Do I need something better to cover my run?

[ATRoos314]

We are building our chicken run. It is 6 feet tall and we made the sides out of welded wire. We thought that chicken wire would be sufficient for the "roof" but are now realizing that maybe raccoons could get through it. We wanted to make it secure enough that we could leave the pop door open at night. Not even sure if there are raccoons in our area or not, but we know there are foxes and stray dogs. Will chicken wire be ok for a roof 6 feet up? Will a raccoon climb to the top and rip it open? Should we just bite the bullet and buy more welded wire or hardware cloth? The rest of the run seems like it will be secure enough, the roof is really the only questionable aspect. Thanks!

 

[black_cat]

I would recommend bird netting instead, as it is stronger. Welded wire and hardware cloth would be good as well.

 

[feather13]

I would definitely consider covering your entire run in 1/2 inch hardware cloth tied together really securely with either wire or zip ties. It's pretty expensive (if I'm remembering correctly, it cost $500 to do our coop and run), but will save you from heartache. Predators (we have stray dogs, cats, raccoons and opossums) will squeeze in fairly small spaces to eat your chickens. We had a regular sized feral cat squeeze through a chain link fence several years ago and have since covered every single roof and side surface with hardware cloth.

We have a 6.5 foot tall run and I find scat on the roof nearly every day, so wild animals can definitely climb that high and raccoons are so ingenious that they will find ways of ripping into nearly anything.

 

[ATRoos314]

I would recommend bird netting instead, as it is stronger. Welded wire and hardware cloth would be good as well.

Isn't bird netting just plastic thread basically? Or am I thinking of something else.

 

[black_cat]

Isn't bird netting just plastic thread basically? Or am I thinking of something else.

It's used to keep out hawks. You may be thinking of something else.

 

[Sally PB]

Isn't bird netting just plastic thread basically? Or am I thinking of something else.

That's the kind of bird netting you put over berry bushes to keep the birds from eating all the berries. You'll find that at garden centers. Not the same thing, but it's called the same name. Good question, though.

 

[Sally PB]

I have welded wire and hardware cloth on the walls of my run. On the roof, I have chicken wire, covered with heavy duty tarps. The pitch of the roof is pretty steep; the frame was for a green house. I overlapped and "sewed" the chicken wire pieces together with the wire that was wound around the rolls of welded wire fencing. Everything is tied with wire and zip ties to the frame.

So far, knock on wood, the only thing that has gotten in is a small mouse and a small snake. The chickens took care of the mouse. I took care of the snake.

 

[Rldad1]

Predators will get through "chicken wire" no matter where it is. A lot of predators are great at climbing including raccoons, foxes, weasels, etc. Use either HC or cover it with a solid top.

 

[aart]

Will a raccoon climb to the top and rip it open?

Possibility.

Should we just bite the bullet and buy more welded wire or hardware cloth?

Yep.
HC if you want to leave pop door open.
And....
Good examples of anti-dig apron installation.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/wire-around-coop.1110498/#post-17093528
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/new-coop-project.1169916/page-2#post-18481208

Welcome to BYC! @ATRoos314
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[Brooks_]

I would recommend bird netting instead, as it is stronger. Welded wire and hardware cloth would be good as well.

That's the kind of bird netting you put over berry bushes to keep the birds from eating all the berries. You'll find that at garden centers. Not the same thing, but it's called the same name. Good question, though.

Could I get a link for this other bird netting? My search results are only showing the cheap plastic stuff.
TIA