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Fencing the pen / run

post #1 of 12
4/20/10 at 1:59pm
Thread Starter 

I've been reading a ton, trying to learn the ways of the chicken. However:

I started building a dog lot about a year ago. The tension posts are in, and almost all the t-posts are in.
The dog is.... anyways, I don't need the dog lot anymore.

I'd like to fence this in for the chickens with the coop inside. The lot is about 20' x 30' square.

What do you think? I figured I run 24" or 36" tall 1" hex poultry mesh aound the bottom starting at ground level
to keep the small birds in. The poultry mesh is pretty cheap. Then surround that with a heavier 2x3" or similar
mesh, buried a foot and bent outward. The heavier mesh would be 5' tall or whatever is available.

If my thinking is right, the small birds can't get out, and ground based predators can't get through the heavy mesh.



Roofing the pen is not an option unfortunately, although I've not noticed many hawks or owls in the area.

Any thoughts?

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post #2 of 12
4/21/10 at 10:21am

Sounds pretty good .. You may want to eventually cover the top with some sort of netting .. But otherwise it sounds pretty good

'I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.'
Maya Angelou
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'I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.'
Maya Angelou
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post #3 of 12
4/21/10 at 11:05am
Thread Starter 

Cool. Thanks for the support. After I wrote this question I found  (looking for something else entirely) someone on here that did this very thing.

At least it's a good idea!


Lowe's has 2x4" welded wire, 50" tall, 50' roll for $41........  I'm going to keep looking though. I need about 75ft for three sides.

Enclose the top eh? Wow. Yikes, I'll see how much the netting weighs and go from there.



The chicks are going to need the coop and yard sooner than I thought! What pigs they are. I had to double the size of the box last night. One is getting huge with an equally huge attitude! AAAAAAAAAAAHHHH! The others are just BIG except our little egg sized peep.

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post #4 of 12
4/21/10 at 11:12am

I bought deernetting from menards .. Its a pain to put up by yourself but if you have some help, then its great stuff.. Its very light and you can zip tie it to your fencing .. Also its I think 7ftx100ft for 14.95.. So pretty darn cheap.. i havent had any problems since I installed it on my run...

'I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.'
Maya Angelou
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'I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.'
Maya Angelou
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post #5 of 12
4/21/10 at 11:17am

I agree with CoopCrazy, a 3' tall fence won't hold them for long.  Some of my big, fat old biddies have figured out how to fly over my 6' chain link fence and my bantams are expert flyers.  I put netting over the run to keep the hawks out and my chickens in.  Deer netting is very cheap.

One crisis at a time, please.
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One crisis at a time, please.
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post #6 of 12
4/21/10 at 11:25am

couldnt raccoons climb up and then through the deer netting?

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post #7 of 12
4/21/10 at 11:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by sixinva 

couldnt raccoons climb up and then through the deer netting?


I got caught up in the netting so many times while putting it up .. My guess is if one did get on it they would be wrapped up tight by morning.. A lil racoon Pinata for the chickens...

'I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.'
Maya Angelou
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'I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.'
Maya Angelou
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post #8 of 12
4/21/10 at 11:53am

Yes, raccoons could definitely climb up and chew through the netting to get into the pen. That's why a set up like this is better for daytime when raccoons rarely are active than it is for nighttime. People with this kind of setup usually lock their chickens inside a secure coop at night.

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post #9 of 12
3/30/12 at 1:45am

would chain link fence be a better sub. for welded wire i mean i know its cheaper then welded wire want to know how secure it is in the day time i lock mine in at night . thanks 

 

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post #10 of 12
3/30/12 at 2:06am

I use an electric wire all around the netting at fox (and maybe raccoon?) nose height - it has worked for me for the last 20 years.

82 chooks, one peacock, 19 Boer goats and two dogs.

Semi-retired and living on a little farm on the edge of the Bunyip State Forest

 

."Those who believe absurdities will commit atrocities." ~Voltaire

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82 chooks, one peacock, 19 Boer goats and two dogs.

Semi-retired and living on a little farm on the edge of the Bunyip State Forest

 

."Those who believe absurdities will commit atrocities." ~Voltaire

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