Building BIG runs to keep chickens in & birds out, ideas?

[gabbyscritters]

We have been slowly converting our barn from horses over to chickens pens for our daughters banties. Our chickens are safely enclosed at night in their nice pens but we want them to have more access to outside. The one enclosed pen does not cut it any longer, especiall when she has her banties is smaller groups. Her birds need sun and bugs! We dont want to free range, hawks and such.

We are not looking to make it fully preditor proof, mainly keep tiny banties in and hawks and especially sparrows out during the day. Chickens get locked up at night. I am sick of the darn sparrows flying throught the 2" welded wire run, flying through the little coop door and dining on chicken food and leaving their little poops!.

Hubby is very handy but I am looking for material ideas for pen sides and also covering the top. We know it will not be cheap but trying not to break the bank either.
The run area will be along the side of our barn, needing to enclose the front and one side along with the top.
Roughly a area about 50' long by 10' (or20') deep divided into 5 runs.

We thought about game bird flight netting to cover the top, attacthing it to the side wall of the barn and over the runs.
Fencing ideas for the side and divider panels? Ideas
Want it small enough to keep out most song birds
It will not be burried just attached to a apron board
Please no orange or yellow safety plastic, yuk
5' tall for easier access.

Chain link would work but the holes are too big and 1" chain link is expensive
Anyone use 17 Gauge apron fencing (heavy duty type chicken wire)

Ideas please, please, hubby is ready to start building!

 

[bryan99705]

Look into deer netting or fruit tree netting. We use it to keep ravens from attacking our young birds and we line some of our fencing (around the greenhouse / garden) to keep DW's pet Polish in and the RIRs out. Works great and is barely visible with 1/2 inch openings to stop about any flier. It's useless against coon or other predators but you seem to already have that issue addressed

 

[Oregon Blues]

You can use the sturdy field fence type wire to keep the raccoons out and then cover it with nylon bird netting to keep the tweeties out. I buy something called kennel wire which is a non-climb wire with 2 inch squares. It's heavy enough to stop any predator smaller than a bear.

Flight net for game birds is expensive and the holes will allow small sparrows in. The bird net with holes small enough to stop small birds (made to protect fruit trees) will not stop any mammal type predator for even two seconds. So if you want the tiny birds to stay out, you need to do both.

 

[seminolewind]

I like the shade cloth I can buy at Lowe's. It comes on a roll and 6 feet wide.