Chain link runs? Pros and Cons? | BackYard Chickens

I was looking around at run ideas and came across some threads with chain link runs. We were planning on building our run, but Dog Kennels seem so much easier and could probably even make it larger. I understand that some of the dog kennels now a days aren't as sturdy as they should be, but I believe with some work it could be made into a great and safe run. But I do have some worries on how to predator proof it and what to do for a roof. We do live in an area with wild animals and loose dogs, but I'm only gone about 3 days out of the week for work and at night the ladies will be put up in their coop.

What are the pros and cons with using a dog kennel/chain link as a run? Tips? Suggestions? Pictures are welcomed!

I want to do 2 10'x10'x6's put together for an extra large run, that would make it a 10'x20'... Which even gives me more room for chickens... then my previously figured 10'x16' run. Very good point about the cost of hardware cloth. I hadn't really tried adding up how much it would cost and most definitely would be your more expensive cost. I hope to try and buy at least one of the kennels off from craigslist for around $100-$125 which is what I see many going for, I've even seen them as low as $75! Then maybe $200 for one from lowes, TSC. I'm now thinking chicken wire might be ok in our case, secured to the outside and inside?...It certainly would be better cost wise. Thats just something we will have to mess around with I think.

One nice thing about our future set up though is next month we are buying a security system with 5 cameras, the 5th camera will be pointed towards the run/coop. It is wireless and we will be able to get on our Iphones, or computers where I work and see what is going on at home at all times. This doesn't mean I can watch at all times and protect them from everything, but I think is another measure to help keep them safe. We were broken into once before, luckily nothing was taken because they did it as we were just moving in and we didn't bring anything valuable until we actually planned to spend our first night. But we both feel it is something that needs to be done. We were using a motion sensored wildlife camera at two separate locations and we were surprised to see two people had been up at our residence while we weren't home!!
So anyway, back to topic, still trying to toy with this idea and think of the best logical and budget friendly ways to do this. Wondering what could be used for roof ideas? I am using dog kennels with a roof and I quite like them. They have the advantage of being portable as well, such that they can be used in a tractor-like fashion.

I have one that has a tarp roof - the tarp leaks and drives me batty.

I have one that has a metal roof that works well, using old aluminum roofing that was literally lying around my place.

The roof is given slope and form using conduit and welded wire mesh supports the tarp in one case and fills the triangular space in the other.

We don't have a lot of daytime predator problems, in terms of the raccoons reaching through. There are wooden coops inside the dog kennels where the chickens can be completely shut in at night. Wrapping additional wire around the bottom would be pretty easy, however, and could be done at any time.

Our daytime predator issues are more from the sky, and it's easy to fashion a roof for these, or to cover the top with wire. (You can also buy premade roofs for them.)

It's a quick and dirty solution and it's fairly affordable and versatile for what we needed. The sturdy base and the human friendly-scale make it easier to work with than our more permanent coops or than our tractor coops. I use kennel panels for my runs so I can disassemble and move them as needed. I have hardware cloth running around the bottom and ziptied every few inches. This makes for a strong run.

We had a $400 dog kennel from Lowes that was much thinner, weaker, and less well made. Then we looked at the dog kennel panels at the feed store. The thing that gets me is the better made kennel panels ran $280 for the same size on sale. 2x100 foot, 1/2 hardware cloth is $58 on Amazon with free shipping. So even with that cost I got a better run that was safe.

The 3 foot hardware cloth is like $87 for 100ft.




ETA. I can't spell or write numbers apparently. I use a dog kennel for a run and haven't had any issues. I put 2ft of chicken wire around the bottom, then folded another 2ft section and wire tied it to the bottom at 12in, and use the other 12in as an apron. the grass grows through the chicken wire and holds it to the ground so good I can run a lawnmower over it without sucking it into the blade. The top is tarped and sloped to keep the hawks out and the snow off. I've seen a lot of them for sale for a lot less than you can buy hardware cloth and lumber to build with. Others have already given you lots of valid advice. Here are some of my thoughts:

I had an owl once to reach in a grab a chick in a dog kennel and he did succeed at killing him- so the wrapping the bottom part with chicken wire or hardware cloth is good. You might regret burying wire if you want to move the panels around when the grass gets all eaten up.

