Depending on the size of your run, and the chicken/sq.ft. ratio, your chickens will NOT be miserable in a pen! You are putting "feelings" into their "pea brains" that are not there. Feed them treats, hang a cabbage from a string, grow grass in 'cages" for them to munch, go out and sit and "chicken-sit". They will be happier than they would be as a pile of feathers! I have acreage to let mine roam, but I choose to keep them healthy and happy in their big hawk deterrent pen, instead!
The way that we deterred hawks from our pen (we couldn't afford netting): I bought "lawn chair" webbing from a wholesaler on Ebay very cheaply. We then pulled it from side to side at 3 ft. intervals. Then, we "wove" other strands from the opposite side at about 3 ft. intervals. Over a year old, faded some (was bright orange), but no hawks have taken the challenge!
I hope that this helps somebody as poor as we are!
The way that we deterred hawks from our pen (we couldn't afford netting): I bought "lawn chair" webbing from a wholesaler on Ebay very cheaply. We then pulled it from side to side at 3 ft. intervals. Then, we "wove" other strands from the opposite side at about 3 ft. intervals. Over a year old, faded some (was bright orange), but no hawks have taken the challenge!
I hope that this helps somebody as poor as we are!