The Garden Run is a modular series of DIY enclosures that let you easily create, customize, and extend a secure outdoor habitat for your backyard chickens, cats, rabbits, or other small pets. Build a single module, or combine them for more space and limitless possibilities.


SOME KEY FEATURES OF THE GARDEN RUN:

» Modular series includes three main designs (see below for details on each)

» Fully predator-proof with locking latches and tough hardware cloth all around

» Carefully designed for ease of building and less cost and waste

» Optional corrugated roof fits the two smaller designs

» Works with any coop, hutch, or housing — for chickens, cats, rabbits, ducks, and other small animals (henhouse/coop plans are sold separately and not included in this series)

» Built with pride. . . by you!



ABOUT THE GARDEN RUN – COMPLETE SERIES PLAN ITSELF:

» Written for beginners. This do-it-yourself plan includes 80 PAGES of illustrations, photos, and step-by-step instructions to show you how to extend your animals' space and build structures you will love. (You print at home.)

» Includes full tools and materials lists

» Includes both U.S. (feet/inches) and metric units (millimeters)

» Compatible with iPad and other PDF-friendly tablets, phones, and readers

» Password protected for security. You will receive your file-open password after checkout. (Visit your Etsy Purchases page and click the Download button next to the order. Guests may find it easier to create an Etsy account and log in first. More details here: https://www.etsy.com/help/article/3949)

» Comes with email support directly from the designer.

» Satisfaction guaranteed



ADD ALL THE SPACE YOU NEED

The three core modules of The Garden Run series link to one another — and to our chicken coop designs — seamlessly. Or you can connect them to ANY chicken coop, hutch, housing, or existing run with the instructions in the plans. The plans include instructions for these designs:

QUARTER-HEIGHT MODULE: This module stands about two feet (0.6 meters) tall, including the base. See detailed specs below. It hinges open at the top for cleaning and access. It's a good height for connecting other modules to each other and connects directly to just about any coop or other housing. For many setups, this is the place to start.

HALF-HEIGHT MODULE, WITH GARDEN TOP: This module stands about four feet (1.2 meters) tall. It has a wide front door and a specially designed permeable rooftop garden bed, ideal for growing succulents, flowers, or herbs. Note, the garden top isn't actually a roof. Any rainwater that is not held by the soil or taken up by the plants will drain into the run below just as if the top were open-air.

WALK-IN MODULE, WITH PERGOLA TOP: This module is a full-height design which stands about seven-and-a-half feet (2.3 meters) tall. The people door opens outward for easy entry. You can train vining plants up the side and over the pergola to provide beauty, scent, shade — even food for you or your chickens. There are many options inside for adding perches and other fun features.

OPTIONAL CORRUGATED ROOF: This roof design is detailed in two sizes and fits the quarter- and half-height modules (NOT the walk-in module). It's a shed-style roof that can be built with polycarbonate panels or other corrugated roofing. Again, The Garden Run is not intended to be your animals’ primary shelter, but having some cover over part of their enclosed run — either permanently or seasonally — will provide shade in the warmer months and more space to roam in the colder months.

** (NO henhouse/coop plans are included in this series. But we do offer those separately. See our other listings. The partial coop in one of the photos is The Basic Coop design. Shown here for reference only.)



FULLY SECURE, TOP, SIDES, AND BOTTOM

Each Garden Run module is built on a foundation that protects your flock from digging pests and predators, elevates the structure, and retains a good amount of bedding. If you're keeping rabbits, the wire on all sides prevents them from tunneling out and from chewing on the frame.

If you prefer, you can leave the modules open at the bottom and set them directly on the ground, on skids (like The Garden Ark), or over a garden bed. Or you can raise them on blocks (like The Garden Coop) with hardware cloth trenched or flared around the perimeter.



COOP AND GARDEN. IN PERFECT HARMONY.

We aim to design structures that allow your animals and gardens to work together. The garden top on the half-height module does this exceptionally well. It's part herb garden, part green roof, and it creates shade while elevating flowers and succulents to a height where you can enjoy them more.

The pergola on the walk-in module is another example, allowing foliage to flow up and over for shade and to soften the line between the structure and your garden.



