uncovered chicken run

[happymorrows]

I really don't want to cover my chicken run. Anyone out there have a run that is uncovered, and what has been your experience with coons and hawks. I am going to sting up fishing line from the coop to the fence to keep out hawks, but am worried about coons at night. I am pretty sure one could climb the fence. Is the only answer covering the run or keeping the girls in the coop at night? The bottom of the fence is very fortified against attack, I'm just worried about climbing predators. Here is a pic of the coop and run, we just got the run in so no hawk wire has been strung yet in this pic and the base fortifications aren't there either.

 

[henney penny]

Lock them in the coop at night,

 

[newchicksnducks]

The coop is the only safe place for the chickens at night. Our run has been uncovered. I had my chickens use it during the day from the time they were 6 weeks till they were 7 months...then within 4 days I had a fox scale our 6' fence at dusk and a hawk eat his meal right in the run in broad daylight. I now have a deer netting covering the run, and plan on replacing it with 3x4 welded wire this summer. I also have and plan to install a fencer, with 2-3 strands of electric wire outside the run to discourage any fox, etc from climbing the fence again. Even with our welded wire run, weasels also got in at night and killed 2 ducks that refused to go in the coop one, and only one, night...

 

[BeccaOH]

My run 24 x 24 is uncovered and surrounded by at least 5 feet of fence or wall. (Well, my smaller ones are basically uncovered now that the plastic netting was torn down by ice and snow.) I haven't had predator issues, but the chickens go inside at night behind locked doors. Too much around like shrubs and post in the runs for hawks to swoop in. Coons will go through plastic netting. The netting was put up to keep roaming chickens and turkey in where they belong.

 

[Bob L.]

Shut em up in the coop at night!
Coons will climb over and dig under your fence, ask me how I know

Bob