It’s one thing to have a sheltered chicken house for your birds, but if they can’t get outside and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine, then it is rather cruel. So building a chicken coop with a run is the best option to allow your hens outdoor access during the day.
And despite what this might sound like, it’s really easy to build it yourself.
Once you have your hen house ready to go, choose an exit point (ie the front door of the coop) and then start planning the run area.
Measure how large you want it to be (the more space the better), and then start considering the materials.
Chicken wire (aptly named) is often the best choice. Just make sure you can predator proof it – rats and mice can fit through surprisingly small gaps. Also ensure that your dog, if you have one, can’t dig a hole underneath the run and enter the cage. Creating a concrete base around the edge of the run is a good way to stop this from happening – particularly if you have a determined dog.
I’ve gathered some photos to give you some ideas when it comes to building your own chicken coops with runs. Enjoy!
This is not a large chicken run but it does give space to run around.
The bigger the better when it comes to runs!
