The Aspen + Run Bundle

Most night-time attacks on backyard flocks don't come through a door — they come from underneath. A fox, coyote or raccoon digs a few inches at the base of a fence and is inside before dawn. The Aspen Run is built to stop exactly that: the heavy-gauge welded mesh doesn't end at the wall, it continues outward along the ground as an 8-inch anti-dig skirt around the whole perimeter of the run. A predator that starts digging at the wall hits mesh instead of soil, can't get its paws under, and gives up. You don't need to bury the run, pour a footing or lay paving around it — the skirt sits flat on the lawn, and on soft ground you can pin it with the supplied pegs. Because nothing is buried, the whole coop + run can be lifted and moved to a fresh patch of grass whenever you like. Combined with the mesh roof and the locked coop, it gives your hens a fully closed space from the ground up.

No. Raccoons are the most common cause of coop break-ins in the US because they can lift a flip latch or slide a bolt with their paws. The Aspen's large access door is secured by our Door Locking System, which needs a hand to operate — there is no simple latch to flick open. The walls are rigid recycled plastic panels with no gaps, joints or thin plywood to chew or pry through, and the coop sits 10.5 inches off the ground on solid legs, so there is nothing to tunnel under and no hiding spot beneath it. At night your hens roost inside the locked coop, not in the run. A raccoon may be able to push a paw through the run's mesh, but it cannot get its body, head or jaws through, and a paw alone is not enough to grab or seriously harm a hen that is roosting safely in the coop. For the pop-hole, you can add the optional Smart Auto Door so it closes itself at dusk and opens at dawn, whether you're home or not.

The run is fully enclosed on every side, including a welded-mesh roof panel, so your hens are protected from hawks and owls from above as well as from climbing predators like raccoons and cats. The run attaches directly to the coop with no gap between the two, and it extends under the raised coop, so the coop and run form one continuous closed space: the flock can move between the coop, the sheltered area underneath it and the open run without ever being exposed. The only openings are the coop's locked access door and the run's full-height access door, both of which you control.

The Aspen 6 + Run Bundle is sized for up to 6 medium hens (4 large hens or 11 bantams) with 2 nest boxes and 2 perches; its run is 33 inches wide. The Aspen 10 + Run Bundle is sized for up to 10 medium hens (8 large hens or 18 bantams) with 3 nest boxes and 3 perches; its run is 41 inches wide. Both runs are 9 feet long, which includes the sheltered space under the raised coop, so the total footprint is roughly 9 ft × 3 ft for the Aspen 6 and 9 ft × 3.5 ft for the Aspen 10. Each bundle ships with the run sized to match its coop. If you plan to grow your flock, or you keep larger breeds like Orpingtons or Brahmas, choose the Aspen 10 — and remember that in both cases the run is a secure outdoor space, not a replacement for daytime free-ranging if you can offer it.

Think of the Aspen Run as a secure daytime run rather than a permanent pen. It gives your hens a safe, enclosed space for a few hours a day — early morning before you're up, while you're out, or whenever you can't keep an eye on the yard — and it protects them from predators while they're out of the coop. It is not designed to confine a flock 24/7: hens are happier and healthier with regular free-ranging time, and the run has a full-height access door so you can simply open it and let them out when someone is around. Because nothing is buried or fixed, we recommend moving the coop + run every week or two onto fresh grass. Your hens get new ground to scratch, the lawn recovers, droppings don't build up in one spot, and the anti-dig skirt sits just as securely in the new position.

Most customers assemble the Aspen coop in about an hour with no special tools — all parts are numbered and ship with an illustrated guide. The run panels clip together and attach to the coop; allow a little extra time to lay out and peg the anti-dig skirt. If anything is missing or damaged, contact us and we'll ship replacements immediately.

Yes. The thick recycled plastic walls insulate far better than thin plywood, and the adjustable ventilation sits above head height so moist air leaves while the hens roost out of the draft. In hot weather, place the coop in shade; the UV-resistant roof reflects the sun and the covered area under the raised coop gives the flock shade inside the run. In winter the same ventilation keeps the coop dry, which matters more than warmth.

All bundles dispatch within 2 business days from our distribution facility in Cincinnati, OH. The coop and the run ship as separate packages and you'll receive tracking for each by email. Hawaii and Alaska are excluded from free shipping — contact us for a quote.