Who has a covered run?

[harveyhorses]

Life is Good! :

I likely should have a covered run. Our run is between our barn and a pair of gigantic maple trees. Our 2 acre backyard is a mowed field, so red-tailed hawks are around. But as for right now, they're not yet covered (run is odd shape due to natural boundaries - barn, tree, fence, tree, fence, hardware cloth fence and tree fort tree. Thankfully, our tree fort makes one tree unusable by hawks for perching. The other's shape is more suited for squirrel highway (or is it a tollway because I always see them carrying walnuts up there?) between our yard and the neighbor's yard.

Every weekend is fixing something in the coop or run or finishing some outdoor project before the cold sets in....covering the run will likely have to happen mid winter. Hopefully before it's an emergency item (like the barn window that won't close all of a sudden?! Grrr....)

I know exactly how you feel! Why won't my basement door open without a fight? I am starting to bring wood in for our woodstove, and I swear it it three steps forward two steps back. Good luck!​

 

[mamachicken888]

Quote:
Please explain what kind of 'netting' the hawks went right through. We have our run covered with plastic garden fencing and hope it will protect from hawks, but it sounds like we may have to reinforce. After reading some of the stories of how people lose their chickens on here, we will do whatever we can to protect them.

 

[Shayna]

I'm very nervous about predators. We have a lot of them in our area. Mink, fox, coyotes, hawks, eagles, etc. We're just finishing up our run for guineas and silkies and our roof is covered with hardware cloth and metal panels:

 

[mamachicken888]

Geez. You guys make us feel like such novices - your runs are so professional! I feel like the Beverly hillbilly of chicken runs.

 

[calicokat]

Quote:
I'm sure it's the big ole' Texas flag on that lookout! Everyone, even birds know ya don't mess with Texas

 

[Shayna]

Quote:
Well, we started with something much less elaborate in mind, but after seeing so many predators around when we were in the planning stages, we ended up going all out. It was a HUGE undertaking for my husband and I who have zero experience with building, and no help. It was well worth it for my peace of mind, but I certainly don't think any less of the more creative, and just as effective runs. (Mine is also visible from the road so I wanted to make it look nice for passing neighbors eyes.) I think its great to see what everyone does differently!

 

[harvobro]

We had a covered run when they were younger and the coop was out in the open. I used some nylon shrimp netting that I bought cut-to-fit from a marine supply store (Touchard's) that serves local shrimpers in Delcambre, LA. It worked well in that situation. I'd occasionally see red-tail hawks circling or perched overhead, but none ever tried to crash the party. My six girls are now 11 months old and have outgrown their old coop. The new "Camp Coop" or "Chicken Hilton" is sited amidst some star magnolia trees, Louisiana baldcypress, and a swamp red maple. There's lots of cover provided by azaleas, gardenias, and oleanders in the understory of the larger trees. They've got lots of places to run under in case of any airborne predators. So far, so good!

 

[harveyhorses]

Quote:
Please explain what kind of 'netting' the hawks went right through. We have our run covered with plastic garden fencing and hope it will protect from hawks, but it sounds like we may have to reinforce. After reading some of the stories of how people lose their chickens on here, we will do whatever we can to protect them.

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums...utf-8BSU1HMDA3MzktMjAxMTA5MjktMTAyNy5qcGc.jpg

It was the garden netting you get at SS or anyold place, it was pretty loose, the hawk perched in the tree next to the run and just dove into it, ripping it in some spots and getting tangled in the rest, but it hit fast enough to just snap the back of poor little Varly chick. My poor sister had to free it, and she said it was MAD. Hardware cloth etc.went up next day, after the rest of them spent the night back inside. I think if it had been tight it would have held.

 

[kcjones]

I have an 8 ft by 20 ft chain-link covered run,with an apron around it,an am going to put 2 ft high chicken wire around the bottom as soon as i can get to it

 

[top of the hill]

we also have a covered run. We live along a river and across the street from 200+ acres of preserve, tons of predators including hawk, eagles and various sea birds. We burried welded wire fencing a foot underneath the ground and also added it to the roof. we read stories of chickens being grabbed by the tails through the large squares in the welded wire so we also added a 3 foot strip of hardware cloth along the bottom. our plan is to eventually cover the welded wire roof with corrigated plastic, more because we want to keep out the snow than worry of predator, but that might hold off until next year.