If you're reading this article it means you've decided to build your own chicken coop run as you've realized that you definitely need it for the safety of your little farm.
More power to you! However there are a few things you need to take into account in order to make the most of your investment and time while at the same time protecting your animals from all sorts of predators that are only eager to take them and their eggs from you.
Chicken need to be out in the open, they need fresh air in order to remain healthy and give you great eggs.
Fresh air and lots of light are two main attributes of having your animals develop the optimal way, however you need to ensure their protection from the various predators while they are out and in the shed.
When they are outside, your hen need a minimum of 10 sq.
ft.
each so you have to ensure that they get that minimum of space and the safety necessary to do their daily run.
First of all you need to build the run as an addition to the actual coop.
Place wire all around the area for approximately 1ft deep which means that animals won't be able to dig under the fence to get inside.
Get some good materials that will withstand abuse from the wild animals.
It's better to get hardware mesh instead of regular fencing as they won't be able to bend the wire or squeeze through it.
You also need to install some kind of latch to lock the coop door properly.
At the same time this should also lock the chicken run gate.
Furthermore you need to add a security light on the outside of the hen shed which will activate a motion detector.
Oftentimes this is all it takes to scare away any wild and eager animals.
Many people have had the unfortunately experience of waking up in the morning and finding the coop practically empty due to the night predators that came and took everything in sight.
This should not happen to you if you take proper precautions and build a perfect coop run to add extra protection to your family animals.