PVC chicken run for 10 hens!!!!

[Geordonbuck223]

Can many people post pictures of their PVC chicken run big enough for at least ten hens and the supplies needed to build it and the cost????? Or even just the pictures is fine tooo

 

[DallasCriftins]

Did you mean run or coop?
We use Keter Sheds
They work out far cheaper than over priced tiny little plastic coops and are much more practical.

For Runs we use Heras security panels they are 2m x 3M
I would never use plastic for runs I think they would be far too easy to damage or get chewed through

 

[DallasCriftins]

PS we also have some over priced tiny plastic coops as well........ bought before we knew better, but now very useful for all sorts of occasional use like introducing these young orps to the outside world

 

[Life is Good!]

A PVC run would be considered a 'tractor' - a moveable unit that can be rotated around a space to give fresh grass to chickens to forage in. If you look at the coops section of the page, you'll find a bunch of ideas there. Try this link: https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/2/Coops

It's not generally predator proof - as my dog can get under ours if determined enough. Does keep out hawks if the door is closed. But I haven't ever trusted it enough to protect our flock in for a night out in the open - except in an emergency (flood). Our tractor is inside our chicken run (predator proof 6' tall fence, dug down 12-16" with rocks to hold it there also). I have used it to house broiler chicks and to introduce new chicks to the flock. Works well enough in the 3 warm seasons....not at all during the cold season. The 'coop' part isn't well insulated from our IL winters.

Also, the tarp roof tends to rip if it has a heavy snow-load on it. In fact, during a blizzard two winters back, the whole roof turned inside out - like a blown -out umbrella - glad it wasn't in use for that! I had to rebuild the darn thing the following spring. The weight of the snow broke nearly all the PVC connectors - snapped 'em like twigs and what had been pointing skyward was now pointing at the ground. Crazy!

Cost? Cannot recall. Material list (rough) from the ground up:

(5) 2x4x10' pressure treated lumber - 4 pieces for edges, 1 piece to make corner braces
(15) 1" electrical pipe holders (lumber to PVC)
(11) 3/4" PVC pieces 10' long for sides
(8) 3/4" PVC pieces 10' long for roof
Scads of PVC connectors - get per your design.
(1) 10'x12' tarp, replaced annually (winter winds rip it to shreds)
A lot more 1/4" wire mesh than I ever imagined - I believe it was (3) 50' rolls.
Oodles of zip ties - get a bag of 1000 8" ties. That's the cheapest part!
New pair of scissors to trim off all the zip-tie ends, as I dropped the scissors in the grass and never did find them again!
Snips to cut the wire mesh - get yellow handled ones, for the same reason as the scissors above.

Photos: We added a repurposed Rubbermaid storage unit as a 'mini-coop' to house the meat broilers. Worked for a time while they were small and it was rainy.



Work in progress.



Tractor in background behind hen on scale. I hope you can see enough of it! Apparently, I'm more interested in the chickens than taking photos of the tractor! LOL! For all the photos of chickens I have, I have none of the the tractor itself in use!

The side walls are 4'6" tall. The roof peak is 8' tall. The door is 5'6" tall. This is so I can stand up fully inside the tractor.

The white feeder in the photo above is a pvc gutter cut in two (a 10' long piece so each 'arm' is 5' long with one 'L' and two ends). I place a waterer on the corner next to the doorframe, so it's balanced nicely. The Rubbermaid storage tub is the gray door on the left - this element makes moving the tractor harder, as it's fairly heavy.

Hope this helps you find what you need.

 

[DallasCriftins]

Yep we have a tractor as well, the coop part is predator proof and has 10 Roasters in it at the moment.

 

[Sanderguy777]

Yep we have a tractor as well, the coop part is predator proof and has 10 Roasters in it at the moment.

Do you happen to have a parts list for this?

 

[Krugerrand]

Do you happen to have a parts list for this?

You probably won't get a response. This poster hasn't been around for 7+ years. The "my coop" link goes to a blog that also looks inactive. You may want to try contacting through there?

 

[Sanderguy777]

You probably won't get a response. This poster hasn't been around for 7+ years. The "my coop" link goes to a blog that also looks inactive. You may want to try contacting through there?

Yeah, I saw that, but I thought it worth a try.