Is it necessary to put a top on the chicken yard and run

[patrickj]

Have a nice sturdy coop built. I will build an area surrounding the coop so that I may leave
them be for a couple days at a time. I am in Texas. There are owls and foxes, skunks.
Is it necessary to put a top on the outside fenced area they will have access to with door open
to coop when I am away?

 

[jeepguy982001]

if you plan on leaving the door open it would probably be a good idea. To keep hawks and owls out. And defiantly if y'all got raccoons too.

 

[fiddlebanshee]

Yes, it's a good idea. I leave the popdoor open 24/7 and went all out and gave them a hardwarecloth enclosed 20x32 ft outside space with a 7x8 coop inside it. And since we discovered yesterday that we have a bear prowling about I'm going to enclose this whole thing in a electric netting fence. Here's a picture w/o the electronet since I still have to get it:

 

[Davaroo]

It is always best, yes. The list of aerial predators you mentioned is enough to warrant it.

 

[patrickj]

Well, guess that is a a yes....thank you.

My main motive is for tick eating, of course eggs will be lovely. We've a real problem here the past three years. The wasps stopped building nests...and now I have ticks and a couple of dogs..ugh.

I know Guineas are tick monsters..but noisy, so I am going to do chickens. Are there breeds that will do better with these bad boys that we know of?