30 DIY Chicken Run Ideas – You Can DIY this Weekend

diy chicken run ideas

Learning how to construct a chicken run from scratch requires planning, time, and money. To help you provide a comfortable home for your chickens, we listed 15 different DIY Chicken Run Ideas to choose from to get you started.

We’ve got everything you need, from large-scale constructions to extensions or additions that come with step-by-step instructions. If you’re looking for a chicken run design for your flock, these are some available options.

1. DIY Chicken Run For Newbies

DIY Chicken Run Idea DIY Chicken Run For Newbies

This easy-to-build chicken coop is ideal for people who are new to the poultry-keeping hobby. The right tools will make this project simple for you to complete in a short amount of time.

There is a single pitch sloping roof as well as a screen door for ventilation in this project. This run is tall enough to accommodate a person to make cleaning and maintenance easier. You can house four to five chickens in one of these runs.

 

2. DIY Predatory Proof Chicken Run

Among the chicken runs that you can build, this one has a more polished appearance. As a result of its sturdy construction and high level of security, this coop is ideal for keeping livestock safe.

A metal roof and pressure-treated lumber construction ensure long-term durability even in humid climates. It might be on the pricier side due to its size and build quality, but the result is well worth it.

 

3. Metal Fencing Chicken Run

DIY Chicken Run Idea Metal Fencing Chicken Run

This chicken run is designed to protect the chickens against wily predators like raccoons and hawks. The wide run kept the chickens from roaming outside, keeping them safe. The design uses a strong metal fencing material with a width of at least 4 feet. The door is wide enough to fit a wheelbarrow or any equipment you’ll need to use inside to clean the run.

 

4. DIY Coop Run

This run uses half-inch hardware cloth that will protect anything that can harm chickens away. It features two types of walls: a short one and a tall one, which slants the roof. A nice flexible flashing that has a peel and sticks underside to span over the gap between the deck roofline and the coop to prevent water from leaking in between.

 

5. Predator-Proof Chicken Run

DIY Chicken Run Ideas Predator-Proof Chicken Run

The design of this chicken coop includes some unique features that make it predator-proof to keep the chickens safe and content when they aren’t allowed to roam freely outside. In this way, your flock is safe from predators, such as foxes and coyotes. It also helps keep out predators like raccoons, fishercats, and birds of prey. They’re safe the rest of the time and have plenty of room, thanks to the run.

 

6. Recycled Wood Chicken Run

It’s not necessary to bury wire fencing when creating a predator-proof run. The only time you’ll dig is to set the posts that will hold the welded wire in place. The baseboard of the chicken coop is made from recycled shipping containers, which were cut off and used as a base for the cage.

 

7. Adorable Chicken Run

DIY Chicken Run Ideas Adorable Chicken Run

Your chickens will be safe and happy in this adorable chicken run, and your backyard will look great as a result. The entire floor of the run was lined with chicken wire to prevent animals from digging. There is a slight slope to the bottom to aid drainage in the event of excessive water runoff. It has two entrances to the run, making cleaning easy.

 

8. Predator Proof Chicken Run

This run is equipped with a wire that runs along the bottom of the chicken coop, preventing burrowing animals from entering. This is the pen to use if you’re gone for a few days or if the chicks are still young.

While bears and other large animals will continue to enter, it will prevent smaller animals such as chickenhawks, possums, raccoons, and bobcats. If you intend to keep chickens in this type of setup, you should cover them with a tarp or erect a roof to protect them from the elements. Rain and moisture can promote bacterial growth and contribute to odor issues.

 

9. Predator-Free Chicken Run

Predator-Free Chicken Run

This chicken run is connected to the chicken coop. It offers plenty of space for the chickens to run around in. While you’re away, it keeps them safe from predators and provides peace of mind to their owners. The design covered the entire chicken run with hardware cloth or chicken wire and added a human-sized door for the convenience of cleaning and general maintenance.

 

10. Chicken Run with Planter Box

DIY Chicken Run Idea Chicken Run with Planter Box

This small-space-friendly chicken coop has a simple design. The large doors on the run make cleaning convenient. Although it appears small, the chicks have plenty of room to roam when you need to keep them contained. It also has a planter box full of aromatic herbs above the run because it will mask any odors emanating from the coop.

 

11. Downeast Thunder Farm Chicken Coop

Downeast Thunder Farm Chicken Coop

It is also possible to attach this chicken run design to the chicken coop. Predators are discouraged from digging beneath the surface by burying a wire two inches deep.

In addition to having a clear exit door and chicken wire-covered opening windows on the north side, this 8′ x 12′ chicken coop also has a clear entrance door. Because this design prioritizes safety, your chickens can roam around without being harmed. With this chicken coop design, you’ll be able to relax and unwind.

 

12. Most Convenient Chicken Coop Run

This chicken coop design is considered one of the best by many. It’s well-designed, which means your chickens will be safe and comfortable in it, and they’ll find it aesthetically pleasing as well. Because of the excellent shading, ease of access, and ample space inside the coop for people to get out in case there’s an emergency, there’s no doubt this is one of the most convenient designs yet.

 

13. DIY Chicken Run Build

In this run, the best feature is an outward fold of the chicken wire and fence that extends for three feet in all directions. Due to the multiple levels of ground defense and the metal flashing along the bottom of the door, this design stands out from the rest. This idea is both valuable and long-lasting.

 

14. Calicluckers Predator Proof Run

This run was constructed in less than 8 hours, showcasing a low-budget production. There is much more protection in this run due to the thicker wire used than the chicken wire. It also has a wire skirt buried in the ground and covered with thick dirt as an added layer of defense. The design incorporates a shaded canvas cover over the run’s top portion to help keep things cool.

