Fencing our run

[macpac32003]

We are considering building an 8x12 run 6 ft. tall with hardware cloth buried a foot deep and 2 ft up above ground and chicken wire everywhere else. We have a hawk but the chickens will be shut up in the coop every night so I don't know if we necessarily have to make the run predator proof for the night time animals. Whaddya think?

 

[ChickenLegs13]

Varmits like dogs & coons could still rip into it above where the hardware cloth stops at 2' above ground.

 

[enola]

My chickens laugh at 6 foot fences.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

No you don't need to completely predator proof your run. Most of your predators are at night and my chickens are locked in the coop where they belong- no losses. My run has a netting top to keep hawks out in day time. I've lost one chicken in the past two years and that was due to a skunk that dug under the run. If I had hardwire around the bottom I'd not even have lost that one.

To prevent dogs is just an amazingly expensive and mostly futile effort. You'd be amazed at what dogs have gotten through to get to chickens. I can't tolerate ill behaved dogs on the loose, they'd not leave my property if I was home. Curious dogs show up from time to time but none have tried to break in (could easily access my grow out pen). I chase them off.

 

[macpac32003]

Thank you for your advice.I plan to put chicken wire on the top, but it is so expensive to fence the entire run with 1/4" hardware cloth!

 

[aart]

There are lots of other options between chicken wire and 1/4" hardware cloth.
Just a note that where needed, 1/2" HC is better than 1/4" because it's a heavier gauge wire.

Instead of burying wire an 18" apron is much easier to install and more effective as well.

 

[ChickenLegs13]

I don't know where you live or what predators are in your area, sounds like you just want a causal daytime run to protect against the random dog or hawk. Without breaking the bank, on the sides you can use 2x4 welded wire on the bottom 4 ft and 1" chicken wire for the top 2 ft and use deer netting for the top cover. That would make a moderately secure run for about $70-$80.
If you went further and installed the ground apron and used chicken wire instead of deer net for the top cover you would have a pretty darn secure pen for around $100-$120.