Caution, string over run can be a mistake!

[PinkE]

I had aviary netting over the outside corral/run for my chooks cause there are Hawks in the area, well as the leaves fell it kept catching them, got weighted down so I removed it and used string to weave a top layer of webbing to keep the hawks out, I used the fence and made the openings around 6 inches so leaves could fall thru, which they did, it was working fine until yesterday. As I was walking to the coop, my BO got so excited she jumped in the air going half way thru the openings getting her foot tangled, she just hung there upside down, not moving, I got her untangled and she held perfectly still till I did. I was thinking if there WAS a hawk in the area she would have been a sitting duck for a hawk attack. Now I don't know what to do. Or if this will happen again.

 

[jetdog]

Put the netting back on and I somewhere where someone used a old tree to hold the netting up a good distance off the top of the run, the trick was they put a bucket on top of the tree so it wouldn't snag or rip the netting, it looked like a good idea to me.

 

[aart]

Put the netting back up and keep the leaves cleaned off it?
Do you deal with snowfall? If so, you might want to think about a wire mesh large enough to not hold the snow.

 

[4 the Birds]

I don't know how big your run is but a solid cover or roof will work best. This will provide shade in the Summer and help keep out snow and rain in the Winter. I have used aviary and deer netting in the past in areas of the run but I removed it after awhile. The problem I had was that sparrows would often get tangled in the net and I was cutting them free every few days. Often they became so entangled that they did not survive (they try to get to the feed in the run). Heavy snow would be problematic for a net roof cover. If you can't swing a solid roof then a large wire mesh may be the way to go.

 

[PheasantsFirst]

Unless you have netting 1/2 inch or less,(and even then it might still happen) a bird can/will get stuck in anything. I've never had problems with my chickens but I've had some of my pheasants get caught in 2 inch net. really the only way they can't get caught is to use 1/2 inch square wire. But good luck with what every you choose.

 

[chfite]

How high is the netting? Mine is 6 feet. I doubt my chubby hens could fly that high.

Yours must have been quite excited.

Chris