Chicken run

[Just Pam]

Hi everyone! Hoping you all can help. I need to get a run up sooner than I thought. I know you all don't use chicken wire because racoons and all can get in. But I see people using 1x4, 2x4 welded wire. Is that safe enough? I have a 11x13 x6 space I want to close in but the cost of lumber and 1/2 x1/2 wire cloth I can't afford right now. Can I use the bigger stuff and what would be best for the top? We have racoons, hawks, rats etc. Thanks

 

[Rose Quartz]

Hi everyone! Hoping you all can help. I need to get a run up sooner than I thought. I know you all don't use chicken wire because racoons and all can get in. But I see people using 1x4, 2x4 welded wire. Is that safe enough? I have a 11x13 x6 space I want to close in but the cost of lumber and 1/2 x1/2 wire cloth I can't afford right now. Can I use the bigger stuff and what would be best for the top? We have racoons, hawks, rats etc. Thanks

Are you planning to lock the birds in a building over night or leave them open to their run?

I have raccoon here that I've lost chickens to when I'm too late to getting the door shut.

Actually yesterday evening there was one out before sundown my cats were hissing at really close to my main layer pen.

I've had 60 meat kings in a chicken tractor that has 1" chicken wire for half of the walls. They're moved every day but in 3 weeks I've not had a raccoon get in, or damage the wire.

If it's daytime only that your chickens will have access to the run I'd say chicken wire is safe enough.

But if they're out over night I'd recommend 1/2" welded wire, added security from predators, and to keep as many rodents away as possible.



I don't have any suggestions for what can go over top.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Are you planning to lock the birds in a building over night or leave them open to their run?

x2 - if you plan to lock them in at night you can take a little more chance with the enclosure being "predator resistant enough" during the day.

My run is chain link, with netting on top and hardware cloth up the bottom few feet and out a few feet in an apron. That takes care of digging pests, stops easy raccoon reach-throughs, and hawks. The run is also right in front of the house, close enough that we can hear any commotion - we've seen everything from owls, bobcats, coyotes and stray dogs, but since I'm usually at home I can run those off.

The coop is fully enclosed and locked up at night.

 

[3KillerBs]

The problem with the 2x4 wire is that raccoons can reach through, grab a chicken, and start pulling it through bit by bit.

Also, if you have weasels and rats they can get through it. We were planning to use 2x4 for the anti-dig skirt but discovered that we have weasels even if we've never seen them -- so I'm shopping for a good deal for mesh no larger than 1x1. Everything else will be 1/2x1/2.

Yes, good wire is expensive. But I've got a place on my current coop that we mended because some predator, either a racoon or a dog (it was too dry for footprints), *almost* got through the hardware cloth one night. Had it been chicken wire I'd have lost the whole flock.

 

[chicken1234]

I used a 1" square fencing and electric wire around the top. One thing about the small wire and electric fence is the squirrels and chipmunks don't think the buffet is open and eat all the feed during the day. Cause they can't get through and if they try to climb over the top they get zapped. I also laid down hardware cloth all along the outside about 2ft out to make it dig proof. It is too large to cover the top but there are trees in the middle for cover and a large coop to run to. I was going to buy some sort of netting but I haven't been able to figure out how I'd hold it up. So I am watching this thread closely!

 

[Just Pam]

Thank you for the replies. Yes I am going to put them up in the coupe at night. What kind of netting do you use across the top? I have got a chain link fence that I thought about putting pvc pipe across to hold some kind of netting up. The ones of you that have a electric wire how far up from the ground and from the top do you place the wire? I have seen ones at TSC. Will that work? I appreciate any and all help. This is a first for me. Thank you Just Pam

 

[rosemarythyme]

Thank you for the replies. Yes I am going to put them up in the coupe at night. What kind of netting do you use across the top? I have got a chain link fence that I thought about putting pvc pipe across to hold some kind of netting up.

Good netting is costly, the one many of us use is the 2" heavy knotted here: https://pinnonhatch.com/Poultry-Sup...tting-and-Fencing/Poultry-Protection-Netting/ - there's other similar products but what you want to look for is one with a good burst/break weight rating.

As far as how to hold it up, I have a split run that's 6' on one side, 4' on the other, so on 6' side there's just cross supports that the netting can rest on, but on 4' side I needed to add U-posts, tension wire around the perimeter to form a lip, and then the coop itself elevates it in the center.

 

[Farmgirl1878]

He’s the only problem with the 2” by 4” fencing... He’s still small enough to squeeze through the holes! He was right in there with the girls, broad daylight, didn’t even cause the girls to give a squeal. He was only interested in the bowl of chicken chow on the loft.

 

[Just Pam]

Thanks for the pictures. Working on my run right now. Will see how this works out.