A mesh roof chicken run around a Smiths Thicket Chicken Coop

Our customer had recently purchased a Thicket Chicken Coop from Smiths but found that, as there was a problem with foxes, it was too small to keep the hens in all the time and the foxes were digging into the run.  They asked us to build a 9×21′ mesh roof chicken run to surround it together with our heavy duty anti-dig mesh to protect the perimeter.

Here’s a video of it going together

We start off laying the anti dig mesh along the 2 sides (one short side was up against a concrete path so no need there).Next we lay out the base timbers for the first run panels that are connected together. The panels are fixed with 2 coach screws into the base timber and 3 to the adjoining panel.  The base timber can be replaced with timber from your local diy store should it ever show signs of rot without disturbing the main run panels. You can also buy the chicken run panels separately should they need replacing or you want to extend the chicken run.  In practise, we’ve seen these at over 8 years old with no problem.  Our system of run panels also means doors and pophole can be positioned anywhere you like and panels can even be swapped around at a later date should you want to reconfigure the run.  On the run the customer had asked for a run door either end.  Once all the panels are built around the perimeter the roof is built up.  The final jobs are fixing the door catches, the last piece of anti dig mesh and in this case packing the low point on one corner.

Had the customer ordered one of our Large Chicken Coops and Run in the first place they could have saved over £300 compared to this solution and started with a much more practical chicken coop