Is it ok if my 6 feet high chicken run has no wire on top?

[ske1806]

My run surrounds a knock on wood predator proof chicken coop. For daytime roaming is it ok for the run to have no wire covering on top?

 

[haTHOR]

i also have 6 ft fence with no wire on top and my birds have been fine for over a year. we live in rural arkansas--lots of hawks/owls, even eagles.

they certainly don't fly over. but i would clip wings if they tried!

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Mine would be at risk from hawk attacks, if I did that here.

 

[AccioSarah]

I live in Wisconsin, in a city, and the first time I brought my chicks out- they were attacked by birds.
I recommend adding a top, just to be safe. It's to to hard to do and will most likely prove to be worth it.

 

[kristenm1975]

Mine was open on top and we lived in an area with raccoons, eagles, hawks, and owls. They were fine for 6 months or so and then I lost 3 to an owl attack. It can be a pain to cover, but it's better safe than sorry. It was a very sad clean up, picking up after the owls. They seem to only like portions of the chickens so they leave behind strewn body parts. Not fun.

What I ended up doing was stringing twine or jute one inch apart across the whole top. I put in little nails and strung them from those. It was an afternoon's work, but that way snow doesn't accumulate on there and break it, like it did with the deer or bird netting I had up first. It's worth the effort.

 

[SAORSA]

Raccoons Climb

Birds Of Prey ...

 

[Cindiloohoo]

I have no issues. We have hawks and owls, opposums, racoons, etc. i haven't lost one yet to predation from anything other than a dog who cleared the fence...both fences, to snatch a chick. It is a risk though.