run help

[scythe23]

We are making our plans to get our backyard chickens going. I live in Phoenix and we have a side yard that has about 12 ft wide and 75 ft long between the house and brick fence that I want to use since it is away from neighbors and shaded all day but about 30 min at noon. I would like to put a coop there and fence the whole are off but have 2 questions. First it is all landscape gravel (too big to worry about them eating) and wonder if this will be OK for the chickens to run on and will that be OK to clean by hosing off or will it be a mess? Second my fence is about 6.5 ft tall do I need to screen in the top as well?

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

How hot does the gravel get? Really birds like rocks, and want some small ones to eat (helps with digestion) but all that rock might get hot and burn them (I do not know)
As for your fence. It depends on the breed you get. I have caught my Barr Rocks flying into trees. But I think 6 ft should be high enough for most breeds.