Bird netting over run

[BDutch]

I have my run split in half so each half has a different support.

The bigger side, the coop itself is my center support. As you can see my fence is pretty low on this side (4') so I have U-posts around the perimeter with tension wire strung around the top, to form a top edge to drape netting on, so there's a head clearance of roughly 6' through the entire run.

View attachment 2543000

The smaller side I have a pair of cross beams set up about a foot above the top rail, and the netting drapes over that.

View attachment 2543001

And 2" openings is the "standard" if dealing with hawks/owls, though that does mean that smaller birds such as songbirds can get in. I've had a squirrel climb in as well as a nuthatch that would follow me around the yard. But conversely 2" does allow more snow to fall through, and I think it's cheaper overall than a comparable 1"?

Even 4cm is big enough for the small songbirds to fly trough.
I love it when songbirds fly through the netting into the run to eat from the grains too. It makes me happy to have lots of small songbirds in my garden. We have sparrows, great tits, blue tit, wren, robins and goldfinch (translated by google, didn’t check).

If you use the thin netting or if the bird net isn’t stretched tight the songbirds can get entangled in the netting.

edit: is the right word net or netting?

 

[Sueby]

And 2" openings is the "standard" if dealing with hawks/owls, though that does mean that smaller birds such as songbirds can get in. I've had a squirrel climb in as well as a nuthatch that would follow me around the yard. But conversely 2" does allow more snow to fall through, and I think it's cheaper overall than a comparable 1"?

This is true, the squirrels have no problem getting in, nor do the birds. Sometimes the bigger birds panic when they get in & it takes them a while to get back out. I thought I was going to have to rescue a Bluejay once.

I've been pleasantly surprised how well most snow just falls right through. Only one storm this year, so far, did I have to go out with a broom & that was an early winter storm with heavy wet snow.

 

[BDutch]

This is true, the squirrels have no problem getting in, nor do the birds. Sometimes the bigger birds panic when they get in & it takes them a while to get back out. I thought I was going to have to rescue a Bluejay once.

I've been pleasantly surprised how well most snow just falls right through. Only one storm this year, so far, did I have to go out with a broom & that was an early winter storm with heavy wet snow.

Edit: I don’t know why I made this quote/reply.

 

[HaywardHomestead]

I have my run split in half so each half has a different support.

The bigger side, the coop itself is my center support. As you can see my fence is pretty low on this side (4') so I have U-posts around the perimeter with tension wire strung around the top, to form a top edge to drape netting on, so there's a head clearance of roughly 6' through the entire run.

View attachment 2543000

The smaller side I have a pair of cross beams set up about a foot above the top rail, and the netting drapes over that.

View attachment 2543001

And 2" openings is the "standard" if dealing with hawks/owls, though that does mean that smaller birds such as songbirds can get in. I've had a squirrel climb in as well as a nuthatch that would follow me around the yard. But conversely 2" does allow more snow to fall through, and I think it's cheaper overall than a comparable 1"?

How do you attach the netting to the top of your fence? And what do you do about the gate? Do you attach the netting and unattach it each time you open the gate? This looks great by the way and is going to be my inspiration to get my netting up! My birds flew out of the fenced area, even after I clipped wings so I'm going to move them back in and put up some netting so I can quit worrying about loosing them AND so I can quit hunting eggs!

 

[Cattle dog Mom]

I have my run split in half so each half has a different support.

The bigger side, the coop itself is my center support. As you can see my fence is pretty low on this side (4') so I have U-posts around the perimeter with tension wire strung around the top, to form a top edge to drape netting on, so there's a head clearance of roughly 6' through the entire run.

View attachment 2543000

The smaller side I have a pair of cross beams set up about a foot above the top rail, and the netting drapes over that.

View attachment 2543001

And 2" openings is the "standard" if dealing with hawks/owls, though that does mean that smaller birds such as songbirds can get in. I've had a squirrel climb in as well as a nuthatch that would follow me around the yard. But conversely 2" does allow more snow to fall through, and I think it's cheaper overall than a comparable 1"?

Thank you for all of that! I figured 2" would be much better with the snow! We don't have squirrels here so no issues there! And any song bird that got in, well it likely won't get OUT. (My sweetgrass turkey hen is a known song bird killer.)

 

[BDutch]

How do you attach the netting to the top of your fence? And what do you do about the gate? Do you attach the netting and unattach it each time you open the gate? This looks great by the way and is going to be my inspiration to get my netting up! My birds flew out of the fenced area, even after I clipped wings so I'm going to move them back in and put up some netting so I can quit worrying about loosing them AND so I can quit hunting eggs!

I don’t know how Rosemarythyme did it , but I used a rope (2mm?) to attach the netting to the poles an to each other. The holes in the netting make it easy to string it together.

I made part of one side open divided in 2 compartments. The lower part is a mesh panel which is hinged at the bottom At the top I attached quit a long and broader net (red lines) then the opening. I attached the net to the top of the frame. And at the bottom of the netting I attached a stick to keep it in shape and for the weight. I can fold the netting upwards to open it. I close it with 4 strings. Works good enough bc I go inside about once a week. The water is in another part of the run with a normal door.

 

[rosemarythyme]

How do you attach the netting to the top of your fence? And what do you do about the gate? Do you attach the netting and unattach it each time you open the gate?

I use UV resistant zip ties around the top perimeter, and also weave some of the netting itself into the top of the chain link loops.

My gate set ups admittedly aren't optimal, and if I were to redo it I'd set both gates to swing outward (due to the way I installed hardware cloth around the gate openings, they both only swing inward at this time). On the 6' side the gate is actually attached to the netting, and I installed it so the netting has enough give to allow the gate to swing about 2' in. On the 4' side I use carabiners to clip the netting to the gate, so it's fairly quick to un-clip them and lift the netting to get in.

edit: is the right word net or netting?

Both are fine, but I think most people think of netting as a sheet of netting material, whereas a net would be more like something made of netting to catch something (like a fish net).

 

[David61]

Which netting do you use from Pinnon?

https://pinnonhatch.com/Poultry-Supplies/Poultry-Protection-Netting-2inch-Heavy-Knotted-25x50.html

 

[Sueby]

I know you didn't ask me, but I'll tell you anyway! I used hog rings to attach my netting to the top of my fence, which is hardware cloth.

DH made my gate, he welded some box tubing together, then welded HC to it. The top of the gate hits a bar that goes across from pole to pole so there is no gap. Down the side, where there would be a gap in the fence due to the hinges, he welded a strip of HC. It works perfect, my only issue was with the ground heaving in the winter, I will pour a cement pad this summer.

 

[aart]

he welded a strip of HC.

That would be tricky......would love to see these welds.