Chicken Wire for a Ceiling?

Thank you all so much for your thoughts, and apologies for my delay in responding!

rosemarythyme said:

Depending on how big that unit is, might want to considering converting the whole mini run/mini coop into a coop at the same time. Very few prefab coops are truly big enough for 5 adult birds (the Over EZ type would be one, but most kits-in-a-box would not be) and ventilation can be a concern as well. If this is still a young flock and they're getting along inside it right now, they may not get along so great once they're older and bigger.

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I agree. The prefab is 8 1/2 feet long, with a raised inside part that is the coop which is about 4 feet long and 3 feet tall. The whole thing is about 6 feet tall.

I'm hoping that the run/thing I'm building can eventually have a custom-built coop inside made of better materials and then the run part can be expanded to give them more room to roam. Right now the run I've built is about 9 feet wide and 12 feet long.

aart said:

Pics of run, please?

What is your climate/general location?
That can make a huge difference in run roofing.

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Please be kind, ya'll. I'm so self conscious about this, as I'm doing it totally alone and with really limited resources. I live on the mid-East Coast, some snow in the winter, temps generally not lower than the teens. This is a temporary solution while I save up to have something more professional/larger done, but obviously I want it to be a safe temporary solution. The side where I put wood panels instead of wire is where I'm hoping to eventually attach a coop structure.

K0k0shka said:

I would not trust chicken wire on top of the run. Raccoons are excellent climbers, they can easily rip through chicken wire, and they are active during daylight hours, too. I have seen the raccoons in our area patrolling my yard in late morning (8-9ish) as well as afternoon (4-5ish) when the sun was out and the chickens were in the run.

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My main chicken run (which I've had for 8 years) has chicken wire as part of the roof, but it's also a lot higher up (8 feet). It's seemed to do pretty well with both snow and predators. (Though I concede that could totally be luck)

Ridgerunner said:

As you can see, we all have different opinions. That's not surprising as we all have different experiences and have read different things. In my opinion, there is no perfect answer.

5 or 6 feet high is not very high to support a ceiling you can walk under, especially if it sags. It is not going to be very comfortable to stay bent over when you are working in there. Raising your fence height is probably not that practical. I'd suggest you install a support in the middle of your run to hold that ceiling up enough that you can walk under it, at least in the middle. Your back will thank you.

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Thank you for the advice! My car can only carry things about 7 feet tall at the maximum, which is why the height is so low. (In hindsight, I wish I'd sprung to rent a truck for like an hour just to haul some 8 foot posts home). I agree that having the roof be higher would be really nice. (I am on the taller side).

Anon112 said:

I live on the mid-East Coast, some snow in the winter,

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Snow can be a bear to deal with.
Yeah, taller would be better for when you have to go into run.

Here's how to add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

The roof can be raised on your run several different ways.

You could attach PVC, aluminum (chain link style) or electrical conduit to the wood posts you have already in place. For hauling it, you can cut it, then join it. Either hooped or done like ( roof styles names are not pulling up in my brain)... triangle, shed roof style. Joining pieces will add cost. #aart has lots of pics of hers! There are other examples in BYC coop pages. Then use either wire or netting.

You could hoop a CP. To haul - rent truck, check w/ neighbors, check local 4H or FFA groups & check Veteran's groups. You'd be surprised how many would lend a hand for - a fee, some gas or even just a meal & company. Or you may find your area are little "dead" of folks willing to help. Worked w/ & around both, LOL.

O! To save extra "rotting out" on your prefab coop, raise it off the ground w/ bricks or cinder blocks. Then treat or re-paint the wood w/outdoor paint. Our 2 prefab rotted under our carports - just from wind driven rain, humidity & dripping condensation. But they've lasted much longer than everyone says & been used for cats, rabbits, chicks & ducklings.

paintedChix said:

The roof can be raised on your run several different ways.

You could attach PVC, aluminum (chain link style) or electrical conduit to the wood posts you have already in place. For hauling it, you can cut it, then join it. Either hooped or done like ( roof styles names are not pulling up in my brain)... triangle, shed roof style. Joining pieces will add cost. #aart has lots of pics of hers! There are other examples in BYC coop pages. Then use either wire or netting.

