Now Kinda Worried About the Under-construction Run

[elmo]

If you faithfully lock your chickens inside a secure coop every night, you'll most probably be fine with these arrangements. I wouldn't rely on those "red eye" devices as protection, though. Your best defense is a stoutly built coop with no gaps or openings not covered securely with wire.

Your chickens are really going to enjoy their nice, spacious run. With a run that size, it really isn't practical to try to cover it with hardware cloth. I think your approach to security makes sense.

 

[Debbi]

That's pretty much what I'm doing. 18'x22' run, with 4' tall, 1/2"x1/2" hardware cloth at the bottom, the rest of the sides and roof being done in the 2x4" welded wire. Will put at least a 2' apron around the outside of the perimeter, and I am also thinking about a line of electric fence about 4-6" above the ground at the base of the hardware cloth. Coons usually stand up to investigate things, as in the strength of the fence, so they will probably get a good ZAP for their efforts. All birds will be locked into the coop at night. The coop will also be fully within the enclosed run. As for those "red eyes", they may work for the first few times, but those critters are pretty smart, and once they find out they don't move or come after them, the eyes will be useless. Kind of like a scarecrow that the crows perch on!