Feedack on ideas f/ Chicken Run - Poly Netting, Corrugated Metal etc

[giantveggie]

Hello,

Sorry I am a new user and can't include url and img bbcodes...

I am looking for feedback on my idea for my chicken run.

I plan to create essentially two fifty foot fences 3 feet away from each other.
Each section of fence would be sorta like this:

http colon slash slash public dot khov dot com/x.jpg

4 or 6 inch wood posts on the end of each section
a 12' piece of corrugated metal roofing panel would be buried a few inches into the ground, capped with a 2x4(or 6) and blocked in by 1x2's or similar to lock it in position between the posts.

Each post would have an eye installed on top and cable would run across the 50'
1/2" premium poly bird netting would then be installed on top supported by the cables.
The netting would also be attached to the vertical posts and the horizontal 2x4(or 6) cap on top of the galvanized sheet similarly to the staple roll install method with 1x2's









I was Inspired by the
My Extreme Heat Coop in the small coop designs section of backyard chickens.
http colon slash slash www dot backyardchickens dot com/web/viewblog.php?id=56638

I have some differences from this guy, I'm in New Jersey so I don't have extreme heat. I don't have a wall.
But I do have the threats of snow and ice.

I live in a suburban area with no sign of racoons. I do have a possum that I need to get rid of. We do have hawks and owls.

Concerns I have are about the design are snow on the 3' x 12' sections of netting on the 'roof', I've seen snow build up on poly netting, but this is a pretty small and well supported surface area. Any one have snow experiences with poly on a similar installation?
The other concern is with the possum and racoon type threat with animals able to chew through the poly netting. The poly netting would start approximatly 2' off the ground.
I don't expect heavy predator activity. I do have the possibility of changing the net material on the sides to something metal, but I was looking for the 1/2" openings to keep outside birds out and that can get expensive in metal...

Will possums climb? I know racoons would.



This and my shed and the coop will end up enclosing in my garden area in the back corner of my yard, which is 20'x50'
The 20'x50' area would be available as additional (unprotected from above) run area when not actively being gardened.


Thanks in advance,
GiantVeggie

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
So, do I undrestand correctly, the run will be 3' wide by 50' long?

That would not be a very desirable design unless it is utterly unavoidable due to the geography of your property. For one thing it uses a HUGE amount of fencing ($) to enclose not very much space. For another thing, I would not put more than just a few chickens into a 3' wide run because it greatly increases the chances of social problems (fighting, someone getting cornered and their clock cleaned, and/or someone parking themselves and not letting others past). Finally, you will find that the end nearest the coop gets very badly thrashed and the far end doesn't get used nearly as much.

Mind, if you HAVE to do that b/c that's the way your property is, it's certainly worth doing as long as you don't mind the expense, but if there is any possibility of making the run WIDER it would be really smart to do so.

a 12' piece of corrugated metal roofing panel would be buried a few inches into the ground, capped with a 2x4(or 6) and blocked in by 1x2's or similar to lock it in position between the posts. Each post would have an eye installed on top and cable would run across the 50'
1/2" premium poly bird netting would then be installed on top supported by the cables. The netting would also be attached to the vertical posts and the horizontal 2x4(or 6) cap on top of the galvanized sheet similarly to the staple roll install method with 1x2's

You realize this is not at all predatorproof? If that's ok with you, then sure, whatever; but if you want to keep loose dogs and raccoons and stuff like that out, it is not going to be a good bet. First, because animals will go *right* thru the bird netting; and second, because even if you replaced that with, say, 2x4 wire mesh, just a few inches of burial is not going to barely even slow down anything that wants to dig in. If you want to keep diggers out by burying the base of the run fencing you need to go AT LEAST 12" and preferably 18"; or use a couple-feet-wide apron, which IMO is usually more sensible.

Is there a reason for using the metal roofing panels instead of conventional welded wire mesh? They are probably just going to cause you grief. They will catch a lot of wind and need to be affixed with bigger lumber than you're planning if you want them to not blow away in a good stout wind; they will prevent you from seeing the chickens; and maybe its just me but I kind of think it's good for the chickens to be able to see out, too. The only thing I can see they might have going for them is that they produce a tiny thin strip of shade, but shadecloth would do that much better (over top of wire).

I live in a suburban area with no sign of racoons.

Believe me. You have raccoons. Probably a considerable number of them. You may not find this out until/unless you have poorly protected chickens, but seriously, there are LOADS of raccoons all through NJ (well, I don't know how many are out on the barrier islands but even then probably some). (Credentials: grew up just N of Philly, lived in NJ for several years in the late 90s)

Concerns I have are about the design are snow on the 3' x 12' sections of netting on the 'roof'

The snow will take the netting down, big wet snow dumps anyhow.

The other concern is with the possum and racoon type threat with animals able to chew through the poly netting. The poly netting would start approximatly 2' off the ground.

Yes, they will go thru it as if it were not there at all.

Will possums climb? I know racoons would.

Possums climb at least as well as raccoons do, i.e. exceptionally well.

I do have the possibility of changing the net material on the sides to something metal, but I was looking for the 1/2" openings to keep outside birds out and that can get expensive in metal...

Could I suggest that you do the whole thing in a good predatorproof wire mesh, and then ADD the bird netting on the outside to keep sparrows out? It may get ripped up sometimes by predators but is cheap to replace. And if you use stuff sold as deer fencing instead of the cheapie bird netting that is often a lot tougher without being too much more expensive. With that narrow a run I would be leery of going too large on the fence wire holes, though, and would absolutely for sure be serious about shutting them indoors BY dusk every night of the year.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat​