I wove small 10+/- foot canes vertically down inbeteeen the chik'n fence wire about 20 foot apart, and let them stick up about 5'-6'. I used cheap 10-12pd test monofiliment fishing line inbetween all around the area up 3-4 strands about 1 foot apart above the 4ft tall chik'n wire. And then across kitty-corner and across the pen here and there. It doesn't take a lot of strands before the birds of prey figure it's not worth the risk getting trapped and not being able to escape quickly...let alone carrying a 5-7 pound squawking bird. (which out weighs most of the hawks anyway, owls and eagles are another matter!) There's many spots I can wave my arms overhead without hitting the fishing lines.
I do have 2-3 nesting pairs of hawks around here....ditto for the owls. A few eagles too. But I've watched the Hawks roosting in trees within 60 yards watching the chik'ns out in the pen. The chik'ns don't pay any attention to them unless they fly overhead....or they see a shadow flying acrosss the pen!. But even songbirds will not fly into the pen....or hardly even over the pen within 30 feet. But I think the crows fly across and "caw" just about overhead (up 60 ft or so though) just to watch the chik'ns scatter...lol And for the first few days one or another crow would roost in a close tall tree and call it's buddies up to see the new "dinner" plate I was setting for them...but they saw the fine lines strung up and quit in just 2 or 3 days!
There's an single strand electric fence just outside of the pen about 10" off the ground for other climbing/digging chik'n loving critters...my cat included. I've heard squalls from my cat "one time"...the slower learner dog 3 times...and 3-4 other squeels from other night visiting varmits late at night (raccoons, possums, coyotes, stray dogs, and neighbor cats)...and 3 or 4 "unnnggghhh!!"'s from my own silly not-so-careful self...we all avoid that fence now religiously! Had 2 chik'ns test the integrity of the fishing lines, too. NONE will try to fly over the 4 ft tall fence now since they found the lines were not spider webs and the electric fence just outside would BITE!
I have had the chik'ns out in this pen since they were barely 1 pound each..it works!
I do have 2-3 nesting pairs of hawks around here....ditto for the owls. A few eagles too. But I've watched the Hawks roosting in trees within 60 yards watching the chik'ns out in the pen. The chik'ns don't pay any attention to them unless they fly overhead....or they see a shadow flying acrosss the pen!. But even songbirds will not fly into the pen....or hardly even over the pen within 30 feet. But I think the crows fly across and "caw" just about overhead (up 60 ft or so though) just to watch the chik'ns scatter...lol And for the first few days one or another crow would roost in a close tall tree and call it's buddies up to see the new "dinner" plate I was setting for them...but they saw the fine lines strung up and quit in just 2 or 3 days!
There's an single strand electric fence just outside of the pen about 10" off the ground for other climbing/digging chik'n loving critters...my cat included. I've heard squalls from my cat "one time"...the slower learner dog 3 times...and 3-4 other squeels from other night visiting varmits late at night (raccoons, possums, coyotes, stray dogs, and neighbor cats)...and 3 or 4 "unnnggghhh!!"'s from my own silly not-so-careful self...we all avoid that fence now religiously! Had 2 chik'ns test the integrity of the fishing lines, too. NONE will try to fly over the 4 ft tall fence now since they found the lines were not spider webs and the electric fence just outside would BITE!
I have had the chik'ns out in this pen since they were barely 1 pound each..it works!
