Question about hardware cloth for run

[Farmercharmer]

My question is whether I need to cover my whole run with hardware cloth, or can I save money and just use the hardware cloth for the ground and the bottom four feet of the run and use a less expensive fencing to cover the rest of the sides and top?

 

[Folly's place]

There are choices we have to make because of cost, and how risk adverse we are. Anything done to make the run safer is good. Total predator protection costs more and is more difficult to achieve, so a safer run, and a very safe coop where the birds spend their nights will work most of the time.
Our coop/ run combination is now very very good, but it didn't start that way. Do what you can, and upgrade as you can.
Mary

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi there, hope you are enjoying BYC!

If your coop won't be locked up at night and will be open to the run then do hardware cloth on the whole thing.

If you will lock the birds up at night with NO run access... then it's okay to go with something less expensive than hardware cloth. Otherwise weasel type animals can make it in.

Depending on your location, covering the top of the run with something solid like corrugated plastic can be hugely beneficial both for blocking rain/snow and for providing shade in addition to the safety cover it provides.

I have found that old, corrugated metal roofing... works great as the bottom run fencing.. if folks just happen to have it laying around. Checking Craigslist farm and garden, materials, and free sections and doing so on a regular basis might yield something usable and affordable.

Adding your general location can help folks make their best suggestions possible at a glance... for example it might tell us things such as approximate predator load or annual weather conditions you face which can heavily impact proper suggestions.

Also shop around... for me HC was cheaper from Amazon than my local Home Depot, even delivered.

Best wishes for a coop and run with many layers of security!

 

[AllenK RGV]

Yes I for one would like to know location so we could get an idea what you are facing. Even HC will be useless if you have bears running about. We rarely bother locking the door to one of or coops and the chicken fly in and out of their coop morning and night, have a feral that sleeps in the trees. My biggest predator is "neighbor dogs".

 

[Farmercharmer]

Thanks everyone! I live in the foothills of Reno. Lots of hawks, coyotes.

 

[AllenK RGV]

Hawks have failed to ever take a single Sumatra from me. The ones you can order from ideal nursery are pet quality but excellent foragers and good egg producers. Choice of chicken can surely determine your security posture. The 6ft chain link fence keeps all of our coyotes away. Our dry conditions keep out the raccoons, and our cats kill the rats and possums(combined with secure food storage). If you already have your livestock and you do not have a predator savy breed you can just free range and they are confined to a run bird netting might be cheaper than HC or Chicken wire for the top cover.