Chicken Newbie - Need advice on fencing

[bonsha]

I am not sure what type of fencing to put up for my chickens. I am brand new at this and don't even have any chicks yet (waiting until spring), but building everything now. I am terrified of predators getting my chickens since I live in a very rural area and know that we have fishercats, bobcats, racoons, foxes, coyotes, owls and hawks to mention a few. I like the idea of the electric fence, especially since you can move it around, but I want to make sure I protect my chickens as best as possible. If anyone has any advice as to what the best type of fencing for predator control is, I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[Wendy'sChicksRock]

HI and Welcome

Most people dont use chicken wire they use hardware cloth. Its stronger, We dug a trench and buried it about a foot underground then reinforced it with 4x4's all along the bottoms at ground level. we used screws to fasten the wire to the wood, one every inch or so.

 

[Muggsmagee]

Hello from Central NY!

I agree with Wendy's...unless of course you plan on doing a tractor coop, then you won't want to bury the hardware cloth. Metal stakes work well, too. They can be comparible to 4x4 post prices.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Hardware cloth is the only predator-proof thing there is. But it is expensive and therefore you would need to specify if you mean a large run or just around the coop.

It is great for a small area, in other words. If you are making a large garden area, some use welded wire fencing. Poultry netting will not hold off a dog or raccoon. In fact, raccoons will take their little "hands" and tear apart poultry netting (chicken wire).

Also you will need to bury the fencing or make an apron to deter digging predators. Also netting or fencing across the top of your run is wise.

Can you be more specific about what you plan to build sizewise?

 

[Davlyn]

I went with what my friend use's , as I was new to chicks, she gave me my 1st 5. I used chicken wire for awhile until my poultry electric fence arrived. The chickens R pretty much free range , but not completely

 

[bonsha]

Thanks for the tips...I never heard of hardware cloth - I will look into that. Is all this protection mostly for at night if the chickens are not locked in their coop? How do free range chickens survive?

I plan on always locking up my chickens at night and wanted to put some type of fencing that I could move around (sort of "half-way" free range ). That is why I was thinking of the electric fence. It sounds like Davlyn has a set-up like I would like. What type of electric fencing do you have?

 

[WallTenters]

If you're wanting moveable fencing, electric poultry netting is the way to go. Our birds free range, we haven't lost one yet, we religiously lock them in the coop at night (or the coyotes or raccoons would surely have them by now). Sounds like most of your predators are night time.

 

[lavenderman]

Just my ten cents ........ here on Vancouver Island we have racoons, mink, otters, skunk, feral cats and dogs even a rare cougar or two. I have buried stucco wire ( 2x2 welded wire mesh) then steel roofing 30 " wide panels set horizontally screwed to 4 x 4 posts then stucco wire above that and roof of the run. Having said that I believe my best protector is having a cheap radio tuned to a 24 hr news station in the coop. In three years I have never lost a single chick. I also have two border collies but they are useless for predator control unless you can lick a racoon to death !!!!!

 

[Davlyn]

Quote:
I bought 150' of the electric poultry fence, thats what my friend did & since I was new to chicks last yr, I followed what she did. I just bought another 150' off a client that used to raise poultry eggs, meat, & turkeys. I cut it and now have about 200' fenced in. I do also stake mine down & have added more fiber glass poles to hold it up better. I shut them in the coop at nite. I just pray that if anything is snooping around they get zapped good, 2 of my dogs did, they stay away from the fence now. I'll take a pic's & post. I use an electric fencer as it's has a stronger bite, I had a solar 4 the horses It just never held up like I hoped.

 

[Davlyn]

Bonsha, If you go to the tread, Pic's & stories of my chickens. , go to Davlyn's chickens " The Middle Age Spread" I have pics of some of the fencing to give U an idea. It surely is not the whole area. about 1/3 of what is fenced in. Of course all the chicks meet me at the fence when I went to take a pic.