Run top fencing

[Sherol]

I have been reading and trying to determine fencing needed for top of run. Will have the hardware cloth 3' up but looking at options for the balance up to 6' and then across the top. In the country so probably have coons. Neighbors have chickens and see haws circling daily. Will try to make coop as tight as possible but concern is I get home late at night and would be dropping the door at that time [10 or 11 pm].. so they may have a few hours in the coop with door open and I want the run pretty tight against predators. Now.. it is it just me, female and mid 50's putting all this together so need something that will be easy for me to handle as well. Would love some instructions/pics of how others have applied the fencing over the run. Have seen the term cage wire and it is 1"x2" mesh.. but where would one get it 4' high and the best price for a few hundred feet of it.

 

[dheltzel]

For the upper part of runs, I like to use 2x4 inch welded wire. It's much cheaper than cage wire or HW cloth and good enough that no coon or hawk has penetrated it. TSC has a 4' high 100' roll for $60 right now.

The most important thing about making a run predator proof is to "think like the predator". How could a coon get to your birds? The HW cloth can't be reached through, so they'd have to climb up 3 ft and then reach through the welded wire. What can they get from there? If there is a roost close to the side, you better use HW cloth up past that, but no roost, there is nothing to grab once they get up there. What about digging under the side, can they do that? I lay an apron of welded wire around the perimeter, anywhere they might try to dig, and leave the sharp ends where I cut the wire so they get poked in the eye if they do try to get under it.

 

[Sherol]

So the 2x4 is ok? Even a young coon will not get through that? Coop and run under a mesquite tree so will not be an issue for a raccoon to be on the top. I know an adult will not get through that but was not sure about a younger one.

So does one build a "frame" across the top of the run and what type of anchor to hold it in place? do you overlap edges or sorta pig ring them together butted up?

I am wanting to put a metal roof on and should I be concerned about the little spaces created by the ridges? and if so.. how does one plug them up? I do have ventilation protected by hardware cloth in the coop. The east and west ends will have mesh at the top. I am in TX so not concerned about even winter.. but can a roost be placed so the heads of the chickens are up in that area or should the roost be placed lower? There will also be north and south areas covered by the hardware cloth but have been a bit concerned about those little areas. Have seen using a foam that hardens in there,.. will predator chew or tear that stuff out?

 

[georgiagail]

I'm not sure this will help you but for our runs we've used dog runs. For the tops we add brace rail clamps (found in the chain link fencing section at Lowes for under $2 each) to the top rails, then add PVC/electrical pipe and run hardware cloth over these, attaching them to the rails and the pipe with zip ties.

In the past we've purchased the hardware cloth from wayfair.com (free shipping) but places like amazon.com also offer free shipping.

Like you, we have plenty of hawks, owls, etc. in our area (even though we live in the city) and have often seen young hawks sitting on our privacy fence looking rather wistfully at the chickens in the runs.

If none of this makes sense, perhaps a few pictures of the brace rail clamps and one of the final runs might be helpful..

Gail




Even this "old lady" (I'm in my 60"s) can put this roof on.

Gail