Building a predator proof run

[BriannaG]

Hi everyone,

This will be my first time owning chickens & am trying to decide the best way to predator proof the run area. We have lots of predators (hawks, rats, foxes, raccoons, coyotes, neighborhood cats, chipmunks and squirrels, and potentially weasels as well). Planning to use 1/2" x 1/2" hardware cloth secured to 2x4's using screws and washers for the walls and roof. We were planning to dig down 12" and do the whole floor in hardware cloth too, then backfill, just wondering if this is overkill? Would an apron be sufficient given the digging predators that we have? I feel like an apron would be much easier but don't want to regret doing it that way. I appreciate any insight!
Thank you!

 

[DobieLover]

Welcome to BYC!

We were planning to dig down 12" and do the whole floor in hardware cloth too

Overkill and the birds could dig down and hit the cloth.

Would an apron be sufficient given the digging predators that we have?

Yes. Spread it out from the perimeter 18-24" and pin the far edge with HD landscape staples and let the grass grow through it.

Do you live in snow country? If so, having a hardware cloth roof will collapse. I prefer a solid pitched roof to keep the run dry whenever possible.

That has worked well for my run.

 

[DobieLover]

it sounds like you're recommending putting it on top of the ground?

Yes, I am.

Will this still deter tunneling from rats, chipmunks, etc?

Yes, it will. Predators/pests will try to dig right at the base of the framing on the other side of the run wall and will hit the cloth. They will back up a little and try again and hit the cloth.
I have gotten mice in my run but they are squeezing in between the run door and it's framing. I have to put a full length stop on the door and just haven't done so yet so I set up mouse traps inside a chicken wire covered wire dog crate to trap them when I see signs they are invading. I don't pick up the feed in my run. It is left out all the time.

 

[gtaus]

This will be my first time owning chickens & am trying to decide the best way to predator proof the run area. We have lots of predators (hawks, rats, foxes, raccoons, coyotes, neighborhood cats, chipmunks and squirrels, and potentially weasels as well).

I would like to challenge your basic assumptions, based on my experience. When I first got laying hens, I, too, was thinking about making a predator proof chicken run. I quickly calculated there was no end to how much money you could put into making a chicken run predator proof. Hardware cloth is very expensive. Solid roofs are expensive. Digging down to lay wire is a lot of work. All those upfront costs to protect my chickens from a potential threat?

I added up all those costs to make my chicken run predator proof and quickly blew past my budget.

So, the next thing I asked myself was how much do I pay for a baby chick? About $3.00 each. When I started thinking about that, then I realized that I was considering spending 10x, or 20x on the "insurance" to protect my chicken investment.

I did see great value in making my chicken coop predator proof, which is what I ended up doing. I was willing to settle to make my chicken run predator resistant, meaning it would stop most of the daytime predators I was concerned about - neighbor dogs. Most wild varmints I would have to worry about come out at night. By then, my chickens are locked up in the Fort Knox coop.

So, my chicken run is fenced in by relatively inexpensive 2X4 wire, with cheap bird netting stretched on top to prevent hawk and eagle attacks. No predator aprons or moats dug into the ground. I lock my chickens up in the Fort Knox coop every night. In 3+ years, never a successful predator attack. For me, it worked out.

If/when I ever suffer from a successful predator attack, I'll have to reconsider my options and how to strengthen my defenses.

Because I was willing to settle for a predator resistant chicken run, I was able to build a much larger run and my chickens have much more room to move about than what I could have afforded with a predator proof run.

I turned my chicken run into a chicken run composting system, so I actually prefer the open bird netting top which lets all the rain come through and helps with the composting process. Also, I live in snow country in northern Minnesota, so building a solid roof over my entire chicken run would be an expensive project to support our snow loads. Someday, I would like a covered run over a small portion of the run, or maybe a just a removable cover for the winter months to keep some of the run free from snow.

 

[Mrs. K]

Bigger - make it bigger, a lot bigger...bigger than you think you need.

I have had issues for a lot of years. I went with a chain link fencing, 8 feet high and over the top. Fastened together with hog rings. Apron 12 inches around. Has worked very well for coyotes, coons (which are amazingly clever and strong) and flying predators.

The gate is almost always the weakness. That is a place that I have dug up and buried very large rock under the gate. An apron is hard to keep down with the constant traffic, and the deeply buried -2 feet, has worked well for me.

Do make sure the roof is strong. And it doesn't hurt to walk around it once a week and check.

The @#$@^%&*^^%$ predators always get the best hen.

Mrs K

 

[-Isla June-]

So glad you’re finally getting a flock started! predators are horrible, and it can be very hard to prevent them. However, this is what i have done for my coop and run, and i haven’t had any surprise predators.

I dug down around the perimeter of the coop and run and put in concrete blocks doing stacks of two.

