Daytime-only run to protect against hawks

[DonyaQuick]

I want to build a ~7ft high run entirely enclosing my existing secure coop and run to protect against a pair of hawks that won't leave me alone. The footprint for this will be somewhere between 10ftx20ft and 12ft x 24ft. I only want to use this larger area during the day; the chickens will go back in the smaller secure area in the evening and in bad weather since it stays dry. The only daytime creatures that have caused me any trouble so far are hawks, chipmunks, and the occasional stray cat. Everything else seems to be nocturnal.

The anti-hawk canopy has to be both lightweight and have openings big enough to let snow through. I have read that deer netting can be used for this. Assuming I can pull it tight enough, how much support does it need over large horizontal areas to avoid major sagging and/or tearing free at the sides?

For the sides I will probably need some kind of wire instead of more deer netting since I don't want chickens sneaking out through any tears. At the risk of a dumb question, would chicken wire on the sides actually work in this situation or does it really need to be some type of welded wire even if the openings are comparable in size?

Because of how tall this will be, I may need to use two rows of stuff on the sides. I have read of using smaller-opening wire like 1" for about the first 2-3 feet and then larger openings like 2"x4" above that. Wouldn't animals just climb up to get through the larger openings or even through the top?

 

[BenlynFarm]

My run is 10ft high on the sides and we used chicken wire for the whole thing. You will have to use two rows on the sides. We made sure they overlapped and tied them together. Just as extra security, we ran a thicker wire around the bottom, some type of three foot wire. It probably wasn’t necessary in our case just made it feel better. I’ve heard raccoons can tear through chicken wire but if your run is only used for the day and they are more secure at night then you should be fine.

 

[AOrchard]

If the predators you are worried about are hawks and stray cats, then chicken wire or really any netting will work fine for the sides. They just need a visual barrier. Stronger wire is needed for predators like fox, raccoon, and dogs.

I use 2 inch nylon netting from Amazon. It's like $25 bucks for enough to do that size of a run. I bought fishing line from Walmart and ran it across the run every 10 feet or so, which mostly keeps the netting from sagging and touching my head so that I can walk in there. The chickens wouldn't notice if I didn't do that. I use t-posts for my fence. I put in a 9 foot wood beam in the center of my run and run fishing line off of it to each t post, kind of like a circus tent. Nice and roomy inside for me to walk around.

I live in southern Wisconsin. I've had the netting up for 2 years and it's only come down once in winter when we had a bad ice storm. Otherwise the snow goes right through (or will fall through with a tap from a stick, and hasn't been a problem). The net is fairly stretchy, so it broke a support or two but otherwise just fell down, so I was able to put it back up once the ice melted off.

This netting can also be used for the sides, or the top half of the sides. If you use it for the whole side, run a piece of wood or pvc along the ground and attach the netting to it to hold it down and keep the chickens / stray cat from pushing under it.

 

[AOrchard]

The smallest hole I've had a hawk go through is 8 inches. My cats don't fit in a 2x4 hole but do fit in a 4x4 hole. Cats can climb welded wire fence, and might try once or twice with nylon netting, but it's unsteady and difficult for them, so they usually give up real fast.

 

[MauryGrimm]

I want to build a ~7ft high run entirely enclosing my existing secure coop and run to protect against a pair of hawks that won't leave me alone. The footprint for this will be somewhere between 10ftx20ft and 12ft x 24ft. I only want to use this larger area during the day; the chickens will go back in the smaller secure area in the evening and in bad weather since it stays dry. The only daytime creatures that have caused me any trouble so far are hawks, chipmunks, and the occasional stray cat. Everything else seems to be nocturnal.

The anti-hawk canopy has to be both lightweight and have openings big enough to let snow through. I have read that deer netting can be used for this. Assuming I can pull it tight enough, how much support does it need over large horizontal areas to avoid major sagging and/or tearing free at the sides?

For the sides I will probably need some kind of wire instead of more deer netting since I don't want chickens sneaking out through any tears. At the risk of a dumb question, would chicken wire on the sides actually work in this situation or does it really need to be some type of welded wire even if the openings are comparable in size?

