Silent and deadly...

[trumpeting_angel]

So sorry for your losses! Have you researched bird netting for the “roof” of the run? I’m blanking - what’s it called? Avian netting?

 

[R3M1X]

So sorry for your losses! Have you researched bird netting for the “roof” of the run? I’m blanking - what’s it called? Avian netting?

No I havent. I didnt know there was such a thing. I tried asking my mom's husband what I could do about a top to avoid areal attack but he just brushed me off and gave me electric fence wire, that is probably as old as I am and stubborn to work with since it's all tangled, to string across the top of my pen. Is there a maximum area recommended to have some sort of "top protection" or no? I had planned on making a larger area for them that is roughly 50ft×80ft since I originally started with 30 birds at the start of this season. With four now gone I only have 26 but the pen they are staying in now (25ft×25ft or more since it is not a square shape more of an L)was originally build for my first flock of 8 birds so I feel it will be too small for my current flock size when they reach adulthood.

 

[trumpeting_angel]

I don’t know all that much about it, but maybe stick to the first run until things get back under control? Look into the netting - it’s what I hope to use when my birds can go outside. We have plenty of hawks and owls.

 

[Missa4848]

I'm lucky someone gave me a large dog kennel it's 12'9"long and 7'4" wide I'm putting it in for my run I have plywood I'm going to paint it with outdoor paint and to support it a neighbor is giving me I think 4x6 boards for support don't know if plywood would help or not for you for the top of your run

 

[DellaMyDarling]

I'm picturing any sort of metal wire stretched across.
Sounds like you have chain link. If so, don't stretch wire straight from one pole to opposite even link, go cross wise just a few chain links over. You'll be making your own cross hair pattern essentially.
For shade, you could consider putting internal run areas of shade rather than attempt to tarp over entire chain link section. I had the same issue as you, tarps kept getting eaten by the metal. I also found that the sun always wanted to shine at an angle that made the top tarp useless for shade, so oh well!

What we intend to do on our kennel pieces is to run 12' 2x4 across the top. We will be constructing a base structure to keep the weight off the fencing because we will likely put a heavy angled and likely metal roofed roof on top. You could still run the 12 footers across and use those to anchor your netting/wire/roofing to. 12' 2x4 alone aren't heavy enough to damage the fence. If you went with a tarp, you could raise one end with more wood to allow rain run off.

Have you ever seen fox around?

 

[R3M1X]

I'm picturing any sort of metal wire stretched across.
Sounds like you have chain link. If so, don't stretch wire straight from one pole to opposite even link, go cross wise just a few chain links over.
...
Have you ever seen fox around?

I have the chicken wire with heavier metal gate panels used for the cow corral reinforcementing the back side where there is a lot of brush cover. The criss cross method is a good idea. I have not seen a fox around our house but I have seen one 5 or so miles away and my uncle shot and killed one last year. But I haven't seen any holes inside or outside that would indicate a fox or coyote getting into the pen. We have on rare occasions seen a opossum waddling around the backyard but it's ignored the chickens so far and always went to our neighbor's house, according to the trail camera when I did have it up.
Thank you everyone for your advice! I really appreciate it and will try to implement everything I can and see the outcome. I would like to alleviate the problem before setting our guineas to complete free range when they are adults and before my duck's eggs hatch.

 

[MNchickaroo]

I see you've gotten tons of responses...but here's one more!
My folks have a blueberry farm (several acres), and they use aviary netting on a system of cable wires. (Robins LOVE blueberries and will clear a field in two days). You just need to make sure there are posts in between the outside posts to help support the wires (to prevent drooping), so you would need to add some posts inside your coop.
In our area, you can be aviary netting at Menards (don't know if they have this franchise in your neck of the woods!), but it can also be found online. You could also use chicken wire instead. The drawback of this netting is it can really suffer from winter UV rays, but maybe that's not so much of a problem in NC as it is in MN!
Sorry about your chicks, and I hope the rest of them stay safe, good luck, it seems like you've got tons of advice and ideas now to help keep those predators at bay!

 

[cmom]

First to all of the new members.

Sorry for you losses. I have some heavy duty netting covering all of my pens. Several years ago something was killing some of my birds. We couldn't figure out what it was because we didn't find anywhere something could get in, so I put a couple of game cameras out at the coops. This turned out to be the culprit, an owl. I have it on video killing one of the birds. I also had a fox dig under a gate to one of the pens and kill some birds as well as a bobcat that dug under the fence to one of the pens, so now I have concrete under all of the gates and electric wire around all of the coops and pens. Once I had a coyote jump over a 5' fence and it killed some birds. I would either go and retrieve your game camera or get another one. I have several on my property and see a lot of predators especially at night.

 

[GoatDragonFarms]

Good feedback, and I hope this is helpful.
The UV is definitely going to be a problem in NC, (Asheville area, over here!) So keep that in mind while you plan.
Keep us posted!

 

[R3M1X]

So far I started stringing a heavyweight line diagonally across the top of the coop until I can get a more secure method of protection. I havent noticed any missing since last night but the predator is probably still digesting I can confirm that it is some sort of bird of prey because I found two of the chicks feather fallen under a large tree in the back of our yard where my little brother's rope swing is as well as tuffs of feathers on the swing all under large branches... I haven't found any other body parts like from the first missing bird but the second and third birds were smaller... thank you for all the advice hopefully I can get this under control and keep them better safe.