4 inches or so?). If they want to dig below that and tunnel their way back up, they've earned their freedom!

 

[ChaosMom]

I’ve had great luck with 12x12 concrete pavers, $2.88 each at Lowes. We also have a Demented Digger, and I set the pavers to expose ~2” outside the run frame and the rest inside.

We covered the exterior 2” with HWC, then topsoil and mulch and the interior ~6” with run litter.

 

[abbeypatti]

I’ve had great luck with 12x12 concrete pavers, $2.88 each at Lowes. We also have a Demented Digger, and I set the pavers to expose ~2” outside the run frame and the rest inside.

We covered the exterior 2” with HWC, then topsoil and mulch and the interior ~6” with run litter.

View attachment 4098008

This gives a good idea to have the pred apon and then have the concrete pavers on top. It can help keep the coop grounded during big windstorms and help prevent in the inside of the girls diggint up the hooks into the ground we have now for wind storms.

Def gonna run this by my family and see if we can get this going sooner then later.

 

[ChaosMom]

This gives a good idea to have the pred apon and then have the concrete pavers on top. It can help keep the coop grounded during big windstorms and help prevent in the inside of the girls diggint up the hooks into the ground we have now for wind storms.

Def gonna run this by my family and see if we can get this going sooner then later.

I've actually got the pavers in the picture UNDER the pred apron, because there was a big gap under the run frame there and the digging Barred Rock had body parts showing through.

As I understand it, predators start digging at what they perceive to be the outermost barrier. If you have pavers on the edge of the HWC farthest from the run wall, they might actually dig under the apron at the same time as the paver. Without pavers on top, they tend to dig right at the run wall, immediately hit the HWC, and give up.

So far, we haven't had any critters testing the run, as far as we can tell, so I can't swear to it from personal experience.

 

[paintedChix]

If installing permanent dig aprons are currently a problem, make/build hingable aprons like done for a chicken tractor. May be more expense up front, but should be able to more easily move/remove the apron if needed, later.

For ideas, here is a post I did on another thread.

Post in thread 'Hog panel floor for tractor run' https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/hog-panel-floor-for-tractor-run.1649630/post-28331071

 

[MapleLaurelFarms]

I've done nearly the same thing as the others who responded have. My chickens were quickly digging around the edges of my run to nearly the bottom of my 2' buried HWC.

I banished all chickens for the day, raked all the dirt back into place and added more to fill in any low areas, covered the dirt with a layer of chicken wire held down with landscape staples, then topped that with a thick later of mulch, straw etc (aka bedding).

Problem solved.