To run or not to run

[citychickx6]

Treats yes that is where they play an important role.
Even a spooked chicken will fly IMO. I have an equally heavy and docile breed Black Austrolorp. When I had the honor of living in the country I had 28 in my barn coop. I would find them in the rafters fairly often. The only way they got there was to launch to the top of their wall at 8 ft and then launch again.
Getting down was the tricky part. They would work their way over where they could crash land in the hay.

 

[Hawkeye95]

If you're installing a 6' privacy fence, my guess is the birds won't be flying out of there any time soon... if at all! You may not need a run. Or if you do need a small one- you can enclose the underside of your deck with wire or set up another area- a corner or something and fence off two sides of it. My turkey comes a running when I clean out her water, refill her food, etc. She will also run for treats! So yes, it's really not that hard to round them up if they are friendly.

thanks, CityChickx! Last week we had 70 mph wind with gusts up to 90mph and it tore down our shed and our playset/playhouse. The kids are sad.. we're sad about our shed. The insurance adjuster is coming out next week to evaluate it and look at our roof (which is hopefully fine). We also had other odd and end damage to our deck and pergola, etc.. But that was from flying objects, not from the wind. I went to Lowes today to pick up lumber for my roof and I bought hurricane clips to fasten every truss down with. Not taking any chances with our wind.

But we still need the rain. It is dry and I can not wait for this heat to break.

 

[yellowirenut]

I Have a run but let them out in the yard on weekends and evenings I am home. the First few times getting them back in to there run was a bit of a chore. But with treats and a long stick I was able to herd them. I would make a clicking noise as I did this. Now 2 months later all i have to do is click and they start heading for the gate. Once in they get a treat.
I would suggest a run, even in town there are predators and also it gives them a place to be if you are not home.

 

[Alethea]

If your yard is fully fenced like you say, it should be ok. A friend had a yard like that and didn't even have a coop. The chickens roosted in the wisteria and laid in the ivy. We have a run here, though it is bigger than some, includes trees, and I call it the chicken's yard. It is adjacent to the coop and there is a small door through which they can go in and out. The door is a few feet off the ground and there is a ramp on the outside (which we remove when the chickens go to bed and we close the door.) It doesn't have a roof because it is so large. Also, we have a lot of tree, which keep hawks from getting a good view. Good luck on your project. The chickens will benefit from all the thought and care you are putting into this. The chickens would say treats are always appropriate.