Bird netting as a cover for the pen?

[BoCRon]

I’m using a 10x20 dog run for my new chicken run. I’m putting a Snaplock coop up on a stand in there for the coop and nesting area. We will be building a roof over a portion of it in the future, but that will have to wait until we can go to lowes in person. For now I’ll was thinking I could put heavy duty bird netting on the top. Tractor Supply sells a piece that is 25x25, so it is a solid piece that I could double up and attach with zip ties to the top rail of the kennel. The area is very shady so I’m not concerned about the sun like at my old house.

 

[hysop]

I do exactly that. I use dog kennel as my run and put netting as a roof. I don’t bother with building a roof since they have a chicken coop inside for shade and shelter plus they free range in the summer.

They know they’re safe in the net because whenever my guineas (who alert of any bird of prey) see a hawk or anything they run to their run (if they’re nearby) and stay there for a few minutes them come back out when they feel it is safe.

Only my guineas are free ranging right now and they have their own run.

Chicken are all penned up til summer, can’t risk losing one in the middle of all this.

 

[BoCRon]

Thanks so much for the quick reply! Glad to see you are also in Georgia so you are well versed on the level of heat and humidity we deal with!

 

[hysop]

Thanks so much for the quick reply! Glad to see you are also in Georgia so you are well versed on the level of heat and humidity we deal with!

Oh yes. And I am not a fan of humidity but it is also why Georgia is full of beautiful green and not a dry, brown desert.

How many chickens do you have? And what breeds?

 

[BoCRon]

At one point I had about 60. I lost all of them to a dog attack and was without for a few years. I’m starting over again, so have
1 Cream Legbar
1 Brown Leghorn
2 Speckled Sussex
2 Welsummers
1 Barred Cochin
1 Lavender Orpington
1 Cuckoo Maran
2 Blue Copper Marans
1 California White
2 Gold Laced Wyandottes

 

[hysop]

At one point I had about 60. I lost all of them to a dog attack and was without for a few years. I’m starting over again, so have
1 Cream Legbar
1 Brown Leghorn
2 Speckled Sussex
2 Welsummers
1 Barred Cochin
1 Lavender Orpington
1 Cuckoo Maran
2 Blue Copper Marans
1 California White
2 Gold Laced Wyandottes

Oh wow I only know how a small handful of those breeds look like.
Eventually my goal is for all my chickens to be hatched at home. Majority of mine are bought from TSC. The other small handful are hatched by a broody or in an incubator.

 

[BoCRon]

Almost all I have now I had in the past. I love heritage breeds and love learning the different temperaments.
What are yours?

 

[hysop]

Almost all I have now I had in the past. I love heritage breeds and love learning the different temperaments.
What are yours?

I have Australorps, Red Sex Links, White Leghorns, Olive Eggers, Easter Eggers (still young chicks), and then some mixes since I hatched my own. I also have some guineafowl and I am wanting to buy some hatching eggs to try to get some females since my last female got taken by a hawk.

 

[Katsmeow77]

What are your thoughts on the snap lock coop? Do you have the large one? That’s what I have and I’ve been told it’s too small and not ventilated well (by some in this group). I have 12 chickens right now at 13 weeks old.

 

[BoCRon]

I really like it. I have 11 birds and they fit comfortably. It’s easy to clean and it doesn’t seem too hot even here in Georgia. However I don’t shut the door at night, it’s inside a pen so we leave it open.