The Chicken Pen: For Safety And Security

Why do you need a chicken pen?

Reasons for a chicken pen:

  • Protection from predators.

  • To keep your chickens from wandering away, example (neighbors yard).

  • To keep chickens from eating your garden and other plants.

  • Chickens need a safe place to peck around and exercise.

  • To Quarantine, if necessary (introducing new birds to your flock).

    • Your chicken pen, also called a chicken run, should be connected to your chicken coop. I have a small access door (12"x15") that I can close off if necessary.

    By the way, if you're new to raising chickens and haven't settled on how to build your coop yet, you might be a bit confused about where to turn for the right information.

    In order to best help you in this area I took the time to preview a couple coop plan resources.

    If you're looking for a quality set of chicken coop plans then click here to take a look...or you can simply click the image below to read the review...

    chicken coop plans

    Even though my chickens free range, I still like having the option of being able to keep them in their chicken run.

    A chicken run can be made using chicken wire or any other type of wire fencing with a mesh opening of no more than one inch.

    The type of wire you choose depends on three things:

  • predators

  • longevity

  • Cost

    If you are

    raising chickens in an area with a high risk of predator attacks, I would choose a wire such as a 1/2"x1/2" galvanized hardware cloth. Chicken wire is weak and can be easily penetrated by a determined predator.

    I live in an area where there are very few predators. I also live on an open field where access to our chicken run would be difficult. For this reason, I chose to use basic chicken wire.

    Chicken wire has a tendency to rust out over time and will not last near as long as a good galvanized wire.

    Chicken runs come in all shapes and sizes, but a well built chicken run will have these qualities:

  • The wire fence will be buried 12" deep around the perimeter of the chicken run.

  • The top of the chicken run will be securely protected. (chicken wire,tin etc).

  • Design the chicken run, so each chicken has a minimum of 10 square feet (10 chickens=100 sq.ft).

  • Easy access in and out of the chicken coop.

  • Locate your run on a well drained area(no flooding).

    • When you attach your chicken wire to your post and cross members, use either galvanized staples or galvanized screws with washers. Do not use a hand held staple gun.

    Building a chicken run is a pretty straight forward process. Just make sure you build it right the first time. Many people who decide to cut corners (not burying perimeter wire), later regret it when predators come and kill their chickens.

    Return From The Chicken Pen To Chicken Coop

    New! Comments

    Have your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below.
    Share this page:
    Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

    Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

    1. Click on the HTML link code below.
    2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.

    Google

    Custom Search