Help covering my run

[Top Hen]

Hello all,
I've been reading here for the past 6 months for information and tips, this is a great site. I just got 12 baby chicks about 5 weeks ago. I've started to build my coop and run. I was wondering if anyone has used any type of rope or mesh netting to cover their run. Will this protect them from hawks? Should I be concerned about any other preditor coming through the top? I am using a used 10x10x6' dog kennel. I am trying to figure the best way to cover it to protect the chickens from preditors. There is also a tree inside that I will have to contend with. I love this board, I have learned a lot. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Chirpy]

Where do you live and what type of local predators do you have? If you have raccoons they can climb very well and could get through anything except the strongest wire (like hardware cloth and possibly woven wire or welded wire fencing).

If you only have to worry about hawks then I would suggest either using chicken wire across the top or, I've heard, of people just stringing single wire every three or four feet across the top and hanging something shiny (like old CD'S). The hawks will see the hanging CDs and not know if it's safe for them to fly down and will thus not try.