RUN FENCE HIGHT

[red star11]

my run is 5 feet high with no netting on top. Is that enough to keep Red Stars in? Dimentions: 17ft x 25ft. 11 chickens. Thanks.

 

[Omran]

It is enough the proplem without cover is hawks, and in winter the rain and bad weather.


Omran.

 

[Mahonri]

Put something over the top. Netting, something solid... Keep them safe.

My red star could almost go over 5 feet. (she's my big girl) I have some RIR who could do it just by jumping.

 

[red star11]

OK. but what kind of netting.

 

[Omran]

Quote:
You can use chicken wire as netting, or mesh wire, you can find it at tractor supply or other feed stors.

good luck.

 

[red star11]

Thanks. I think i'll use chicken wire on about half of the run. I am going to leave room for me to walk to the coop. Half of the run will give them enough cover right?

 

[B. Saffles Farms]

Id cover the whole run. Cause hawks can get them way to easy if there is any uncovered part.

 

[FrontPorchIndiana]

We found some bird netting at a local farm store. It's meant to be used over your garden to keep birds from picking at your veggies. Works great on the run though. You'd probably be able to find it at any garden supply place.

 

[waynesgarden]

Put some taller posts in the center and run a ridge down the middle to raise the top covering high enough for you to walk under. You will need some way to shorten the span of the chicken wire anyway. If you run chicken wire or any material across a 17' span it is going to be sagging down to the ground very soon.

Even if you manage to stretch it taut, you will be faced with the same problem that some here have written about over the past week, where they provided absolutely no method of supporting a covered run that gets covered with ice and snow and now it is on the verge of collapse.

So yes, I agree you should cover the whole run if you need to to protect your birds from predators from the sky, but do it in a way that it won't collapse after the first ice storm. Keep a number of 2X4's handy over the winter to simply prop it up. It's a lot more rewarding than doing nothing and then complain about it later.

Wayne

 

[TerriLaChicks]

You can get deer netting at Lowe's, 7-0 x 100' roll for around $12.