Then, i did a little bit down on the inside of the coop and run, and i added a layer of gravel. Then i laid down a tarp, and put dirt and straw over it.

Make sure your run has a cover, mine had a roof over it since fox’s and birds can get in without a roof.

it might sound silly, but have a good strong lock on your coop doors, one time a fox got into my door lock because it slid it over.

make sure your wire that your coop and run has isn’t too small, otherwise weasels can get into it.

hope this helps!!

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC!

Where, in general, are you? If you add your location to your profile we can give better answers to your questions because climate matters and different areas have different predators.

If you're not certain about the strength of the hardware cloth in relationship to your predator load you could add another layer of 2x4 welded wire on top of the hardware cloth or you could add electric wires.

Both are good if dog packs are a major predator for you and only electric works to deter bears.

We were planning to dig down 12" and do the whole floor in hardware cloth too, then backfill, just wondering if this is overkill? Would an apron be sufficient given the digging predators that we have?

As Dobie said, an apron is better. The chickens love to dig and could injure their feet on the buried wire. Also, if the ground is dame the wire will degenerate faster buried than laid as an apron.

We were planning to also cover the roof with clear polycarbonate roofing to keep the run protected from the elements while still letting sunlight in,

This is very much a climate matters thing.

I'm in central NC and if I used a clear roof for any part of my chicken facilities I would probably kill them from heat exposure. In fact, I find that in my climate I need either deep shade or 2-3 times the usual suggested minimums for ventilation in order to keep my coop under 100F on a 90F day.

Here are articles on coop ventilation and on coping with both hot and cold climates:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/repecka-illustrates-coop-ventilation.77659/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hot-climate-chicken-housing-and-care.77263/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/cold-weather-poultry-housing-and-care.72010/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-extreme-weather-spiel.75893/

 

[BriannaG]

Welcome to BYC!

Where, in general, are you? If you add your location to your profile we can give better answers to your questions because climate matters and different areas have different predators.

If you're not certain about the strength of the hardware cloth in relationship to your predator load you could add another layer of 2x4 welded wire on top of the hardware cloth or you could add electric wires.

Both are good if dog packs are a major predator for you and only electric works to deter bears.



As Dobie said, an apron is better. The chickens love to dig and could injure their feet on the buried wire. Also, if the ground is dame the wire will degenerate faster buried than laid as an apron.



This is very much a climate matters thing.

I'm in central NC and if I used a clear roof for any part of my chicken facilities I would probably kill them from heat exposure. In fact, I find that in my climate I need either deep shade or 2-3 times the usual suggested minimums for ventilation in order to keep my coop under 100F on a 90F day.

Here are articles on coop ventilation and on coping with both hot and cold climates:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/repecka-illustrates-coop-ventilation.77659/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hot-climate-chicken-housing-and-care.77263/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/cold-weather-poultry-housing-and-care.72010/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-extreme-weather-spiel.75893/

Thank you for the feedback! I'm not sure how to add my location to my profile but I'm on Cape Cod, MA. So we have mild New England weather here. Usually only a few days in the 90's in August and that's about it. We get some snow too, but it doesn't usually dip below 0F. The run is shaded by 2 large beech trees which provide deep shade in the summer and lose their leaves in the winter allowing sunlight in the winter (still somewhat shaded though from their branches). We had been planning on a metal roof but I wanted to make it more natural by doing the polycarbonate & letting the natural light through. In the summer they'll really only get a little bit of morning sun before the beech trees shade them for the rest of the day, so I'm hoping that will be comfortable for them. I've also seen polycarbonate roofing that isn't totally clear that allows 80% sunlight through (instead of 94% like the clear stuff I was looking at) so that's another option too.

 

[KyCoop]

I have hwc on top of my run and a roof built over top. I originally used clear polycarbonate for the same reasons you give.

I strongly suggest against it. The more shade you can provide the better. I even tried to paint over mine (failed) so I will be reroofing this spring. Clear roof sounds great but it's not.

 

[David61]

Address your needs.

my only day time predator for the most part is hawks . I am urban so the neighbors dog or cat would be about it in the day.
A Day time fox, coon, coyote, bobcat will say to the wooded areas and lots not in developed areas. All bets are off at night. My 14'x6' armored coop/run has a chain link apron and the hardware cloth laps it by a foot. It is in the ground 4"- 8". Nothing around here will dig in so my nights are safe.
My 30'x10' day run is 6' 2"x4" animal wire that is 4"- 6" in the ground with heavy hawk net over head. I did not use an apon because my property is chain link fenced and my bulldog has access to the yard 24-7.
You can see the build here.
The day run has been redone with new animal wire and is wider han the photos.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/10x6-roofed-with-a-8x20-run.1325133/page-2#post-21679833