Uncovered run

[Coop de Grille]

I have been searching the forum regarding an uncovered run and I am seeing it's not a good idea. My existing dog run is going to become my chicken pen, and it has a bunch of tall trees in it. There is no way to cover it other then using the deer netting, strung up to the trees. Is this possible? Will it keep predators out? My hens will be locked in the coop at night, but will predators attack during the day?

 

[jennh]

Quote:
I have 3 hemlocks in my girl's run. I use bird netting. My DH made a frame that's lower than the tree branches, maybe 6 ft high, and just put the bird netting over that.

Jen

 

[hennyannie]

I dont have anything on mine, but like you said it is taking a chance. Most attacks happen at night and nothing is fool proof. I use a light weight bird netting to keep a couple flyers in the coop but the hawks could still have chicken dinner I would think. I also have a lab who is confined to the area when we are not here.

 

[Bi0s]

a none cover run is takeing a big chance netting not all that good but will work if its put up right good luck

 

[Coop de Grille]

Here is a picture of the existing run. I have someone coming to replace the pen with harware cloth and add a door. I don't see any way to enclose it short of taking down the trees, which I don't want to do. The trees will give them shade, it gets really hot here in the summer.

A few more close up pics. The pen will stay the same size, but the framing will be replaced.

 

[elmo]

Hawk are the main problem during daylight hours, but sometimes the occasional raccoon is out hunting, too.

Some people string cds on fishing wire over the tops of their runs to deter hawks. Of course, nothing but welded wire will keep out raccoons, but the risk of them coming around during the day is pretty low.

 

[Chihuahuamom444]

You can kind of wrap the netting around the trees, I have a real hawk prob here and they strike any time and I even had a small coopers hawk go thru my netting and get mine so nothing is foolproof, but it does help...............hey for anyone out there, do the CDs scare off crows? I havent put any up yet because I dont want to scare off my crows, I give them corn because they help keep the hawks away.

 

[Bi0s]

also for hawks have somethings in the run like brush piles bushes anything they can run and take cover under will help some

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

Quote:
I have never used a covered run, my birds are locked in at night. yes Ive lost birds during the day, but it has been the free range ones, to a hawk, i have found if your run is narrow, long and dosen't point into a purching point for the preditor like a T you need it to look like a =, if they can't swop they gennerally look elsewhere

 

[patandchickens]

I dunno about uncovered "being a bad idea". I mean yeah, in a perfect world we would all have 100%-predatorproof runs and all that, but there are some real tradeoffs involved here for many people.

First, a large run is going to be difficult-to-impossible to put a top on, especially if you have trees in it. But in a lot of ways I think chickens are better off with a really large run, even if there is some hawk threat, than in a very small but very secure run. (Both sides can be debated, I mean, but, the point is, both sides of the argument DO have merit)

Second, if you have trees in your run, that *in itself* is *some* protection vs hawks. It certainly ain't perfect but basically your chickens are going to be a lot less visible to hawks that happen to be drifting past, and there are generally fewer attacks.

Third, if you want to use some kind of netting, you have to decide about the economics. Even just deer or trellis netting is not entirely trivial in cost; and you may have to end up replacing it *repeatedly* if Mr Raccoon and Opossum start breaking in regularly (at the very least, keep your feeder INSIDE the coop!). OTOH serious aviary netting is expensive. And any of it can get taken down by falling limbs and snowstorms. I do not think there is any one right answer, it depends on what you want and what you can afford.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat