Homestead Realities: Building a Frugal (and Slightly Wonky) Predator-Proof Chicken Pen

For the last ten years or so, we have been incredibly lucky. Our chicken pen—a simple 40×20 foot area enclosed with basic t-posts and four feet of chicken wire—has kept our flock perfectly safe. Predators simply were not an issue for us. But homesteads are always evolving, and so is the landscape around us.

With all the recent warehouse construction in our area, wildlife is actively being displaced. Because of that, foxes were pushed into our neighborhood looking for food, and unfortunately, we lost a couple of our girls. We knew our decade of luck had officially run out.

We had originally planned to upgrade the chicken pen this fall, right when the garden was finished and the chickens could safely forage in the veggie beds while we worked. But nature forced our hand, and we had to tackle the build right now, working around the chickens while they were still in their pen.

The “Almost Perfect” Plan

Before starting, I watched a lot of videos, channeled the drafting class I took in the 9th grade some 35 years ago, and drew up what I thought were foolproof plans. But as anyone who works with the land knows, paper and dirt are two very different things.

While my drawings looked great, our yard had different plans for us. The ground slopes in two completely different directions, and I am simply not experienced enough to perfectly calculate for that kind of grade. As my wife lovingly says, it turned out to be another one of my “almost perfect projects.”

It is a little wonky in spots, and it is in no way square or level. I can definitely look at it and see where the slopes got the best of me! But I successfully enclosed a 40×20 foot area with a 6 ½ foot fence, and it is 100 times better than what we had before.

Sparing Some Expense

I have never been the kind of person to say “spare no expense,” and since this was an unplanned summer project, we had to be frugal.

To keep costs manageable, I used landscape timbers for the posts and 10-foot deck boards for the rails, which I split in half on the table saw to stretch the materials further. We replaced that old, flimsy chicken wire with heavy-duty hardware cloth, securing it tightly with 1-inch construction screws and washers. To finish it off, I went around the perimeter with reclaimed wood and old pallet boards to fortify the bottom and hold the hardware cloth securely against the earth.

Resting for Now

It was a massive amount of hot, sweaty work. Doing heavy construction when it is 95+ degrees outside with 98% humidity is no joke, and to be honest, I am completely spent.

There are still upgrades to add, but the heat has won for now. This fall, I plan to add a roof over half the pen area so I can finally stop shoveling snow out of the chicken run in the winter. We will also be adding a gate directly into the garden so the girls can have free rein all fall and winter long.

For now, the project is done. The pen is secure, I am confident it will keep the predators out, and we can finally stop chasing chickens around the yard a half-hour early every night to lock them away safely. We are happy with it, the flock is protected, and sometimes, “almost perfect” is exactly what you need.

I will be sure to share another update later this year when that roof goes on!