Who here has 5foot fencing or open tops on day runs?

[fuzz]

I will have no problem with night predators they will be in their coop and the only day problem I have is hawks but I think the chickens would be under the trees and plants most the time and not in the bright open area.

I will just see as I was going to open range my chickens and decided not to.

I also should tell you we have neighborhood ducks that live in the neighborhood they walk all along the street and we see them in the backyard often. They go home at night but I think if they can live for years with no issues my chickens should be okay too.

If I do end up loosing chickens I will put up netting on the top, we dont have the money right now and I dont know if it will be an issue yet.

 

[Bizzybirdy]

I have a 5' high chain link run with hardware cloth around the bottom. It is too much area to put a top on it. All my chickens except a couple of hens and one rooster, which fly up to the roof of the hen house (8' high!!), stay in it. There is a huge bush they can and do hide under when a hawk is spotted and no losses to them ever. Roo's warn very loudly!

I clipped the wings of one white hen and now she also stays...the other hen and rooster come back into the run in the evening (same way) and all go into their houses at night to roost....and I lock the doors.

Works out fine and I have had lots of racoon and possum problems when the chickens free ranged and roosted in the trees.

 

[mom2chicksandpups]

Even if your chickens don't get out, something else can get in if the top is open. My husband just finished telling me that his friend just lost 2 hens to a chicken hawk that flew down into the pen.

Our pens are about 6' in height so we can easily walk in with our chickens, but they all have roofs and/or fencing on top.

 

[warmfuzzies]

I have my chickens in a four foot fence with an open top. they all have pinioned wings, except two cochins. Only my tiny production red hen can get out. The rest are heavy birds, though. Cochins and rocks.

My new babies do not have pinioned wings, so I may have to clip them every year.

 

[crazy cat lady]

Our chicken run is open-topped, but it is 10' tall. Don't ask me why it's that high because the coons and my cats can still climb the fence if they want in bad enough.

 

[kristenm1975]

I have fencing over 5 feet tall on my chicken run, and twine across the top, spaced about 2 inches apart (any other covering on top gets ruined when it snows). I have had one persistent hen who has slipped through some larger spaces (about 8 inches wide) where the twine got broken by the hen house door rubbing against it.

Just this morning, I found out that owls can also get in through that 8 inch slot. I lost three of my one month old babies. They were not consumed, just torn to bits and strewn about the run. I recommend getting the run covered right away.

 

[fuzz]

Quote:
Okay, I do have a LARGE bush and undergrowth for protection as well as their own coop and I am pretty sure I will be clipping the sultans wings as they are almost 3 weeks old and already flying 2 feet!!!!

 

[Sugar Sand Farm]

I have three pens that are open tops My banty pen is 12 feet high and they fly right over it. My one cochin pen is 6 feet higha nd open so far it has been fine and my geese and turkey, and duck pens are all open. I don't think we have problems because the dogs are out in the day time most of the time the pens are close to the house so that might make a difference as well. We have had them for over 2 years without a problem and we live adjacent to a wildlife management area. Most of the pens are way to big to cover. They do have places to hide but as I said so far the only thing I have seen are vultures flying over when a pig or deer gets runover on the highway.

 

[consdrs]

Wow if chickens staying in a 5' fenced run is considered well mannered, then mine must be saints.... I have a 3' PLASTIC uncovered fence. cost 10.00 at walmart for 50'. but that is for when we are home and paying attention. which is most days. they are out in the temp pen for 4 hrs or more a day. it is where there is grass! we don't want them out in it all the time it would decimate the grass and their run is nothing but sandy dirt. we do have a very secure predator proof covered run and coop for night and when we aren't home.

Connie

 

[Cetawin]

I have a 6' tall chain link open top run....I have wire inside and under it out from 3' high down and out 2'. I have several that clear it.