How to cover lopsided run against hawks?

Crisscrossed ribbon-or-string-or-whatever is probably the best you're going to get. If you put ENOUGH of it on, and it is reasonably well visible, anecdotal reports suggest it does a pretty good job of deterring both hawks and chickens (though obviously it will not be *as* 100% as real netting).

If I were going to have an open-topped run in winter, I think I'd be doing the crisscrossed-string type approach, for wahtever that's worth. (Actually, thinking about it, what I would use is some of the nine bazillion pieces of long heavy-duty synthetic baler twine off the 600-lb big square bales we get our hay in. So if you know someone with a surplus of baler twine, you could see if they'd like to unload some )

Try to use something that will not sag too badly, or break, with snow or ice load. Because yes, they WILL build up on the material and weigh it down. I would not count on plastic surveyor's tape, if that's what you're using, holding up too reliably for too long.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

We used wire crisscrossed into a grid pattern to deter the hawks. The wire is the same wire that you would use in an electric fence. The wires run from the coop to the back edge of the fence and from side to side of the run. They are woven over and under to help hold them together. It's worked so far for me. One night we got home late and it was about midnight before I could close the pop door. I could hear a great horned owl hooting very close to the coop in the woods behind the house but it didn't come into the run.

Oh, and since the wire is shiny, I think they can see it clearly. My husband attached it to the coop using "eye" parts of hook and eye closures, screwing them into the coop. It's tall enough to walk in too.:\\
Oh, it's 17 gauge galvanized steel wire. I found the roll.

 

Hang a few fishing flashers on swivels, from some cross wire. That may act as a deterant. They spin even in a gentle breeze.

Initially I worried about birds of prey, as we have a lot of Bald eagles, and hawks around here, but thankfully, I have yet to see one even circle over the chicken run.

 

We just recently had our first hawk attack. I was in the same situation of how to cover my coop because its very irregular in shape. Our run is on a hill so the top is higher than the bottom and its about 50x30 feet. We found a great deal on netting for aviaries on amazon at a good price. We paid $62 for a 50x50 net. I did have to shorten by run by about 7 feet make a better plan for attaching the net, but its nylon and sturdy and should go a great job. Best of luck.