Temporary runs are best when you want to focus your chicken flock to a particular area but don’t want it to be a permanent situation. An area can be created with a flexible light wire such as chicken wire, rabbit wire, shade cloth, and even construction barrier cloth.
Temporary runs can be made out of cheaper fencing materials, such as chicken wire. Chicken wire is good material for wrapping around the base of plants for protection against chickens and using as a temporary containment for chickens, but it isn’t predator-proof as permanent fencing.
The beauty of temporary fencing is it can be easily changed and moved to another part of the garden when you want to create other targeted spots for temporary chicken runs.
Here are a few examples for using temporary runs:
Fencing off your compost pile area and giving your chickens a “heyday,” mixing it up and aerating. The figure illustrates temporarily fencing off a surrounding compost area.
Replacing your weed eater with your free-range chickens for weed abatement for hard-to-mow areas around trees and rocks and on inclines.
Letting your chickens graze to remove a lawn area.
Working on your chicken coop, and/or permanent chicken garden runs, and using a makeshift temporary run.
Grazing your flock in a focused area which has limited accessibility, such as an area of dense trees.
Testing the concept. If you’re not sure you want to create permanent chicken garden runs, test the concept before investing time and money in a permanent design.