Here's the URL to a picture and description to build a moveable round 20' diameter pen made of pvc water pipe and welded wire fencing:

http://www.utm.edu/departments/ed/cece/idea/mopens.shtml

It looks like it would fly away in a strong wind but could be staked down; what do you all think of the design? Of course it has more than a 50' roll of welded wire fencing around the perimeter so maybe it wouldn't fly away? Could one person move it by themselves? I love the simplicity of it and I have a roll of that 2"X4" fencing already...

-- Elizabeth in E TX (kimprice@peoplescom.net), January 13, 2002

Answers

Let's see if I can make that into a link: click here

-- Elizabeth in E TX (kimprice@peoplescom.net), January 13, 2002.

Hello Elizabeth,I built one of those this past spring and they work good and they can be moved pretty easy by one person.The biggest expense is the netting for the top in which I just used some cheap deer netting and that turned out to be a big hassle trying to move the pen without tearing the netting,I did'nt have any problems with predators or cats trying to get in so I finally just took the nettin off.I used 4' fence but would proably go with 6'to make it easier to walk in and fill feeders and waterers.I raised a mixture of barred rocks,buff orpingtons,wyandote,and patridge rocks and when they got around 4-5 months old I believe they able to fly out and range for the day and return to the pen at night.I just plan on raising cornish rocks this spring and figure they'll be to fat to fly out anyway.I had to track down 20'lenghts of pvc from supply house(hardware store does not carry them that long)you could use shorter lenghts but you would have more joints to glue.It works great for having clean ground under the birds and they just run for the fresh area when moved.Good luck.Dave

-- Dave (duckthis1@maqs.net), January 14, 2002.

Those are neat.

-- Cindy in KY (solidrockranch@msn.com), January 14, 2002.

I have seen these before. They work well when you have flat ground. otherwise you will need to fill in the dips and valleys with some fence. A few cement blocks spread around the pen should keep it down it all but the most severe wind.

-- Gary (gws@columbus.rr.com), January 14, 2002.

I made one awhile back using pvc and covered it with chicken wire. I use this pen for lambs, chickens, ducks, puppies. Anything that needs introduced to the farm without getting hurt. Mine is rectangular with wheels on one end for easy moving. Good luck to all.

-- cowgirlone (cowgirlone47@hotmail.com), January 14, 2002.

We made one out of one of those round hay racks with fence around it. Worked ok for the baby goats when we wanted to keep them out of the rose bushes.

That thing is really cool! Looks easy enough even for me to build!

Congrats on the link, by the way! :-)

-- chuck in md (woah@mission4me.com), January 14, 2002.

This gives me all kinds of ideas for this spring. I lost 40 out 50 chicks to owls this past year...... so the netting or some kind of top is a must. These guys had it figured out to come for take out just before dark. I would be on my way out to shut them up for the evening and watch the carnage..... I had 4 but horned owls on the gravey train!!

-- Tana Mc (mcfarm@totelcsi.net), January 14, 2002.

Did you check out the other things on the home page? There are some brooders for both ducks and chickens. Cool site! Thanks

-- Susan nrothern MN (nanaboo@paulbunyan.net), January 14, 2002.