Cheapest way to cover an extended run????

[HeatherTheMommy]

I have now 11 hens because a hawk (i suspect) killed my dominique today while they were free ranging. My run has been nothing but mud from constant rain so my husband layed down pallets which he covered with fine mesh to elevate them from being in the mud. He also put grass seed down so grass can grow up through the pallets for them but now they don't have direct access to the ground so we want to extend the run and cover it to keep my remaining girls safe from hawks. We have a big fence to put up but what is the cheapest way to cover it to keep hawks from attacking them?

 

[jimbob86]

How big is the run?

 

[HeatherTheMommy]

Im not exactly sure. The run we have now is like 12x14 i think but totally covered. I was to extend it to give them access to grass but not sure how big the fencing is. Its big lol

 

[jimbob86]

The cheapest way to give them grass (other than free ranging, and that has it's costs, as well) ...... is tractoring the chickens.

 

[appps]

I bought a thin plastic sort of fine plastic mesh from a hardware store in the garden section . It was a lot cheaper than wire and because it's lighter too I didn't need supports in the middle to stop it sagging. It won't stop a climbing intruder but has worked great to keep the Hawks and goshawks that do low flying over our yard out.

 

[aart]

The plastic bird netting is probably cheapest...if you don't have to worry about snowload.

 

[jimbob86]

Quote:
If you are going to try to grow grass under it, it can't be solid, and must be huge, lest the birds eat the ground bare.....

 

[Percheron chick]

You are wasting your time and money building a fenced in grass area for your hens. You would need over 100 sq feet per chicken to even have a chance of it not turning into a mud pit. You could build multiple pens and do rotational grazing or just build a large wheeled tractor and move it around as needed.