Because of how tall this will be, I may need to use two rows of stuff on the sides. I have read of using smaller-opening wire like 1" for about the first 2-3 feet and then larger openings like 2"x4" above that. Wouldn't animals just climb up to get through the larger openings or even through the top?

Check out www.critterfence.com/ Their fencing is both strong and lightweight and comes in rolls up to 8' high. I bought the 700 weight, 7.5 ft X 165 ft so I can fold it along the bottom, to deter critters digging in/out and am adding bird netting over their run.

 

[MauryGrimm]

Check out www.critterfence.com They make various weights of very easy to work with wire. I bout the 700, 7.5' X 165'. I can fold the bottom to deter digging. My main predators seem to be foxes, weasels and an occasional owl if the chickens don't go in when they should (I make sure they do). They make wire to 8' high. Planning bird netting over the run as I have hawks as well

 

[DonyaQuick]

I bought fishing line from Walmart and ran it across the run every 10 feet or so, which mostly keeps the netting from sagging and touching my head so that I can walk in there.

That is a great idea! I have some thick-ish wire that I could use that way to support the net. I was worried I was going to have to run some extra beams across or something.

I'm probably going to have to use wood on most of the frame for this project since I both have some spare already and it seems to be the only thing I can get delivered. I looked into T-posts the last couple days since they would be easier to sink into the ground, but no place seems willing to deliver long enough T-posts to my home. My cars aren't big enough, and cost of renting a truck seems no cheaper than the lumber.

This netting can also be used for the sides, or the top half of the sides.

I'm a little worried about netting on the sides because of one particular chicken that really likes to tear at things. I love that chicken but I also have a pair of shorts with cuffs on both legs that are largely torn off thanks to her having tantrums when I couldn't immediately pick her up.

My run is 10ft high on the sides and we used chicken wire for the whole thing. You will have to use two rows on the sides. We made sure they overlapped and tied them together. Just as extra security, we ran a thicker wire around the bottom, some type of three foot wire. It probably wasn’t necessary in our case just made it feel better. I’ve heard raccoons can tear through chicken wire but if your run is only used for the day and they are more secure at night then you should be fine.

Awesome - thanks!

 

[AOrchard]

That is a great idea! I have some thick-ish wire that I could use that way to support the net. I was worried I was going to have to run some extra beams across or something.

I'm probably going to have to use wood on most of the frame for this project since I both have some spare already and it seems to be the only thing I can get delivered. I looked into T-posts the last couple days since they would be easier to sink into the ground, but no place seems willing to deliver long enough T-posts to my home. My cars aren't big enough, and cost of renting a truck seems no cheaper than the lumber.


I'm a little worried about netting on the sides because of one particular chicken that really likes to tear at things. I love that chicken but I also have a pair of shorts with cuffs on both legs that are largely torn off thanks to her having tantrums when I couldn't immediately pick her up.

Extra beams would certainly make it last longer and survive more ice storms, but I personally don't mind a little bit of occasional maintenance in the winter without them and it's a huge cost savings.

It can also actually be a good thing to have a more basic support, like the fishing line or a thinner wire, because in an ice storm, or if a tree branch falls on it, the line will snap and allow the net to sag down, instead of ripping the net. Some slack in the net and support lines that can give are a good thing to protect the net. Like this case when mine went down, the lines had snapped but the net was totally fine, so I just walked out there, tied the broken ends of the fishing line back together, and that was all it took to be back to normal. Had the net ripped I would have had to wait a week to get a new one in, during which time the run isn't safe from predators, and it's much more effort to replace the whole net than it is to string a fishing line.

Good to know about temper tantrum chicken lol. Given her, I'd probably do 3-ft of chicken wire around the bottom, 6-ft posts at the corners or every 20 ft, 3 ft posts in between those as needed, run fishing wire between the 6 ft posts around the perimeter and then across the middle, and then drape the net over the top and down the sides to attach to the chicken wire (using more fishing line). That gives you a more sturdy lower fence to keep your naughty chicken in, but is simpler construction and cheaper than all chicken wire. The 6ft corner posts will have some load on them during storms, so should be more sturdy (2x4 or larger wood or t posts are fine). The rest can be whatever you want / can find for cheap.

Trees can also make a great living post if you have some of those!