Do they make a cheap NON electric movable poultry fencing?

[guesswhatchickenbutt]

My 3 girls have a nice run, but as expected, the floor is dirt so there's nothing interesting to eat in there. I built a movable chicken tractor-type run from some plans on BYC (about a year or more ago) and I can put the girls in it and give them a little yard time, but it is a small space and there's no nest box in there (not really room for one) so I don't put them in there that often.

Ever since I got chickens I imagine them being able to peck about in our huge backyard.... then I realized that my dogs are just not going to be chicken friendly dogs

and we do have a few airborne predators

so my girls don't get the free-range time I dreamed of.... My dogs aren't the type who would try to get THROUGH the fencing - they don't bother the hens in their coop or run - but if they were loose in the yard, they'd be on them in an instant.

I've seen the electric poultry fencing that seems quite easy to move around, but with two small children, I don't need any electric fencing in my yard. Do they make a fencing that is easy to move, but is not electric? I don't have a ton of money so I'd like to do this relatively inespensively.... Any suggestions for me? I've tried looking at Home Depot and Lowes, but they don't have anything that looks like it would work. We do have some feed stores around, but I haven't seen anything obvious.

I'd really appreciate any suggestions! (I'd like to be able to fence off an area around 20' x 20' for them..... and then periodically move it around - and be sure it's very quick and easy to pull up when my husband mows).


THANK YOU!!!

 

[jmagill]

Just don't plug the fence in!

That said, your kids will learn very fast not to touch the fence as will the dogs.

 

[guesswhatchickenbutt]

I realize I could just not plug it in, but the electric fencing isn't cheap - that's why I was looking for an alternative. I'm not worried about my dogs touching it - they have an invisible fence and learn fast, but my youngest son is quite young and the one place I can trust him not to get hurt is in our fenced-in backyard. The last thing I need to do is to add something that's going to cause any drama in his life....

 

[oreochip]

Buy 4 toddler gates. The kind that you use to keep children from leaving a room or falling down stairs. You will also need a container of large cable ties (in the electrical aisle at your home improvement store).

The first time you do this you will need some help but after that it is easy to do yourself.

Open the gates to their maximum or whatever size you would like and attach end to end with the cable ties. Not too tight so that you can position the gates to make a square pen.

When you need to move the pen, you only have to clip the ties on one side and the pen will "fan fold" so you can move it.

The chickens may try to fly out but if you clip their wings they will not have much success.

We took this idea from this site http://www.thenewparentsguide.com/baby-playards-cribs-1.htm. It is less expensive with the same effect.

 

[fiberart57]

Home Depot or Lowes has a plastic chicken fencing that I use to keep the chickens out of garden spots. I weave willows through the webbing and plug them into the ground. It comes down if necessary and I can roll it back up.

It's only about 42" tall but my chickens don't fly over it. However, it's not terribly sturdy; like maybe a determined dog could get through it.

If I hadn't had all these willow poles I could have used rebar to hold it up.

You might go to one of the above stores and look in the fencing section. I have two types, one with the hexagons like chicken wire, and one with small rectangles.

If that doesn't work for you, could you make some panels out of 2"x2" and chicken wire that can be moved around and made into a pen?

Good luck, Mary

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Quote:
This is what I use for temporary grazing pens. I use a 50' roll with a few of the "step-in" electric fencing post that only cost a couple of dollars each. It's not going to keep a dog out, but it'll keep the chickens in and I move it every couple of days when I'm using it.

 

[AllOrangeYolks]

I'm having this SAME issue - although my reason for not wanting electric is financial... no human babies around here. also electrical is unnecessary in my case because theres another large fence around the farm, and i wouldn't need an electrical fence within a fence.

what did you end up doing?

 

[Cindy in PA]

This is what I use for temporary grazing pens. I use a 50' roll with a few of the "step-in" electric fencing post that only cost a couple of dollars each. It's not going to keep a dog out, but it'll keep the chickens in and I move it every couple of days when I'm using it.

X2

 

[guesswhatchickenbutt]

I'm having this SAME issue - although my reason for not wanting electric is financial... no human babies around here. also electrical is unnecessary in my case because theres another large fence around the farm, and i wouldn't need an electrical fence within a fence.

what did you end up doing?

We ended up making a "chicken tunnel" that is not predator proof, but is chicken-escape proof... and it goes from their permanent run (which is just dirt/mud) out to their portable chicken tractor. This way they can get to some grass... it's not optimal or pretty, but it works. The tunnel is made out of plastic green garden fencing and hooks on to the run and the chicken tractor with caribener clips.

 

[runneranne68]

I just ordered non-electric movable chicken fencing from Premier. I have only four chickens and a small mobile coop, but I have a 9 x 9 a frame run attached. Not very movable. I wanted something just to let them out to graze when I am around, but move them back into the protected predator proof run when I am gone. The electric was very expensive, and in my case not necessary. Here is the link:

http://www.premier1supplies.com/detail.php?prod_id=102801&cat_id=181

We are installing it in this weekend, so I will respond when we have it up after a week and let you know!