As for overhead netting, it will come down in snow if you don't use the heavy knotted stuff (raccoons can chew through that though). I have used metal chicken wire overhead too but the snow makes it sag and raccoons can tear through that too.

You would have to cover the tops with chainlink or a bona fide roof, or hardware cloth in order to make it predator resistant. Rats and weasels can get through unless it is 1/2 inch hardware cloth. If you are interested in shielding from hawks you can just use bird netting as I do when they are chicks (a determined hawk can tear through that too but I have seen a hawk bounce off mine).

In other words, if it were me, I'd just put up your panels and move them around as you desire. Close them up in the coop at night. You might lose some this way but I personally don't make a predator proof pen- only a predator proof coop. A chicken Fort Knox run will require 1/2 inch hardware cloth all around and that is too expensive for me.

Work on the new kennels progresses.  I spent yesterday afternoon figuring out how to cut down a 10’ wide door panel to be exactly 92¼” wide.  I ran the math three times to be sure it was right because I only get one shot at this.  If I mess it up I buy a new panel: or have one built to the correct size.

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I started out cutting the tubing with a metal blade in a saber saw.  A reciprocating saw would have been better, but I don’t have one.  Almost immediately, I broke the blade.  I had more, but it was clear that this was not going to be as easy as I hoped.  The only way to do this – in this manner – was to run the saw around the tube, not cutting across the tube from one side to the other.

I did get the first three cuts done that way, but it took a long time and was nerve wracking – and not especially neat.  Then the bulb lit up.

I went in the shop, put my metal cutting blade on the chop saw and dragged that saw outside.  I’ve used this many times to cut the steel tubing I’ve used in trellises.  I used that to make the inboard cuts and it went MUCH faster and did a much neater job: just needed some work with a file to remove the thin scruff that is left on the back of the cut so the splice tube fits over the pipe.

I also found that I was able to re-use the retainer clips that hold the end rod (it fits along the ends of the chain link) to the vertical pipe and the ends of the mesh.  These bent steel bars use a special tool to form them around the pipe and fold a tab over the rod, kind of like a giant staple.  I don’t have that tool.  But I have a big pair of channel locks.  I was able to unbend the part that folds around the rod and pop the clamp loose.  Then after I cut the tubing and reassembled the frame with splice tubes I unstitched a run of the chain link to remove the excess, inserted the rod in the end loops of the mesh and pulled it tight by hand while I popped the clamp strips back in place.  Folding the tabs back over the rod with channel locks and securing the top and bottom of the mesh to the rails with fence ties finished the job.

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The front panel fits perfectly.  All that remains is to install the wire mesh over the top (to thwart climbers) and Kennel #3 is ready for habitation.  Which is good because our Intake Coordinator wants to bring me another dog Monday.

Rocky and Blaze are still Kennel #1, which has a full size front panel tacked into place.  Now that I know how to do this I’ll cut down the front panel from the newest kennel and install it on that kennel.  I could not do this earlier because Rocky and Blaze were IN that kennel while I installed the panels at each end of the kennels that make up part of our play yard fence.

I’ll also replace the side panels on K#1 and K#2 with the three side panels from the good kennel (these have the fine wire mesh installed on their lower half to prevent dogs grabbing the chain link with their teeth and deforming it).  The back side panel (far side of K#3 is in good shape, so I can add the mesh to that one and all will be protected.  The door panels for K#2 and K#3 are another matter: they’re pretty chewed up.  I’ll need to have them re-chain-linked before I can install the protective mesh.  Now that I’ve learned to manipulate those bent-in-place clamps, I can probably do that myself – as long as I don’t break any.

It took one whole morning to cut down the first gate panel, the second morning I got both of the other two cut down and installed.  Da Boyz each have their own room now and are doing will with that change.

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