Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[stonykill]

I know this is a pretty old thread, but I felt compelled to mention something. Having raised chickens for 20 years does not make me an "old timer" LOL. I started young!!

this is a current thread started a long time ago

. Pages of updates daily

 

[Beekissed]

I know this is a pretty old thread, but I felt compelled to mention something. Having raised chickens for 20 years does not make me an "old timer" LOL. I started young!!

This thread was started this year, I think, so it's not exactly old. Now, the people who participate could be considered old in some ways...

 

[Kansas Prairie]

Perhaps "old" could be traded for "wise" when referring to some contributors on this thread.

 

[Erin~TheChickenLover]

Just a heads up: Chicken wire is only meant to keep chickens IN. It won't keep a predator OUT. Maybe a cat or hawk but not an opossum or raccoon or dog.

Chicken wire has kept possums, raccoons, and dogs out for me.

I always wonder why people say that it doesn't. We killed 4 coons in one week a few weeks ago and we didn't lose a single chicken to them. They can not get in. I've got a huge possum that keeps raiding the compost bin (which is only a few yards from the main chicken pen) and it hasn't been able to get into the pen either. We have a pond in sight of the house so lots of wildlife are attracted. Zero losses to predators while the chickens were in the coops and runs. Chicken wire works fantastic for me, but don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it will work for everyone.

 

[stonykill]

Chicken wire has kept possums, raccoons, and dogs out for me.

I always wonder why people say that it doesn't. We killed 4 coons in one week a few weeks ago and we didn't lose a single chicken to them. They can not get in. I've got a huge possum that keeps raiding the compost bin (which is only a few yards from the main chicken pen) and it hasn't been able to get into the pen either. We have a pond in sight of the house so lots of wildlife are attracted. Zero losses to predators while the chickens were in the coops and runs. Chicken wire works fantastic for me, but don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it will work for everyone.

tell that to the young coon I shot in the chicken wire pen the other day. Small thing, opend up a hole in the chicken wire and got in. He was still in there when I went to open the coop. 16 gauge to the head took care of that.
of course the chickens were locked up in the coop. As chicken wire is not enough........

 

[Erin~TheChickenLover]

tell that to the young coon I shot in the chicken wire pen the other day. Small thing, opend up a hole in the chicken wire and got in. He was still in there when I went to open the coop. .16 gauge to the head took care of that.
of course the chickens were locked up in the coop. As chicken wire is not enough........

Chicken wire is enough for me.

 

[stonykill]

Chicken wire is enough for me.

until it isn't.

 

[Beekissed]

I'm wondering if it's all in how it is used. Chicken wire worked for me also but the structures to which it was attached were substantial in nature and the attachment was such that it would have taken quite some doing for anything, animal or human, to breach it. The chicken wire sold nowadays seems to be much flimsier than in olden days, IME, so it just may be the source of the wire as well.

 

[stonykill]

I'm wondering if it's all in how it is used. Chicken wire worked for me also but the structures to which it was attached were substantial in nature and the attachment was such that it would have taken quite some doing for anything, animal or human, to breach it. The chicken wire sold nowadays seems to be much flimsier than in olden days, IME, so it just may be the source of the wire as well.

in my case also a substantial structure the wire was simply pulled open. Like the coon took it's front paws and just spread the wire apart.Creating a coon sized hole to climb thru. Flimsy crap, just meant to keep chickens in.

 

[Beekissed]

It is flimsy compared to back in the day and easily spread as you describe. I like a welded wire fence as opposed to woven wire if I have to do light fencing of any kind. Heavier, cattle type fencing I like to have woven wire.