Roof for Chicken Run

[blackdog043]

@hhouck514 To answer your question better, here's some questions for you.

1. What kind of wire are you using for your run, besides the roof?
2. Are you just looking for protection for daytime run use?
3. Will your chickens be locked up every night inside the coop?
4. How much snow do you get?
5. How big is your run going to be?

 

[hhouck514]

Those gaps are still far too large. A raccoon can grab through and still kill a chicken with welded wire.

The run will be 10' tall, so this isn't a concern.

 

[hhouck514]

While you are building a new coop and run, why not just put a metal roof on your run? It will keep is dry and safer!

The run is 300 square feet, so we want a semi-open roof.

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

The run is 300 square feet, so we want a semi-open roof.

That sounds great! Good luck!!!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

A raccoon certainly can't grab a chicken through the roof of a run. However, the question was about what to cover the run with. Welded wire would be fine but one of my suggestions was bird netting for hawks. A raccoon can rip through that and be on the ground inside in no time.
If the roof is partially open, the birds will still need to be locked in the coop at night. Any opening, no matter how high is not safe.
I've walked out after dusk to find a family of coons coming down from a tree onto the roof of a run and had the chickens not been locked in the coop, they would have been in there because there were openings in the top of the chain link run.

 

[aart]

The run is 300 square feet, so we want a semi-open roof.

What do you mean by 'semi-open'....not a solid roof or not covered at all?

So run is 10x30'...or...???
Why 10' tall?
What will run be built with?

 

[oceansunset73]

Hardware cloth, with a roof.

Hardware cloth on the sides for protection from predators. The roof for shade in the hot sun during the summer, and for protection from the rain in winter.

 

[rosemarythyme]

If the main concern is birds of prey then netting is fine, far easier to use and cheaper than wire mesh.

Depending on how much snowfall you get, snow may or may not be an issue with netting. Normally snow isn't an issue for me but with the storms this year it did build up even though we have 2" openings in our netting. It all held up fine but we did have to go knock some of it off just to reduce the snow load a bit.

 

[Merrymouse]

Ok Ill chime in because I have both and live in your neck of the woods...sorta. I have two connecting runs one is a solid roof the other is cattle panels with hardware cloth over it. So I realize your concern is overhead predators but in the long run I wish I just made both runs with a solid roof, metal, wood/shingle whichever. What happened with my non solid roof side is sure its lovely when its sunny and dry but then comes rain and snow. And with rain and snow comes mud, lots of mud. So in order to try to keep that side dry I covered it with plastic this winter, good idea, right? .....nope, the plastic holds the snow which gets heavy and bends the cattle panels.... so you know what I did? Propped the roof up with 2x4's and then closed off that side of the run for the winter...yup, not even using it. So my suggestion if you can swing it is just do it correctly from the beginning and add a solid roof of any kind with enough slope for snow to slide off. Protects from predators and keeps your run nice and dry, but I know cost is a factor so this may not work for you. just my thoughts and good luck!

 

[Alaskan]

I like having a super secure run and coop (so solid roof or strong wire) but access to a large run during safer daylight hours is good, and often this larger section of run can't be covered in wire or roof.

In my larger less secure runs I have been happy with fish net from deep sea fishing boats, EXCEPT for the snow problem.

But in deep winter I usually close off the less secure runs anyway.

The thinner fishnets are harder for the raptors to see... so I have had 2 try to dive through. The one popped right through (but the force of the dive was reduced enough that the chicken was fine), and I had one bald eagle not make it through, but get tangled.

I have found that if I keep bits of surveyor's tape (or anything flashing and flapping) tied every so often on the top net, that works better and none of the raptors (and I have falcon's, hawks, eagles.... so many) try to get through or get tangled.

So.... I can get the fishnet for free since I live near a coastal fishing town... but it works well for daytime, light, protection.

No, do not trust it at night.

And to save fences and gates...take it down before the snows come (if you get snow)