Do I need something better to cover my run?

[Brooks_]

Poultry Netting 25ft x 50ft Heavy Knotted 2" Mesh Nets Aviary Gamefowl Quail Chicken Bird Block Net Long Lasting Break/Burst 85/245 lb Polyethylene 8-10 Year Lifespan 13lb Ship Weight​

Another thread had this kind of netting, and said it worked very well. $83. Much better price, and someone has used it and liked it.

Yeah, I stumbled upon that thread. Figured that was probably the product.

 

[K0k0shka]

If you're gonna need to sink a bunch of money into being able to keep the pop door open at night (presumably so you don't have to get up early and open it?), why don't you invest in an automatic pop door? It will remove the need to open and close the chickens personally and they will be safe at night.

I still wouldn't put chicken wire or anything that's not iron over the top. Hawks have strong claws and can rip holes in weaker meshes like chicken wire or anything plastic/nylon.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I still wouldn't put chicken wire or anything that's not iron over the top. Hawks have strong claws and can rip holes in weaker meshes like chicken wire or anything plastic/nylon.

As far as I know (and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong), hawks don't actually try to tear at netting/wire roofs. What they may do is try to swoop down on it, hence why you see netting with break/burst weight listed. 85/245 lbs seems to be standard used on here (which is what I have).

I haven't actually had a hawk hit the netting yet to test it, but we have seen one diving down and then veering off once it spotted the netting.

 

[K0k0shka]

As far as I know (and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong), hawks don't actually try to tear at netting/wire roofs. What they may do is try to swoop down on it, hence why you see netting with break/burst weight listed. 85/245 lbs seems to be standard used on here (which is what I have).

I haven't actually had a hawk hit the netting yet to test it, but we have seen one diving down and then veering off once it spotted the netting.

I'm in a chicken facebook group and keep reading about people finding hawks mysteriously trapped inside covered runs (that have different kinds of netting on top, or even a roof!) After some searching, the owners find that the netting/fencing was compromised somewhere - either the overhead netting, or the fencing elsewhere (if it was chicken wire or something similar less sturdy). There was a hole, or it had pulled away from the wooden frame, or something, and the hawk must have pulled and widened it to get in. One person even swore they found a 3-foot gap they don't remember being there before. So I guess it must be a thing that happens. If it's something sturdier and hard to bend/pry open like welded wire or hardware cloth, they probably won't be able to pull at it and widen any holes (or create new ones).

 

[rosemarythyme]

I'm in a chicken facebook group and keep reading about people finding hawks mysteriously trapped inside covered runs (that have different kinds of netting on top, or even a roof!) After some searching, the owners find that the netting/fencing was compromised somewhere - either the overhead netting, or the fencing elsewhere (if it was chicken wire or something similar less sturdy). There was a hole, or it had pulled away from the wooden frame, or something, and the hawk must have pulled and widened it to get in. One person even swore they found a 3-foot gap they don't remember being there before. So I guess it must be a thing that happens. If it's something sturdier and hard to bend/pry open like welded wire or hardware cloth, they probably won't be able to pull at it and widen any holes (or create new ones).

Would be curious to look at those set ups - especially the roofed one. I think the main problem with netting comes with how it's attached... ties too widely spaced apart, netting too taut, too loose, not well maintained, etc. I not only have my netting zip tied to the top rail of the fence, but I even weave the netting itself onto the top loops of the chain link, so in some spots it's attached every 2" or so. Be pretty tough for a bird to yank that loose.

 

[K0k0shka]

Would be curious to look at those set ups - especially the roofed one. I think the main problem with netting comes with how it's attached... ties too widely spaced apart, netting too taut, too loose, not well maintained, etc. I not only have my netting zip tied to the top rail of the fence, but I even weave the netting itself onto the top loops of the chain link, so in some spots it's attached every 2" or so. Be pretty tough for a bird to yank that loose.

Yeah I'm assuming it wasn't attached very well. That facebook group is frustrating. Too many rookie mistakes, a lot of losses, but they jump on you if you try to give them information. BYC is such a nice place by comparison!

 

[Moxieminxie]

I may be in the minority but I use a chain link dog kennel for a run with a chicken wire roof. We attached 3 panels together with hog rings and overlapped the wire to make a sturdy sheet. The roof of our coop is metal so there is plenty of space between predators and chickens. We have lost pullets to raccoons that were in a separate grow out pen that was less secure, so I know we have had plenty of predator traffic. We live in a residential area and have raccoons, possums, hawks, skunks, and dogs, that I have seen, plus more that I haven't.