run tops...

[Rooneytune]

so what do you all use for the top of your chicken run? we are making a 7x6 run attached to our coop. We found the wire we want to use for the sides but is seems a tad heavy duty for the top. Any suggestions?

 

[TigerLilly]

Part of mine is covered with the corrugated metal sheets. I have also seen them covered with the plastic corrugate sheets.

 

[NonnasBabies]

I use chicken wire!!

 

[miniwarrior]

The top of the coop they sleep in is corrugated metal on plywood. We used chicken wire for the top of the larger pen, but I regret not doing a better job of it. Now it's been there a while it's sagging and I have to duck around the low spots! It also collects leaves that fall from the trees above it, so if there's lots of trees where you're building and that would bother you then you might want to use something else. Otherwise it's been fine- The entire pen is cased in chicken wire- I burried it about 10-12 inches deep all around and I've never had a break-in from another animal.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Shade cloth and chicken wire since the girls go in at night. 6' wide x 10' deep shade cloth covered, everything else is open top (chicken wire)

 

[BWKatz]

I started out with chicken wire , then added tarps. Now that I am making a permanent run I will be using the corrugated plastic over hardware cloth. It's too hot in the summer(100+F), rthen we have rainey seasons in the spring and fall, and in the winter we have ice and snow. I am tired of trying to keep a tarp in place and tired of emptying tarps of water and snow. My girls would never get out w/o some cover.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

I used 14 gauge wire hooped over. It's strong at 4' width, but it would require some additional supports for greater widths. I have pics on my byc page. Good luck!

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Hardware cloth, all around, and buried two feet into the soil. Have never ever had any sort of predator intrusion.

 

[rilly10]

Very nice! Do you have problems with snow in the winter?

Quote:

 

[My6Chicks]

Quote:
Our run solution might not work for you, as we integrated our run walls with our run top (see coop page). We built the run infrastructure out of large cattle panel, covered it with hardward cloth to keep out preditors and then covered the run with a tarp to keep out snow.

We have found this to be a very simple, sturdy and easily maintainable structure.