I need to build a chicken run

[DominicJ]

I need to build a chicken run, around about 2metres square, and say, 1 metre high.
My DIY skills are, ok, although not really in woodwork, so I could a bit of help.

Will this wood be ok?
http://www.wickes.co.uk/sawn-treated-softwood/invt/107136/

I'm thinking 1mx1m panels, with the vertical supports inside the horizontal supports, and two screws going from the horizontal piece down (or Up) into the Vertical piece at each corner.

How big would these need to be?
2"? 3"?

I can then join the panels together along the abutting vertical lengths, I'm guessing 3 groups of 2 screws, each 2.5 inches? Or would these require bolting together?
Would it be best to secure these two panels together with an additional 2m length of timber along the top and bottom? Or would that just be a waste of wood?

I'm then not quite sure how to join it at the corners, would I be better with square timber, do they do 1.5x1.5?


Any advice greatly appreciated.

 

[digdilem]

Yes, sawn treated is what you want.

A specialist wood yard may be cheaper than Wickes, but less convenient if you don't have one handy.

And it sounds like you need some plans. Google will help, or pop along to somewhere that sells something vaguely similar to what you want and sneak a few photos of it.

If it's not a project for its own sake, check the classifieds too. Chickens are often a fad pet and people get rid of old gear when the silly things die or they get bored of them, and you could pick up a run cheaply.

 

[ellal]

Are you hoping to make this totally fox/rodent proof? If so you need to work to the size of the wire mesh. 13x13mm or 13x25mm is normally sold in 900mm widths, so aim to make the panels a couple of cms larger. Also, if it isn't a problem, make it high enough that you don't have to bend down to get in to clean up after them...It's worth the small extra expense! Also it's worth considering attaching wire mesh to the underside of the wooden base frame and then infilling with soil.

Just out of interest, how many chickens are you planning to put in there?...We had a run of 6m sq for 4 but almost doubled it because they seemed a bit 'unhappy' with the space, even though they get let out most days.

 

[DominicJ]

Its the garden, and we have little mexican dogs, so rodent proof isnt a big issue, fox proof is a bit more of an issue though.
So I was intending to build a "skirt".

Making it a buried cage is a pretty interesting idea, but for now, it needs to be mobile.

I spotted that weldmesh seems to come in 90cm and 120cm rolls, or thereabouts.

We have a "proper" timber yard nearby, Atlas I think its called, not sure if they're a chain, and even a decent DIY shop just round the corner who're usualy pretty good on certain things.

Hills of Devon was advised as the best place for weldmesh.
I was looking at either 1x1 inch or 2x2 inch mesh size in 48 inch wide rolls, this is enough for the panel and the skirt.
Thats 1.6mm wire. too.
Two 30m lengths is just over £100
Not rodent proof obviously, but should be plenty to keep out foxes.

We're getting three, possibly four, chicks this friday, so assuming none snuff it, three or four, so 1sqm each, minus the house and feeders and such.

If it turns out they need more space, I'm not averse to increasing it, however funds are moderatly tight at the moment.
I was expecting to get them in July, GF arranged chicks for friday...
So they really need to be in a run during the day in 6-8 weeks (two weeks old when we get them) and outside full time in 12 weeks.
I'm two months pay short of what I was expecting to have.