Deer fence for day run?

[becy]

Seeking opinions. My sister is constructing a new run and coop for her 2 hens, and projected 2 additional hens, and is seeking advice/opinions regarding using deer fencing for a day run. Her hens are locked up safe in their coop at dark and let out in the morning for the day to the run. She is pondering using a product like this http://www.farmandfleet.com/products/330414-easy-gardener-mesh-fence-deer-barrier.html for the top/sides of the run, but is planning to use hardware cloth for the bottom 3'. Is this safe? She does work during the day but the run is within a 6' wooden fence in a suburban neighborhood.

Any thoughts/opinions welcome. Thank you!

 

[lalaland]

yes.....and no. Depends on whether she is looking for 100% protection or just trying to be safer than free ranging.


1. Dogs can jump, dig under, and run over the netting. So, if her yard was already fenced to exclude dogs, that wouldn't be a problem. I wasn't sure if you meant that the yard was totally fenced when you mentioned the wooden fence.

2. Hawks.... she can get bird netting which could cover the area - it would be a deterrent and not a 100% hawk proof thing, but it has worked for me in some areas.

She could increase the protection by providing something to take cover under - can be something as simple as a sheet of plywood up on cement blocks.

3. coons, etc - mostly a problem at dawn and dusk - so depends on whether she is home during those times or not. But sometimes you just have to take a risk!


She wouldn't need the hardware cloth, in my opinion unless she has chicks that are tinier than the openings in the netting. She would need some way (tent pins, garden landscape u shaped pins or stakes) to hold the netting down to the ground to keep the chickens from just sliding underneath.

 

[becy]

Thanks for the answers, lalaland. Not needing the hardware cloth at all would be a big savings. I'm not sure how secure her wood fencing is but I don't think there is a loose dog problem in her neighborhood. More just racoons/possums at night. I think she is reading the thread (lurker!), but I will pass on the info to her. Thanks again!