Chicken Wire Roof?

[Farmer Doc]

I am in the process of building a small area to pen up our ducks at night - a couple of barnyard special and some muscovies since the gaggle of geese are not too fond of sharing. I know chicken wire is only effective at keeping birds in and I have built many a small/short chicken run with hardwire cloth for tops and sides...however...

Would chicken wire be effective as a top screen for a four foot tall duck run? The roof has a 12 degree tilt to it - don't ask me why as at this point in the build I am annoyed at myself for doing it! Would a raccoon chew out the floor from beneath itself to get to a duck?

Thanks for the thoughts and time! ~Doc

 

[happy duck]

I am in the process of building a small area to pen up our ducks at night - a couple of barnyard special and some muscovies since the gaggle of geese are not too fond of sharing. I know chicken wire is only effective at keeping birds in and I have built many a small/short chicken run with hardwire cloth for tops and sides...however...

Would chicken wire be effective as a top screen for a four foot tall duck run? The roof has a 12 degree tilt to it - don't ask me why as at this point in the build I am annoyed at myself for doing it! Would a raccoon chew out the floor from beneath itself to get to a duck?

Thanks for the thoughts and time! ~Doc

If they are going to be in the run all day long, including the night, I would try something different. If you are going to put your ducks in a coop for the night I would do chicken wire. For the top of my run I am using poultry netting...which is not predator proof. I will put mine in a coop at night so the poultry netting works great! BTW....we need to see pics.

 

[chickens really]

I have a Dog Run and it all depends if you have Weasels as predators and Raccoon. Then cover in small gauged mesh wire...I also tarp the top too..

 

[Skiptowne]

I use black shade cloth. Keeps chickens cool and keeps direct overhead sun off of them. Been doing this for yeats and have had no predator problems

 

[Dawnclucks22]

Chicken wire is not sufficient to keep out predators.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

@Farmer Doc it sounds like you would be using the chicken wire like one would use aviary netting? If that is the case, their coop/house would need to be predator proof for the night.

 

[Farmer Doc]

Thanks all. They will be in there for the night only. We have a fenced pasture for free ranging during the day. Looks like I will use hardwire cloth up top. Will post some pics when done!

 

[Farmer Doc]

Done! Here are a few pics. This will a safe place to go at night while roaming the pasture during the day. Nothing fancy but should do what it needs to do.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Looks good but how are you going to keep the weasels and mink out? Or is that hardware cloth hard to tell?

 

[Farmer Doc]

Hardwire cloth all around, welded wire up top. We have not had any weasel/mink issues the last few years with similar designs...knocking wood!