Secure Run at Night

[Kris64]

Yep. I've read several times to not bother with any type of staple. Just screws and washers to attach fencing. We're decided to stick with 1/2" HW cloth everywhere--will end up costing quite a bit, but then again not the much more when compared to 16 gauge fencing and chicken wire.

 

[Kluk-Kluk]

Little chick-a-dee's will fly in through the 2x4 fencing so I have to make sure no chicken feed is in the run.

Last year I had so many chickadees, sparrows, and blue jays come in (I was keeping feed outside in the summer) that I had to fill the feed bowl three times per day. I finally enclosed my entire run in bird netting. Although I don't mind the birds, it was getting annoyingly expensive to feed them all. And I've read that they can bring in mites and other pests. The sparrows, etc., not only came into the run, they would fly into the coop, too... But the netting ended that. I'd suggest keeping out as many critters as you can.

 

[Scruffyfeathers]

We are planning an open-air coop with a secure run that the chickens will have access to all the time--day or night. Do I really need hardware cloth around the entire run--roof and all? Or can I use hardware cloth up a few feet and the rest of the run a 2" square wire/fencing or chicken wire?

PS Please resist recommendations to just lock them up tight in a coop at night. My question regards a safe run. Thank you.

I just became a member last Feb and so far have no chickens. Take this into account regarding my response. To me Chickenlegs13 makes a great point regarding cost. I intend to double wrap my run with inexpensive chicken wire separated by the 2 x 4 studs. The inside wrap will be grounded while the outside wrap will be electrified. My thinking is that any predator that has managed to escape the shock by jumping onto the side or top of the run has its entrance thwarted once it touches the “grounded” inside mesh (which it must do to gain entry). Most quadrupeds respect electricity and give it a wide birth. Snakes and raptors need to be taught. The drawback is if you have children - especially toddlers that have access to the coop/run area as they are grounded and need only to touch the outside mesh. As I mentioned, I am new to raising chickens so any members that see folly in my approach to securing the run in this manner, please advise.

 

[bkinsc]

I too plan on using 1 joules electric fencing at 5", 2' and 4' for perimeter area in conjunction with light wire. This will be for the property the flock will enjoy while supervised. I am using stock panels wrapped in light wire for the regular run attached to the 8 x 10 coop along with the same electric spacing except the top of the panels are 51". also adding some overhead netting for this run. Neighbors let their dogs and cats roam here and we have Fox, possum, skunk, coyote, and birds of prey. I pray it will be enough. I cannot bury apron cloth. The run attached to the coop is in a wooded area. Kind of think I need to keep the flock in the house

 

[ConPollos]

Hi, I'm worried about keeping snakes and other predators out of the coop and run I'm working on in northeast Oklahoma. There's a big creek running through my backyard with snakes, and coyote dens on the other side of my fence. We even have wolves that I see about once a year, and every kind of predator. They walk along the ceek which traps the scent of any animal in my yard, so the predators are down wind and can't be smelled by the prey animals in my yard, but they can smell my animals like a buffet line.

I've read that only 1/4" hardware cloth fastened with bolts and washers instead of staples can keep all predators and snakes out bc coons can reach through the 1/2" mesh and it's not hard to pull out staples. I'm pretty sure some snakes and weasels can squeeze through 1/2" mesh. Also chicken wire is useless for keeping out predators.

I also read interesting articles about stopping snakes written by Australians, who have even a worse snake problem than we do in the USA. Their dogs are often killed by snakes. They mentioned all different kinds of snake traps they build, especially scrunched up bird netting around the base of coops and runs extending a couple of feet up the side so snakes get stuck in it. Also using sulfur around buildings, and making traps with half open cans of milk with the lid pushed in so the snake can't pull it's head out of the can. I've been meaning to buy snake proof boots from snakeboots.com since other kinds of boots don't really protect.

