Short answer
A run built from heavy welded wire or hardware cloth, with a buried or bent-out apron along the bottom and a covered top, stops foxes and coyotes far better than chicken wire or a yard fence. Foxes and coyotes dig under and climb over, so the bottom and top matter as much as the height. Some local townships regulate runs, too: Lower Salford requires a zoning permit and a run fence at least 4 ft high that extends 1 ft underground.
How predators get into a run
| Predator | How it usually gets in | What stops it |
|---|---|---|
| Fox | Digs under the bottom edge or squeezes through a gap at a gate | Buried or bent-out apron; tight gate frames |
| Coyote | Digs, or jumps and climbs a low fence | Apron plus a covered top or tall sides |
| Raccoon | Reaches through or tears light mesh; opens simple latches | Small-opening welded wire or hardware cloth; two-step latches |
| Hawk | Drops in from above | A roof of wire or netting |
| Black bear | Tears through ordinary pens | Heavy construction plus electric wire, where allowed |
Black bears belong on that list now. Several were reported in West Pottsgrove in May 2025, and one walked through a Cumru Township neighborhood in June 2026. A tagged bear spent time around Laureldale Cemetery in Muhlenberg Township. A bear is rare in most yards, but a coop with feed in it is exactly what draws one.
Building a run that holds
- Mesh: Use welded wire or hardware cloth, not hexagonal chicken wire. Smaller openings keep raccoons from reaching through.
- Frame: Wood or steel posts set in concrete, with a top rail all the way around so the mesh can't be peeled back from the top.
- Apron: Bury the mesh at least 12 in, or run a horizontal apron out from the base on the outside and pin it down. Diggers start at the fence line and hit wire.
- Top: Cover the run with wire or netting. It stops hawks, and it stops a coyote from going over.
- Gate: A full-height framed gate that closes tight to its post, with a latch a raccoon can't flip.
For a larger free-range area, a 4 or 5 ft woven wire or chain link fence with an apron keeps foxes and dogs out during the day. Bring the birds into a covered, locked run or coop at night, when foxes, coyotes and raccoons are out.
Local rules for chicken runs and fences
Check before you build. A few examples from codes we've read:
- Lower Salford Township (Harleysville): chicken runs need a zoning permit, a fence at least 4 ft high extending 1 ft underground, and a rear-yard location at least 15 ft from property lines.
- West Pottsgrove Township: chicken wire isn't allowed for front-yard fences, so keep the run behind the house.
- Boyertown, Colebrookdale and Pike: the joint zoning ordinance allows electric fences only to contain farm animals, and only at low intensity. A hot wire around a coop may fit that, but confirm with the zoning officer.
- Muhlenberg and Amity townships: barbed wire is limited to agricultural use.
Whether you can keep chickens at all is a separate zoning question that varies by township and lot size. We don't cover it here. Ask your township first, then plan the fence.
Choosing between a pen and a fenced yard
A small covered run, roughly the size of a shed, is the easiest to make predator-proof, and it takes far less material than fencing a large area. A fenced half-acre gives the birds room but can't be roofed, so it depends on the birds going into a secure coop at night. Many owners do both. If you're putting up a chain link or split rail and wire fence for a dog or garden anyway, we can plan a run into the same project.
Tell us at the estimate where the coop sits and what you've lost birds to. That tells us where to put the apron and how heavy the mesh should be.
Common questions
Is chicken wire ever good enough?
For keeping chickens in during the day under supervision, maybe. For keeping predators out, no. Raccoons and foxes tear or reach through it.
Do I need to bury the wire if I put down a concrete floor?
No, a solid floor does the same job as an apron. Fasten the mesh securely to it. Many owners still add an outside apron so the floor's edge doesn't get dug out.
Will an electric wire alone keep coyotes away?
It helps as an add-on, set low on the outside of the run and near the top. On its own, without solid mesh, it isn't dependable.