Chicken wire on top of run

[Pappajeaux]

Just finished enclosing a 10x25 run with hardware cloth. Would it be ok to close in the top of run with chicken wire? Or would raccoons climb in top and rip through it and fall in? Chickens will be closed in the coop at night anyway.

 

[Angileen]

I have flight netting on top of my Run with a six foot tall fence. I live by a River, have a pond and woods so I have many predators. My run has been up a year and so far nothing has gotten in (knock on wood) But I do lock up my chickens before night fall in their coop. So I am assuming a predator is not going to waste time and energy to get into a fence that no food source is in at the time. Most wild predators roam at Dusk, Dawn and at night. Not that a wild predator might not get at your coop in the day time. I would do what you feel safe with and at what cost you can afford. My run is huge! It would have cost me hundreds of dollars to build a run with wire on top. I also have 4 Roosters in my flock that may help with smaller predators.

 

[tralfaz]

Just finished enclosing a 10x25 run with hardware cloth. Would it be ok to close in the top of run with chicken wire? Or would raccoons climb in top and rip through it and fall in? Chickens will be closed in the coop at night anyway.

Newbie, but I'm also running chicken wire on top to ward off the hawks and eagles. Like you I'm also planning to lock the ladies in at night fall. Wish it were that easy for my teen humans...

 

[aart]

Or would raccoons climb in top and rip through it and fall in?

They might.

I have flight netting on top of my Run with a six foot tall fence.

What kind of netting exactly, can you provide a link to the product?
How does it hold up to the snow load you get in MN?
Some pics would help.

@Pappajeaux ....
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!

 

[Angileen]

I bought my flight netting on Amazon, I live in a cold climate so went with a netting that is made for below zero weather. There are many different sizes and prices. I have a large run and wanted to be able to walk in it so I used 7 foot t-posts and 6 foot welded wire fencing from Tractor supply. I also ran a 2 foot tall chicken wire fence all along the bottom of the welded wire fence and cable tied it. That way my chickens wont stick their heads through the welded wire fence and possibly get lopped off by a predator. I also took extra long metal tent stakes and pounded them in the ground around the fence. Since my run is so large I used 8 foot landscape timbers in a line down the middle of the run, then I used barbless barbed wire and ran it across the top of the timbers and attached with fencing staples. The wire is to help hold up the flight netting. Then I ran my netting over the top and attached with cable ties where needed, I also used posts to brace some of the t-posts or the pull from the netting will bend your fencing inward. If I ever build a run again I am going to build it long and narrow, about 8 feet wide, that way I wouldn't have to have center post to hold up the middle. Here is a link to Amazon and the netting.
https://www.amazon.com/Baikalo-Nett...7161603&sprefix=flight+netting,aps,186&sr=8-4

 

[WallyG74]

I have a 25’x35’ run. I bought the Amazon netting for my hens. It works fine. We have a lot of hawks to keep at bay. The only drawback is my surround trees dropping sticks on top. A bit of a pain to remove sometimes but worth the effort to protect the little cluckers!

 

[Angileen]

I have a 25’x35’ run. I bought the Amazon netting for my hens. It works fine. We have a lot of hawks to keep at bay. The only drawback is my surround trees dropping sticks on top. A bit of a pain to remove sometimes but worth the effort to protect the little cluckers!

I know what your talking about I have 2 very large oak tree in my run, thank God the wind blew off most of the leaves last fall. Even so I still had to clean a lot of leaves out of the netting.

 

[TwistedSteel]

Chicken wire on the top of my small run for the last 6 years, never had any break in`s. I don`t lock em in the coop at night, just close the doors to the run. Out at sunrise to free range on 3 acres locked up at sundown.

 

[rosemarythyme]

The only drawback is my surround trees dropping sticks on top. A bit of a pain to remove sometimes but worth the effort to protect the little cluckers!

Yeah I have a weeping willow over my run so I end up with branches draped all over the netting. I trim it back each winter.

 

[Angileen]

Chicken wire on the top of my small run for the last 6 years, never had any break in`s. I don`t lock em in the coop at night, just close the doors to the run. Out at sunrise to free range on 3 acres locked up at sundown.

I wouldn't get away with free ranging where I live, I live on 18 acres with a river, woods and pond. You can here the coyotes across the river at night yipping away, have had fox dens on the edge of the property, have seen bobcats in the yard, not to mention bear passing through, lots of raccoons, dogs, Eagles, Owls and hawks sitting in the oak trees in the yard and that's the predators I know about. Living where I do there will also be mink and Fisher passing through on occasion. The only time I let my chickens out of the run is when I'm cleaning the coop and can keep an eye on them.