 

15. Urban Chicken Coop Plan

DIY Chicken Run Ideas Urban Chicken Coop Plan

This design features a bigger chicken run underneath the coop. Hence, chickens are still fully protected if you leave them outside the coop for an extended period.

Metal hardware cloth is used to cover the entire structure, buried 10 inches below the surface. A “floor” made of hardware cloth was buried several inches underground and sewn to the buried fence with wire to prevent rats/raccoons from burrowing through it.

 

16. PVC Chicken RunPVC Chicken Run

This 10-by-10-foot PVC chicken coop costs $165 and is made of durable PVC. If you need to move it, it’s lightweight and portable. This design used a mesh wire that is tied to the PVC pipes. This plan has several advantages, financial for one. Another good thing about this is that it is enclosed on top, so your chickens are free to run around without fear of being attacked by predators.

 

17. DIY Chicken Coop Run

DIY Chicken Run Ideas DIY Chicken Coop Run

The run is easy to put together, but moving the large pieces once they are put together is difficult, so that you may want some help. To keep larger animals out of the run, build two doors of the same size or one large door. The materials will be more expensive and making it will take longer, but the result will be well worth the effort.

 

18. Big Chicken Run

This is a huge run that wraps around the chicken coop and measures 32 feet by 32 feet. The coop is located inside the run in this design. It’s 6 feet tall! This chicken coop is designed to withstand the harsh winters and the resulting accumulation of snow and ice.

 

19. Dirt-Cheap, Predator-Proof Chicken Run

DIY Chicken Run Ideas Dirt-Cheap, Predator-Proof Chicken Run

This chicken run is low-cost to construct, as the name implies. Despite its low price, the final product is highly secure and will effectively keep out predators. It’s easy to build and doesn’t call for any cement. With just lumber and wire as the primary materials, this run will require only your essential tools, knowledge, and resources.

 

20. Homesteading Chicken Run

This chicken run is 10 feet wide and 24 feet from the chicken coop to fit up to 10 to 15 chickens. It has a paddock or extended fenced-in area where chickens can go out anytime and forage whatever they want. This is perfect to use for homestead purposes. It’s very durable and can last years.

 

21. Amazing DIY CHICKEN RUN

DIY Chicken Run Ideas Amazing DIY CHICKEN RUN

This great home-built chicken coop is genuinely one-of-a-kind in terms of design. Your existing fence can provide the primary support for the entire run if your yard is already enclosed in some way.

To complete this project, you’ll only need a few supplies: wire fencing, zip ties, and a few support posts, which can be anything from PVC pipe or fence to signposts or even wooden sticks if you don’t have any of those materials on hand.

 

22. Extension Chicken Run

This chicken coop was built as an addition to an existing coop, and it’s constructed from gauge wire and solid wood. It’s designed to provide hens with more secure living quarters where they won’t be preyed upon by predators. It’s simple, quick to put together, and low-cost.

 

23. Long and Narrow Chicken Run

DIY Chicken Run Ideas Long and Narrow Chicken Run

This chicken coop is ideal for those with limited yard space who want to keep chickens. You’ll have to be creative to use the limited space you have if you want the chickens to be happy in such a small space.

Long and narrow, it follows the garden’s perimeter and takes up very little room. Use the same concept to build a chicken run around your yard so that your chickens have plenty of room to roam without taking up too much of your valuable yard space.

 

24. Scrap Wood Chicken Run

This chicken run is built from scraps of wood and deck boards found around the farm. This is perfect for people who are resourceful, creative, and on a tight budget. It’s cool to recycle these days! Chicken coop designs like this one look nice enough to live in.

 

25. Cheap DIY Chicken Run

DIY Chicken Run Ideas Cheap DIY Chicken Run

Building a low-cost chicken run that provides plenty of space for your chickens and can even be built around the coop itself is demonstrated in these plans.

In this project, wood beams are used, held together with metal angles and plates to form a framework. To give the structure additional strength, you need to screw metal angles into every inside corner of the roof and straight metal plates on either side of the joints.

 

26. Unique DIY Predator Proof Run

Predator-proof chicken coops like this one are extremely rare and valuable. This one is built from scratch. Predators looking for an easy meal will be kept at bay by the construction of this coop run. This run is large enough to hold a large number of chickens, so perfect to use if you will not free-range your chickens.

 

27. Modern DIY Chicken Run

DIY Chicken Run Ideas Modern DIY Chicken Run

Even though this chicken coop and run were constructed on a hill with some irregularities, you can use the plans to create a similar structure for your purposes. You can install a windbreak for the winter.

Four concrete deck blocks serve as the foundation, with cinder blocks serving as filler in the corners. It’s always open, but there’s a sliding plywood door, so you can lock the chickens in when I’m cleaning.

 

28. Homestead Chicken Run

The wire mesh used in this chicken run serves as protection for the coop from predators. This run’s poles have bracing that tightens the posts and increases the run’s stability on the ground. The half-inch mesh at the run’s base, which extends two feet above ground level and two feet up the fence, ensures that small predators cannot get in.

 

29. Twin Cities Chicken Run Build

This chicken run’s best feature is the hardware cloth sandwich that protects the flock from predators. The stability of the run was ensured by the cemented posts. Because of its design, I can rest easy knowing that the chickens and their owners are well-protected. The water will flow off the roof and away from the house when it rains, keeping the ground dry and free of mud.

Conclusion

DIY chicken runs come in a wide range of styles and sizes. What matters is that your flock is well-protected and has plenty of room to roam so that they can get some exercise. Whatever you want to use to build your chicken run is fine. Start with the plans that look the most appealing to you when it comes to building your chicken coop.

diy chicken run ideas

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