Top for large chicken area

[Oldenglish913]

I have a large area that my 8 week old chicks are in. It is surrounded by 6 ft chicken wire fencing. I'm trying to figure out the best idea for a 'top'. I have aviary netting up now. But would like to figure out a more sturdy and hopefully better looking product. Thanks!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Most sturdy option would be a solid roof but that's obviously more expensive and maybe not practical for more free form style runs. Some sort of wire mesh would be the next option. I do use netting myself.

By the way, most chicken wire is NOT predator proof - it's good for keeping chickens out of things, not protecting them.

 

[paneubert]

By the way, most chicken wire is NOT predator proof - it's good for keeping chickens out of things, not protecting them.

Agree. I would focus on more secure walls WAYYYY before I tried for a more secure roof. Even a weak roof will deter/stop flying predators....usually. A weak wall won't stop anyone.

 

[so lucky]

Along this line of questions, assuming the walls of the chicken yard are substantial wire fencing, has anyone had a varmint chew through a chicken wire roof? Fencing about 6.5 feet high, so too high for dogs to chew on, but maybe raccoons? It hasn't happened to me, just wondering what the statistics are.

 

[SueT]

I have bird netting over my large run and nothing has ever tried to breach it in the 4 years it has been in use. It has held up to all kinds of weather, branches falling on it, the cat walking on it etc.

 

[paneubert]

Along this line of questions, assuming the walls of the chicken yard are substantial wire fencing, has anyone had a varmint chew through a chicken wire roof? Fencing about 6.5 feet high, so too high for dogs to chew on, but maybe raccoons? It hasn't happened to me, just wondering what the statistics are.

I have seen multiple people state that they have had raccoons pull apart chicken wire. But I have not seen photos or proof that it was raccoons. Not that I think they are lying, but I just have never seen the "evidence". I think if they are breaking in, it would be from a bite and not a pull. Chicken wire is not easy to break by hand, whether your hands are human or raccoon.

 

[Alaskan]

I have a large area that my 8 week old chicks are in. It is surrounded by 6 ft chicken wire fencing. I'm trying to figure out the best idea for a 'top'. I have aviary netting up now. But would like to figure out a more sturdy and hopefully better looking product. Thanks!

I too would vote for better run fencing.

As to a top... I would put up some solid roof, and the rest stay with netting or wire. Neither look good...sorry. Another option is to put randomly placed fishing line zig zagged over the top with surveyor's tape tied to it every so often to flap in the wind...again.... not really attractive.

One option is to build a super secure smaller sized roofed run that connects to the coop. Then, during the day when you are home, you can let them out of the very secure area and into the less secure but much larger chicken wire area.

 

[aart]

I have a large area that my 8 week old chicks are in. It is surrounded by 6 ft chicken wire fencing. I'm trying to figure out the best idea for a 'top'. I have aviary netting up now. But would like to figure out a more sturdy and hopefully better looking product. Thanks!

Gonna be pretty tough to put anything over the coop....which is taller than the run fence?

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[rosemarythyme]

Gonna be pretty tough to put anything over the coop....which is taller than the run fence?

Not impossible though. As my coop sits in center of one of my runs and reaches over 9' at the peak, I use it to hold up the netting in the center of the run. The really tough part is getting the netting over it!

 

[aart]

Not impossible though. As my coop sits in center of one of my runs and reaches over 9' at the peak, I use it to hold up the netting in the center of the run. The really tough part is getting the netting over it!

IIRC you've had good luck with the netting...pic of it might be good for the OP here.