Chook Me!

How to I build the fence part around a chicken coop?

Where do I get the stuff? Does there have to be a lid? How big should it be (for two chickens)? Please help me!

Public Comments

1. check out Big R or Lowes. They have all you would need and will be able to give you the correct dimentions. I would sugest getting enough for a at least a 6 ft by 6 ft area.
2. There should be a cover of some sort - wood or wire - to keep birds of prey from dropping in for a quick meal. Also, the fencing should go down at least a foot or two under the ground to keep other predators (dogs, coyotes, racoons, skunks, etc.) from digging their way in.
3. I built a hen house approximately 8 ft wide and 12ft long. This is also where the 6 nesting boxes are. The hens have a ladder for getting to the nesting boxes and this is where they roost as well. . . if a preditory animal was to get into the hen house the hens are approx.4ft off the ground and would raise such a ruckus I would hear them and head out to the hen house with my 22cal rifle and kill the predator. My pens that they run in during the day has 2 yards. .. . because I also have 6 ducks and though the ducks/chickens live together I often times seperate the Duck hens from the Drakes(ducks are brutal and relentless in breeding and my hens need a rest). Both pens are approx. 12ft by 20 ft. I used landscape timbers and chicken wire for these pens. . . my pens are not covered and if I have a hen that flies over the 4ft fence I just clip their wings. . once they realize they can no longer fly over the fence even though their feathers grow back they have now quit trying to fly over the fence. The only predators I have had is cats. . . cats that are wild.. . . I trap these wild cats and dispose of them.(Keep in mind I live in the country.) When you build your pen,you could use landscape timbers and chicken wire as I did. . . . inexpensive way to build a pen. I walk out in and amongst my birds so a lid on my pen is not a good idea but you might find it to be a working situation for yourself. . . trying to get to eggs laid out in the open would be a trick if you don't build your pen tall enough to walk in. One answer suggested that you bury your wire to keep predators from digging in and this does sound like a good idea but my experience is that if a predator wants in bad enough they will dig to China to get where they want to get so this may or may not be a good idea after all. . not to mention that over time the fence would rust away because of the moisture from the ground and in no time it would be as though you had never buried it at all. Just make sure that your wire is tight enough at the bottom to keep the chicken from crawling out. . if they can find a hole they WILL always go there to get out. . . put them back in and walk off and turn around and the hen will have crawled back out. . make it good and tight at the bottom and should they find a way to crawl out. . repair that hole ASAP! A pen 6ft by 6ft for 2 hens is probably an appropriate size so you probably shouldn't need more than 4 6ft landscape timbers and a 50ft x 4ft roll of chicken wire and a few fence staples or sheet rock nails (they are really good for holding the wire because of the size of the nail head). If you cover your pen you may need some 2inch by 2inch by 8 ft pieces of wood to lay across the top to screw to the landscape timbers so you can lay chicken wire on top.For this you would want to use 2 1/2 to 3 inch screws to screw the wood to the timbers. Be sure to leave yourself a way to get in and clean the pen once in a while and be sure to provide some shade for the birds. Good Luck Hope I have been able to help
4. Most all depends on if you want a raised pen or a ground pen and how much you are wanting to spend.As well as how much space in your yard do you have to work with.2 chickens do not require a great deal of room.Putting a top over a chicken pen is recommended to keep the birds in and predators out.I am not sure where you live,so I am not sure what stores you have nearby.a pen 8 foot long x 8 foot wide allows plenty of space for 2 chickens.A raised pen can be even smaller.Chicken also require a place to roost(sleep)so they would need a type of housing as well.Material cost vary from place to place I can offer more info if you wish contact me.