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This is so helpful, thank you! I have extended some of my posts and have run wire over it. It's about half done. It isn't pretty, but it makes for a tall ceiling. I may try doing more of a hoop style on this little triangle part that's still left to cover.

But I'll definitely go check out the coop pages for some inspiration! Should have probably started there, to be honest!

Anon112 said:

I'm building a run for my chickens. I'm doing it by myself, with limited tools.

I have framed out the shape of the run (sort of a house/pentagon shape) and have put either wood siding or hardware cloth as the walls. I have purchased quarter inch hardware cloth for an apron (I will have to do the thing of putting it on the ground and then covering with dirt, as it is incredibly hard to dig in this area of my yard), which will run about 4 feet out from the walls.

But now I need to figure out what to do for my ceiling/roof. The run is attached to a moderately sized coop which does have a nice roof, and all the chickens (there are 5 of them) fit more than comfortably inside, so I'm not going to do a real roof, so to speak. Do you all think it would be safe to use chicken wire as my ceiling/roof?

The walls are all about 5-6 feet high, and they are secured with hardware cloth or wood. The main predators in my area are coyotes, foxes, raccoons, and possums. Would a raccoon or possum (the two creatures I'd imagine climbing up that high) be able to tear through chicken wire?

If you're wondering why I don't just do hardware cloth, my budget for this project is already over what I'd hoped to spend, and I already have a big roll of chicken wire. If I can use it, that would be great. But obviously if hardware cloth is necessary for safety, I'll shell out for it.

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Use hardware cloth. Its expensive but worth it. secure with deck screws and washers. Chicken wire to me is like a playpen for a child. it works great while you are there and watching, but as soon as you walk away, anything can go wrong! Good luck! Keep them chickens safe!

Anon112 said:

I'm building a run for my chickens. I'm doing it by myself, with limited tools.

I have framed out the shape of the run (sort of a house/pentagon shape) and have put either wood siding or hardware cloth as the walls. I have purchased quarter inch hardware cloth for an apron (I will have to do the thing of putting it on the ground and then covering with dirt, as it is incredibly hard to dig in this area of my yard), which will run about 4 feet out from the walls.

But now I need to figure out what to do for my ceiling/roof. The run is attached to a moderately sized coop which does have a nice roof, and all the chickens (there are 5 of them) fit more than comfortably inside, so I'm not going to do a real roof, so to speak. Do you all think it would be safe to use chicken wire as my ceiling/roof?

The walls are all about 5-6 feet high, and they are secured with hardware cloth or wood. The main predators in my area are coyotes, foxes, raccoons, and possums. Would a raccoon or possum (the two creatures I'd imagine climbing up that high) be able to tear through chicken wire?

If you're wondering why I don't just do hardware cloth, my budget for this project is already over what I'd hoped to spend, and I already have a big roll of chicken wire. If I can use it, that would be great. But obviously if hardware cloth is necessary for safety, I'll shell out for it.

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We use avian netting for top of the run, mainly to keep the hawk from attacking the chickens (resident hawk on the big oak tree nearby). And the netting keeps fox away, too. Easy to install. We also use 2x2x8 attached to t-post with a board on top to prop up the netting so we can walk underneath. (or if you are lazy and don't care about aesthetic , you can use any plastic bottle, e.g. 2 liter coke bottle to hold up the netting). No problem with snow or ice in winter. Avian nettings are relatively cheap.

https://a.co/d/3XDTg0j

linguini said:

We use avian netting for top of the run, mainly to keep the hawk from attacking the chickens (resident hawk on the big oak tree nearby). And the netting keeps fox away, too. Easy to install. We also use 2x2x8 attached to t-post with a board on top to prop up the netting so we can walk underneath. (or if you are lazy and don't care about aesthetic , you can use any plastic bottle, e.g. 2 liter coke bottle to hold up the netting). No problem with snow or ice in winter. Avian nettings are relatively cheap.

https://a.co/d/3XDTg0j

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Add a photo to show how the nettings are held up. The entire garden and chicken yard/coops are all covered.