# Run Expansion



## imnukensc (Dec 5, 2020)

This will double the size of the chicken run from 8x16 to 16x16. Not bad for two partial days of work for an old man by himself.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Nope, not bad all. If you're an old man, that is. 

Will you roof that portion too or put wire over it?


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## imnukensc (Dec 5, 2020)

It will just be wired, The other side is completely roofed. 68----old enough, I reckon.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Yeah, 68 kind of qualifies. Although these days it's more about doing things slower than ten years before. And for me, I find work arounds since I have a few years on you. Well, 2.  

Did you build the walls on the ground and then stand them up? I keep looking at it and seeing how hard it would be to keep a 2X4 upright while screwing it down.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Very nice and professional. I wish I had your carpentry skills. Do you plan to lay down an apron all the way around the base of the pens?


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## imnukensc (Dec 5, 2020)

robin416 said:


> Yeah, 68 kind of qualifies. Although these days it's more about doing things slower than ten years before. And for me, I find work arounds since I have a few years on you. Well, 2.
> 
> Did you build the walls on the ground and then stand them up? I keep looking at it and seeing how hard it would be to keep a 2X4 upright while screwing it down.


Yeah, I like to think that 15 years ago I'd've had that done in one day. I'm way slower than I used to be for lots of reasons. These days I think of myself as the tortoise in _The Tortoise and the Hare._
Walls weren't built on the ground. If I'd've had some help, I might've gone that route I drilled 3, equidistant holes on the 4x4s on the ground, laid them out, and then drove 16" spikes through them to anchor them. The upright 4x4s were anchored to them with brackets while also trying to keep them square with 2x4s as a brace which were then removed. Once the joists are laid across the top and more upper permanent braces are attached it will be more stable and a little more square and vertical. Hard to tell from the pics I posted, but the 16' section is a little wonky right now. Pretty sure the chickens won't care if it's not "cabinet grade."


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## imnukensc (Dec 5, 2020)

dawg53 said:


> Very nice and professional. I wish I had your carpentry skills. Do you plan to lay down an apron all the way around the base of the pens?


No apron planned at this time, but I can understand why lots of folks have them. The original run and coop have been there for 4 1/2 years with no apron and I have had no problems with diggers in that time. Should an apron become needed in the future I'll have plenty of left over 1x1 welded wire I can use. If that becomes the case, I'll just use landscape staples to anchor it. Our rock hard red clay is not too conducive to diggers-----including me.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Our soil is wet and moist most of the time. Landscape staples didnt work with the field fence apron that I like to use. I ended up using pavers to hold the fence down and it worked great. I removed the pavers after the grass grew through the fence.
We have all the diggers here. So far so good, no losses.

The only predator that has really given me trouble are rats and mice. It was a 3 week battle of the ages last year (it rained every day...deluges, record rainfall) but I finally beat them back. I'm still proactive in eliminating them. This year has been a good year, only 2 or 3 kills and we had more deluges...two days partly sunny, 5 days straight rain during the summer.

The only thing that probably couldve stopped them wouldve been hardware cloth enclosed pens and aprons. However, we know that would be too cost prohibitive. Ammonia and rat poisons are cheaper.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

OK, I'm truly impressed. When I built the same thing 15 years ago I had to build the walls on the ground and stand them up. 

15 years ago you would have done that on the weekend because you'd still be working. But then there would be other things that would have needed dealing with since you worked all week. So, it probably would have been two days then too.


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## imnukensc (Dec 5, 2020)

A lot of 1x1 welded wire to put on, but other than that, it's essentially complete.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Nice, really nice. Want to come to my house next? LOL

Don't envy you the wire install though. Even the one by one.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Very nice!


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## imnukensc (Dec 5, 2020)

New digs complete. They'll get to explore it tomorrow.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

For an old man you did some really nice work.


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