Bird Netting + snow = bad idea

[SueT]

Just regular old netting from the hardware store? Weve got some 1" bird netting from homedepot. We used it on the greenhouse for doors to keep birds out

This netting like a fabric, and has small mesh. It's inexpensive and is often used for covering fruit trees.

 

[jeepgirl13]

We used PVC too. We did tie it off to the fence line on both sides.

Idk for sure how it does in freezing temps, I know it doesnt hold up well in the AZ sun.... but then nothing holds up well in that.

I was basing my theory off how easily the poo fork tines snap when cleaning stalls in the freezing temps. Our old house was wood, with a hinged lid, (we had 2 chickens then) and a metals pole run with hog fencing and chicken wire. Our new coop has the house off the ground with run space underneath, which will be extended in the next couple weeks. This time it will be made of wood instead of metal. The coop will also be moved to a more sheltered area of our yard where the snow doesnt pile up so bad.

 

[ValerieJ]

Idk for sure how it does in freezing temps, I know it doesnt hold up well in the AZ sun.... but then nothing holds up well in that.

I was basing my theory off how easily the poo fork tines snap when cleaning stalls in the freezing temps. Our old house was wood, with a hinged lid, (we had 2 chickens then) and a metals pole run with hog fencing and chicken wire. Our new coop has the house off the ground with run space underneath, which will be extended in the next couple weeks. This time it will be made of wood instead of metal. The coop will also be moved to a more sheltered area of our yard where the snow doesnt pile up so bad.

Ah...I used to use one of those plastic rakes too. Now I use a metal one. Our temps rarely get down to the teens, so I think it will hold up. I guess we'll find out this winter. It's one grand experiment after another around here.

 

[jeepgirl13]

Ah...I used to use one of those plastic rakes too. Now I use a metal one. Our temps rarely get down to the teens, so I think it will hold up. I guess we'll find out this winter. It's one grand experiment after another around here.

Isn't that all chickening is about? Experimentation, trial and error. It's been said a million times on many threads, just cuz it works for person a, it might not for person b.

We had many days where it was -12 with the wind chill factor. At nights it would get to -20. Actual temps were close to 12 and -2 on those days.

At the barn I work at, those metal tines would get so heavy after a while. Weve got 30+ horses total, and I clean the 12 inside the barn.

 

[jeepgirl13]

This netting like a fabric, and has small mesh. It's inexpensive and is often used for covering fruit trees.
View attachment 1910379 View attachment 1910380

Yup this is what we have. Got a 100ft roll of it at lowes, I think, for like 20 bucks. Used it on the green house and over our apple tree.

Amazing such a frail looking material has held up for you so well!! Will definitely remember this for future use. Probably when I move my grow out pens closer to the big girls.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Also, the stronger the supporting posts are the less they will be pulled inward causing everything to collapse. Maybe some simple guy wires or rope can be used to keep them from pulling inward.

Good suggestion. In the area where I have less support (half my run has 4' tall chain link, so I added 7' U-posts around the perimeter to support the netting) I ran tension wire from post to post to create a perimeter for the netting to rest on. Helps provide the posts a little extra support as well as they're all pushing/pulling each other.

We just put up bird netting!!! It definitely snows here!!! Do you think it will make a difference that the holes are 2.5"? Maybe the snow will just go through it?

As noted by others, dry snow should fall through, wet or heavy snow will stick. So if you have large amounts of wet snow in the forecast, plan on having to go out and knock it off every few hours. I just run out with a broom, a few whacks here and there are usually enough to loosen it up and let it fall through before build up gets too bad.

 

[Oz chic]

I wonder if this is what hit you:

https://electroverse.net/rare-snow-takes-aussie-forecasters-by-surprise/

FWIW something seems to be happening in AU. Perisher ski resort (wherever that is in AU) is having it's longest season on record.

Yes, that was it. Snow was forecast for our area down to 1000m, we are 627m. Then yesterday snow was forecast down to 600m and we got nothing. As per usual when they forecast that.

As for Perisher Ski Resort, it is the main ski resort of NSW and is just under 4 hours drive from here and not far south from Canberra.

Perishers snow mountains is what makes our winters here so cold and miserable, as we get the icy cold winds from there. This winter it hasn’t been as windy as normal, thus we got a nice winter for a change.

Perisher always says that about their ski seasons, each season is apparently so much better than the last. Last yrs ski season was extended into October. They have made this season a week longer than last year’s.

We have the main hwy that connects Sydney to Melbourne run through here, trucks were stuck on the hwy, just out of town for over 6 hours, this hwy never stops, it can’t stop. Trains were stopped, so people couldn’t even use they route to get to where they wanted to go. Cars on the hwy were banked back for over 20 km - that was almost to the next town from here.

It was quite a disruptive weather and that was just here, god only knows the trouble it caused else where.

 

[Oz chic]

Fluke or future, for shedding snow, the steeper the better, if that's any help.

Thank you, we are talking about doing a peaked top, just have to work it all out.

 

[Oz chic]

As with anything. We had quite a bit of sagging in ours too, but no collapse thankfully. It's a horrible thing to have had happen to the OP! It takes a lot of time and money to build a coop. I was just hoping to help spur some creative brainstorming to help OP for the next freak storm

No no no more freak storms, I am too old for freak storms, I am to tired for freak storms, I just want my normal weather pattern back.

 

[Oz chic]

We just put up bird netting!!! It definitely snows here!!! Do you think it will make a difference that the holes are 2.5"? Maybe the snow will just go through it? We weren't trying to keep small birds out, just the eagles. Now I think we'll be having a very busy day on snow day, and it wont be because we're building a snowman.

We need it to keep out small birds, 2.5” would be to big of a hole.