Two concerns:
Ventilation- chickens need a lot of ventilation. Please view Pat's Ventilation Page for more on this.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-VENTILATION
Predators:
Please view some of the coops on the coops pages for ideas on how you can protect them in the run you have made for them. Some people just do what you did and leave it uncovered, and others have covered runs (not the whole yard, just where you have it fenced). I just wanted you to see what is possible to protect against dogs? (I don't know what you have in your area).
I have a hawk problem, so I just put up bird netting, which won't keep a dog or racoon out. But I close them up in the coop every night (which I recommend after you cut them some breathing holes- but not too big otherwise a weasel or rat will come through and eat them). A one inch hole and less will allow a rat or a weasel to come through, and some say 1/2 inch MIGHT be safe.
**Hardware cloth** should ideally be stapled over all openings that are big enough in your coop. Don't allow drafts on the chickens, though. All holes should be up high so the air flow is above the chickens. (And if the chickens are up high you can put a vertical board on the inside that the chickens sit behind so the breeze doesn't blow on them.)
Hardware cloth is the only predator-proof fencing or hole covering there is.
Ventilation- chickens need a lot of ventilation. Please view Pat's Ventilation Page for more on this.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-VENTILATION
Predators:
Please view some of the coops on the coops pages for ideas on how you can protect them in the run you have made for them. Some people just do what you did and leave it uncovered, and others have covered runs (not the whole yard, just where you have it fenced). I just wanted you to see what is possible to protect against dogs? (I don't know what you have in your area).
I have a hawk problem, so I just put up bird netting, which won't keep a dog or racoon out. But I close them up in the coop every night (which I recommend after you cut them some breathing holes- but not too big otherwise a weasel or rat will come through and eat them). A one inch hole and less will allow a rat or a weasel to come through, and some say 1/2 inch MIGHT be safe.
**Hardware cloth** should ideally be stapled over all openings that are big enough in your coop. Don't allow drafts on the chickens, though. All holes should be up high so the air flow is above the chickens. (And if the chickens are up high you can put a vertical board on the inside that the chickens sit behind so the breeze doesn't blow on them.)
Hardware cloth is the only predator-proof fencing or hole covering there is.