Hi
I've just finished building a chicken run, it's 20' by 20' and 6' high, it's made of wooden scaffold boards (very very heavy!)
anyway, I've planted willow around the inside and outside of it, with the plan that the roots will form an inpeneterable barrier under ground - to stop anything trying to dig in, and i can weave it into a lattice to, that should grow to about 8-15ft tall - to stop anything coming in over the top.
I have 5 inch gaps between the boards too, at the moment, i've not put any plastic coated metal wire to fill these, as the growing willow should also cover that in a few months.
this "run" is really jsut for when i'm not home and unable to let them roam the garden. But if i had to keep them in there more or less full time, how many would be comfortable in that sort of size? I'm about to build some perches and obstacles to put in there for them to play with too.
do you think my run sounds like it will be safe enough? or should i put some wire mesh up over the gaps in the fence as well?
Was also thinking of growing my own food to feed them - is it worht putting some narrow raised beds in there to grow comfry/lettuce etc for them - or will they just devour it instantly? Would it be best to put the beds out of the run and just chuck in the occasional bit of veg?