Chickens need a safe place to spend their days. Although most predators hunt by night, there are daytime threats to a backyard flock, including dogs, foxes, hawks, and eagles. Building a chicken run is a good way to keep your chickens secure and happy.
Why Build a Chicken Run?
It isn’t difficult to build a chicken run or pen, but it is critical to not only keep your chickens safe from predators, but also to keep your lawn, garden and landscaping safe from your chickens, who take great delight in digging up small plants, munching on leaves and scratching through mulch. A safe pen will also ensure that your chickens don’t wander into the road or into a neighbor’s garden or onto their front porch.
How Big Should a Chicken Run Be?
The size of the run you will need to build depends on the size of your flock. The rule of thumb is to allow a minimum of ten square feet of outdoor pen space per chicken. So that means if you have ten chickens, you should plan on a pen that’s at least 10x10, or 100 square feet. But before you sketch out your plan and assemble your supplies, try laying out some boards on the ground to get an idea of just how big (or small!) the area is and adjust accordingly.
In general, the more space you can allow your chickens, the better. And don’t forget to build big—in anticipation of your flock possibly growing as the years pass!
Where Should a Chicken Run Be Located?
Your run should be attached to your coop, with a little door on the side of the coop that will allow the chickens to come and go during the day. They will need access to the coop to lay their eggs, and might choose to spend time in the coop on cold or rainy days.
In warmer climates, consider either building your pen under some trees (or adding some trees after your pen is built). In colder climates, positioning your run in full sun is a good idea, as the chickens will be able to warm up in the sun all day.
Building a Chicken Run
Supplies You Will Need
(Note: Exact quantities will depend on the size run you decide to build!)
- 4x4 fence posts
- Quikrete (or other concrete mix)
- 2x4 boards or 1x6 boards
- ½” welded wire fencing or 1” welded wire fencing
- Staples (U-shaped nails)
- Wood screws
- Shovel
- Post hold digger
- Saw
- Hammer
- Cordless screwdriver
- Level
The first step in building your run is to dig holes for your fence posts. Sinking them in concrete will ensure that they stay put. Use a level to be sure they are all set in straight, and a measuring tape to be sure they are set equidistant from each other—6 or 8 feet apart is a good distance. Once your posts are set, cut the tops to level them and then screw boards across the top for added stability before you attach your fencing.
For a predator-proof pen, you will need to use either ½” or 1” welded wire fencing. That will keep out predators including small ones such as weasels and larger ones like bobcats. (If you have bears or other large predators in your area, you might instead consider using a chain link dog run for your chickens and then just wrap the chain link with the smaller gauge welded wire to keep the smaller predators out as well.)
Using u-shaped nails (staples) and a hammer, attach the fencing to the fence posts. Be sure to dig a trench around the perimeter of your run and sink the fencing down a few inches. That will prevent digging predators like coyote and dogs from gaining access under the fencing. Your run will need to be covered on top as well to prevent climbing predators like fox and raccoon as well as aerial predators including hawks, eagles, and owls.
Once the fencing is up, use 2x4 or 1x6 boards to create your frame, screwing the boards horizontally into your posts along the bottom, middle and top of the fencing for added stability, and sandwiching the fencing in between the posts and framing for extra security.
Once you have the framing done, add a door (don’t forget to use a spring so the door shuts automatically behind you as you go in and out of your run to prevent your chickens from escaping!) and your chicken run is done!
Learn More
Read about the common predators of chickens and other ways to keep chickens safe.
Reader Comments
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Roof?
Thank you for this post. Can you share with me what you used to cover the roof? We are in the process of building a 24x16 run and can’t decide what to use on the roof. We just lost one of our 15 week chickens to a hawk. Devastating. No more free ranging without supervision so we want to build them a large run. We have 7 chickens now.
Predators
Watch out for owls, and snakes. Geese will alert on bullsnakes. Use dogs for owls. For some reason, they keep them at bay. I also leave a pile of corn under the trees where the owls roost. Then the rats and mice come to them, and hopefully they fill up on them. I also leave dead varmints out there too. In winter the owls breed Jan-March. If they get extra hungry they will take fresh killed rats, mice, etc.. I use chickenwire around chainlink. 6x6x10'
Cutting the posts
Hi, I'm working on this project right now, and deeper my best efforts, all my posts are different heights. You mentioned you cut yours level after you set them in the ground. How did you do that? What tool(s) did you use? Thanks!
Cutting the posts
Not sure what Lisa used but I used a long piece of timber, a spirit level, pencil and chain saw. My run is on a slope, I wanted the height of my run to be enough for me to stand up in the area I'd be in most (around the hen house itself). So, I picked the height I wanted, then using the long timber and spirit level, I marked the heights on each subsequent post.
keeping predictors out
Unless this wire extends below ground, I've had raccoons dig under and get in.
Thank You!
Hi Lisa,
Thanks a mill for putting this up. I just finished building my hen run, based on your design, and I'm very happy with it! It was a great project to take on too. I'm in Ireland so in terms of predators, we have foxes and mink....am very confident I won't have any issues. Thanks again. Terry
I like this extra space near
I like this extra space near the chicken coop for run chicken. If we can make this type of play area near the coop, then chicken can easily run and live freely. To make more secure this place you can use right chicken coop wire. They can protect your chickens from predators. @bestautomaticchickendoor.com/best-wire-for-chicken-coop/
Windows
Hi Lisa, I have a window with hardware cloth in the inside framed off and still do not know if it's safe enough. It's so hot inside the coop so I want to be able to leave the window open. But I don't know if it's enough to trust its critter proof! Any thoughts? Thank you.
This Run Guaranteed MAINTENANCE
The construction of this run fails on two levels (1) structural integrity and (2) predator proofing. I built 10x30ft run using welded wire professional dog kennel panels attached to vertical and horizontal 4x4 posts and covered with corrugated metal roof. I ran 1/2in hardware cloth around the lower portion of the run attaching to the horizontal 4x4 sills and 24in up full width of hardware cloth and attaching directly to the kennel panels. I then laid the 24in hardware cloth as an apron around the pen attached to the horizontal 4x4 sills and extending 22in out from the base of the run. My run is predator proof against snakes, mice, rats, possum, raccoons, fox, coyotte, owls, hawks. It also is virtually maintenance free. Lisa's run is expensive with all that hardware cloth - she would have been far better to utilize commercial dog kennel panels, installed vertical and horizontal 4x4's like I did. 1x3in lumber in no way provides stability.
Thanks for your comments. My
Thanks for your comments. My fence posts are sunk in concrete and supported along the top and sides. I'm not sure what you mean about no stability. We have weasels and so using anything larger than 1" wouldn't be any predator-proofing against them. Our run is maintenance free as well. I agree to save money, using what you have available is a great idea. This article was to illustrate what we did and offer some advice about ways to predator-proof.
Raccoon invincible
This does not keep coons from ravaging your flock. We have a "Rigid" mesh fence with a row of rabbit wire at the bottom and ran underground about 4-6". It seems to be effective. Them darn critters are EVIL!!!!!
Actually yes it does. I used
Actually yes it does. I used 1/2" welded wire on the bottom three feet and sunk the fencing into the ground almost a foot. Anything larger gauge and a raccoon will actually reach through and kill your chickens and ducks. Ducks are especially vulnerable because they like to nap right up against the fencing. I believe most rabbit wire is 1x2" or similarly sized holes? I don't feel comfortable with anything larger than 1/2" along the bottom.