Run fortifications?

[FiveHens]

So, we are building a run for our four hens, as we will not be around to keep an eye on them for most of the day, and I was wondering if the fortifications we had in mind for it are enough. (I've read about predators breaking through chicken wire and getting under fences, etc.)

we have 2x2 wire until about 4 feet high all around, dug 6 inches into the ground. Above that we have 2x4 wire from a friend's old garden, and we are planning to put chicken wire on the top (for hawks)
We also have a 1.5 foot "skirt" made of chicken wire around the bottom (2 foot chicken wire, folded 6" up at a right angle so it attaches to the side-wire)
I will post pictures on my page as soon as I have them.

Thank you!

 

[valentinebaby]

I think your plan sounds fine. I went overkill on mine - buried 1/2" hardware cloth on sides and used it overhead as well...mainly because I wasn't planning on letting them free-range. Now that they are free-ranging, it's nice to know I don't have to get up early in the a.m. and open the pop door - I leave it open all the time. With all my fortification, I have seen zero effort on any critters to get in to their run at night. My bigger problem is the occasional coyote, hawk or neighbor's dog that comes along while they're free-ranging and I have lost 5 over the past year due to that. It's frustrating, but they LOVE getting out and stretching their wings - even though my run is more than large enough. Good luck!

Gail

 

[FiveHens]

Thank you!

 

[elmo]

What predators do you have to contend with, and are you counting on these measures for daytime only, or for night time protection, too?

Chicken wire on the top should be ok for daytime when critters like raccoons are less likely to be out and about. But if you don't lock your chickens into a secure coop at night, a raccoon could easily get into your pen by ripping through that chicken wire. They can and do climb like the dickens. We saw one run straight up our 8 foot tall board fence like it was running on flat ground. The spaces in your wire are large enough so that you do have to consider "reach through" predation, but that's probably more likely to be a problem at night, too.

Do you have the possibility of roaming dogs to contend with? If the wire you have on the sides of your pen is 16 gauge or lower (that's the typical gauge for this kind of fencing), this should be strong enough to keep out the dogs. I'm not sure about whether a dog could rip apart a chicken wire skirt through digging. Maybe someone else can share their experiences with this.

 

[patandchickens]

Chickenwire is not the best skirt material as it can be clawed apart, but in combination with your 6" buried fence wire it may well be ok for you.

Remember that things will be able to climb up the fence and rip thru the top netting -- but it would be pretty rare for this to actually happen in daytime, I am just making sure you are *aware* of it, and IMHO if you unfailingly lock the chickens indoors by dusk you should be in about as good a shape as anybody

Good luck, have fun,

Pat