Constructing Pen, have questions!

[Kedreeva]

We are currently building a new 30x30 outdoor enclosure for my peas off the side of a barn. I want to do the top of it with netting rather than fencing/wires/tarping, but I don't know what the heavy duty black bird netting is called or the pricing on it or where to obtain it. I've seen it used before and thought it was awfully clever to keep them from breaking their silly little necks if they fly up into it.

Also, we are going to set some perches into the ground, and I was wondering what height would be appropriate for them. I was thinking 6ft at the top of the perches. They currently only have ones at 3 feet, but they're yearlings so I haven't had to worry about trains yet.

We currently have the top to the back of a truck (think this thing: http://www.truck-gear-supercenter.com/images/Leer/180Features.gif ) in the area we are building and I thought it might make a decent place for getting out of the rain if lifted. Has anyone used these? Is there a good method for bracing it off the ground? What materials? We were thinking a few cinderblocks or something. Would it be better to put it off the ground on posts (like a couple cinder blocks or whatever on each corner) so they can go in from any side, or to wall it in for a more "barn" like area with an entrance on 1 side?

I'm sure I'll have more questions. I'll get some pictures as we build

 

[Fowler Hencock]

Most of the bird netting you can buy at places like Lowe's or Home Depot is made from plastic, and will become brittle in the sun over time, and break. Since you're in MI, you need to be concerned about snow loads on the netting, too.

We use commercial fishing nets, with #7 nylon twine, and 2" holes, to allow all but the wettest snow to pass through. If you use 1" stuff, it will collect all the snow and you'll be surprised how far it will sag down, and eventually rip out of your anchoring points. Even with the 2" holes, I still have to go out occasionally and knock the snow through.

As far as perches go, they like to be as high as possible, but take into account their headroom. Also, don't put it too close to a wall, or the mature males will have a hard time turning around on it. And we use 4x4's so they can sit on their feet in the cold weather and keep them warm. If you use stuff that's not as wide, they will curl their toes down to grip it, and the talons will be exposed to the cold.

 

[Kedreeva]

Quote:
Yeah I was looking for a 'cloth' sort of netting not a plastic netting. There was someone that had said, a long time ago, they were using a cloth netting that was strong enough to keep out some sort of bird of prey that was trying to get to their birds. I wouldn't have thought to look at fishing netting. Where does one obtain commercial fishing nets? I assume you had it shipped rather than buying it from the corner store. Also, what sort of support do the nets need? We were planning on using a spool "table" (picture http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_C_dNU6wrp...2ac3860d-0253-4801-8194-e8120f50cdc5Large.jpg) with PVC pipe through a hole in the middle (imagine the spool turned with flat sides up and down rather than rolling on its side) to about 12 feet, and then running a threaded cable from the rooftop of the barn (about 15-20 feet high) down through the PVC, and then from there down to the far wall (6 foot fencing there). It would make a V tent down the middle of the enclosure, like a roof, and the sides we were going to secure to the side fencing. Is the netting heavy enough that the cable would need further support?

Their current perches are all made of flat woods so they don't get frostbite

Will of course continue the trend just... higher.

 

[Fowler Hencock]

As with most things, you pretty much get what you pay for. Even UV treated nylon netting will degrade and crumble into dust with time. The only question is, are you willing to spend a little extra now to get something that will last you 10 years, or buy inexpensive stuff that you'll need to replace in only a couple seasons. As far as where to buy, we get all of ours from eBay. Do a search for "netting", and I highly recommend not getting anything lighter than #7 nylon twine.

I'm having a hard time picturing in my mind what you will be doing with your spool, but it sounds like you know what you're doing, so best of luck with your pen! Looking forward to some pics of your completed project!

 

[Kedreeva]

Oh, I don't mind the expense, it's just a matter of getting the right thing. I will check out ebay. I looked through some netting sites on google but they don't have anything listed as "#7", it's mostly a lot of numbers that don't make sense to me since I don't know what I'm looking for lol. Do you buy yours in small pieces and patch it together? I don't see anything with #7 listed with any amount of decent dimension.

 

[plinkee]

I like Fowler Hencock idea of fish netting. We picked some up from a beach a couple of weeks ago. If you near a beach hey presto!! you will always find washed up netting by fishing ports. Its tough and weather resistant and longlasting. We used ours for football goals. Will bear that in mind for the next peacock house project.

 

[C&Rman]

I bought my netting from ebay but if you can't find what you are looking for I always check here they have pretty fair prices.
www.bfproducts.com
I used a 16ft tall post and dug it into the ground 4' that way I didn't have to add concrete. I used a 4"x6" pole, it holds the netting up very good. I also put a roost 6ft high on it and one above it so it is inbetween 6-7 feet mine love it and sleep up there every night.

 

[Kedreeva]

Thanks for that link! I am looking at this netting from the link, do you know if that's heavy-duty enough for peafowl? It looks pretty tough.

Actually this other netting is the perfect size... but I don't know what the difference in toughness is between the extra heavy and the heavy. If I can get it in one piece without having to fiddle with patching two pieces together I'd prefer to do that, but if it's not going to be strong enough to hold them then I don't really have a choice.

Where on earth did you get a 16 foot post?

 

[C&Rman]

I dont know the diffrence either

I didn't really look for strenght when I orded my netting I just wanted something that would keep them in.
I got my 16ft pole at my job site I have 4 more, would you like me to ship you one?

 

[Kedreeva]

haha! Well maybe I will just get the stuff that fits in 1 piece and put in some test birds when I'm done putting it up! I have some feisty roosters I could put in that would show me where they'll escape.