CONNECT, CONFIGURE, AND CREATE

The possibilities are endless. The best place to start is to decide what you want to build and how it will connect to your animals' housing. Included in the plans are instructions for framing the connection to your coop and for adding a pop door, if needed.

Add an enclosed run to your coop. . . Extend your current coop and run with a pergola and a raised herb garden. . . Link your mobile chicken tractor to a more spacious, secure yard. . .

Whatever you imagine, The Garden Run is a flexible way to make it happen. And it looks and functions beautifully to keep your animals safe and sound.

You can build to the instructions — or use the designs, techniques, and sample configurations in the plans as a jumping off point for your own creativity!



MORE SPECS AND DETAILS:

ACCESSING YOUR DOWNLOAD:
After your purchase, a link will be made available to you for downloading your files. If you have any trouble accessing your files or your file-open password, please follow the easy steps shared by Etsy here: https://www.etsy.com/help/article/3949. Feel free to contact us as well.

SIZE:
» The QUARTER-HEIGHT module measures roughly 5'w x 3'd x 2'h (1525 x 915 x 610 mm) with a footprint of 15 sq. ft. (1.4 sq. meters).
» The HALF-HEIGHT module with garden top measures roughly 5'w x 3'd x 4.5'h (1525 x 915 x 1370 mm) with a footprint of 15 sq. ft. (1.4 sq. meters).
» The WALK-IN module with pergola measures roughly 6'w x 6'd x 7.5'h (1830 x 1830 x 2285 mm) with a footprint of 36 sq. ft. (3.3 sq. meters).

COST AND MATERIALS:
These run modules can be built of dimensional lumber, hardware cloth, polycarbonate roofing (an option only for the two smaller designs), and standard hardware. A complete materials list is in the plan. Purchased new at a big-box store like The Home Depot or Lowe's, materials should run you near the upper end of these ranges (as of January 2024, USD, pre-tax):

» Quarter-height design – $175
» Half-height design – $285 (less if you leave off the garden top)
» Optional 50″ corrugated roof – $100
» Optional 74″ corrugated roof – $110
» Walk-in design – $475

TIME TO BUILD:
This will vary based on your configuration. Be sure to budget time for shopping, sanding, cutting, sealing/painting, and assembling.

TOOLS:
The plan is written for complete beginners! The cuts are all straightforward (no tricky angles to measure), and the tools are fairly standard ones that you likely either have or can easily borrow or buy. Here's the tool list from the plan:

» Circular saw or miter saw
» Power drill/driver and a few drill bits
» Level (especially helpful for larger configurations)
» Tape measurer
» Pencil
» Couple of sawhorses
» Hand saw (helpful for quick cuts)
» Combination or speed square
» Hammer
» Couple clamps with a 3” (75 mm) capacity
» Wire/metal snips for 19-gauge wire or heavier
» Sandpaper or a power sander
» Paintbrush and dropcloth
» Ladder (needed for the walk-in module only)
» Pneumatic stapler, with compressor (optional, but it's a time saver on larger configurations)
» Heavy-duty staple gun, with staples (optional, only for securing landscape fabric to garden top)

CLIMATE:
All-year, just about anywhere. Keep in mind that The Garden Run is outdoor space and is not meant to serve as your animals' primary shelter. That said, the ventilation is outstanding. The garden top and optional roof (for the smaller modules only) will help keep snow and rain out of their yard, making the space more usable in winter months than an open yard would be. You can make other coverings and put wrap or siding on the sides as needed. One more advantage is that it keeps your chickens (rabbits, etc.) secure from the hungrier, more determined predators that winter can bring.

CLEANING:
Each module has easy access for cleaning, either from above or the side. How often you clean it out is up to you. In ours, we let a nice deep litter build up, which takes a good while. The bases of the modules are designed to hold a good amount of bedding/compost.



Take a look at the photos above and convo me with any questions.


NOTE: The Garden Coop LLC is the legal copyright holder of the content on this shop and in our plans, including all designs, photos, descriptions, and text. It is intended solely for the use of the purchaser and may be printed for personal use only. No images or content from this Etsy shop or our ebooks and plans may be published, resold, shared, or distributed without written consent from the copyright holder. (That's us.)


More questions? Please convo me anytime!