Sometimes snakes bite people or animals who accidentally get too close to their hiding place, even if you don't step on them. Example: a lady walks into her barn or shed and feels something bump her leg, then minutes later she's feeling the venom. Some snakes are so agressive that one chased my neighbors until they all jumped on top of a picnic table, then threw their son off the other side and told him to run for help. Lol Another snake chased a neighbor on his riding lawn mower. I think they were cotton mouths.

Anyhoo, I'm feeling overwhelmed by predator pressure. I'm thinking of lining the wood floor and inside of my shed with 1/4" mesh, using wolf pee or bear pee around my run, plus those solar blinking lights, bird netting around the base to trap snakes, and sulfur, a baby monitor, electric fencing, you name it. Lol. I'm just not sure how much I can afford to do all at once for startup.

I'm also thinking of keeping guineas in with my chickens since they gang up and kill snakes and would sound the alarm if predators approached.

 

[ConPollos]

Kris64, I forgot to mention, it aounds like what you want is similar to a Pheasant Flight Pen. If you google you'll see how they make them secure against predators night and day. The pheasant guys worry a lot about predators.

 

[Scruffyfeathers]

Hey Conpollos,

Having retired just under a year ago we moved to the country to start a mini farm to take care of us and a few other families. We are still in the process of putting all the pieces together and I have entertained many of the same questions you present here.

A Pheasant Flight Pen would solve most of your predator problems but your wallet would be under considerable assault. Even then the pen will not ward off mites, microbes or disease. It would be years before it ever paid for itself with regards to security. Overkill works and is practical in some cases but not here.

A weasel can breach any opening it can get its head through. I know of no weasel that can get its head through ½ inch mesh. If a coon could reach through such an opening it would more than likely pull back a nub and not a member of your flock. Just about any snake that could get its head through a ½ inch mesh would be offering itself as dinner to your flock. While ½ inch mesh is a good deterrent, again, even a light gauge mesh can be quite costly and is typically used wisely i.e. around windows, doors, cracks in construction framing, vents, etc…

Snakes proceed with caution as they are just about fearless. While pigs, dogs and cats can and will kill snakes, they don’t hunt them. Against a venomous snake, my money goes on the snake. That having been said, pigs, cats and dogs can act as a deterrent of sorts as the snake may or may not enter the area cautiously but you would be placing them at an unnecessary risk.

Generally speaking urine will only cause a predator to proceed with caution as well. Additionally, it could very well draw members of its own species to your area during rutting. A true Democracy is often described as “two wolves and a chicken voting on what’s for dinner.” Majority rules and all that rubbish. Personally, I would avoid using urine as you may inadvertently bring about a vote non favorable to your flock.

There is just so much you can do. Approach this in a manner where you can take solace in that you are protecting your investment and flock equally.

 

[The Lazy L]

We are planning an open-air coop with a secure run that the chickens will have access to all the time--day or night. Do I really need hardware cloth around the entire run--roof and all? ..

YES!

 

[okiemamachick]

If you want a run that's secure against most preds, yes it's necessary to have hardware cloth around the entire run, roof & all.
Personally I don't find it necessary to spend $1,000 on hardware cloth to protect $100 worth of chickens so I use 2x4 welded wire on a topless pen, but my biggest threat is roaming Rovers.

but if you had to keep replacing these chickens due to predators I suppose it would add up after awhile?

 

[ChickenLegs13]

If you want a run that's secure against most preds, yes it's necessary to have hardware cloth around the entire run, roof

but if you had to keep replacing these chickens due to predators I suppose it would add up after awhile?

Yes of course. Somewhere in time it could become cost effective to spend money to beef up the pen to prevent losses.

I would love to have a Fort Knox setup but I have 15,000 sq ft of pens & runs. My mind can't even grasp the cost of enclosing that with hardware cloth, all I can grasp is that it would be astronomical.
Fortunately there are no mink, pythons, weasels or other small viscious predators in my area that require enclosing my pens with expensive hardware cloth.
Cheap 2x4 welded wire handles any predators that come my way.