Fence analysis paralysis

[CT11]

Hi all - Happy Mother’s Day to whomever it applies.

So I think I’ve over researched and now my brain is locked up. I’m hoping for some advice specific to what I’m looking to accomplish. I’ll try to be brief.

I live on ⅓ acre in a neighborhood of similar size lots. Used to let my birds free range Neighbors all were asked and were good with it. However a fox got a hold of one a few weeks ago which sucks! So I’m down to 4 adults, but will be back to 10 adults once the babies grow up.

So two concerns. First, the foxes. Second, 10 chickens may test the neighbors’ patience.

I would like to fence off an area for them to have a contained free range. I can carve 600-800 square feet out for them. Will an area that small even contain them or will they just fly out? I was thinking a 3 or 4 foot wire fence with an apron. Frankly would rather not have an electric fence as there are young kids in the neighbor

Here are some pictures of the area. It’s mostly a wooded hillside with a little lawn area i‘m willing to part with.

I’d appreciate any advice or thoughts. Thank you!

 

[sourland]

A fox can easily jump a 3 or 4' fence. I belong to a club with a 5' fenced enclosure. Until we added hot wire we were unable to keep the fox and cats out.

 

[cmom]

I have electric wire around my coops and pens. This is a chick/grow-out coop.

 

[CT11]

Yikes.
Ok - so we’ll concede electrical is needed to keep the nasties out. Can I then ask your thoughts on what keeps the girls in? Clearly they can fly a 3 or 4 foot fence. I’ve read that a two wire electric fence is enough to keep them in once they’ve experienced a shock. But seems sketchy.

But I’ve also thought that 600 square feet should keep them interested enough that they won’t feel the wanderlust. It’s too much space to put netting over the top.

 

[cmom]

I have netting covering my pens. When I first put up the netting the trees were small. I have cut the netting for the trees to grow through and have added a couple more pens and more netting. The total area of my pens is around 9,000+ square feet.

 

[cmom]

Here is some of the netting I used. The total area of my pens are 60' by about 200'. I couldn't get one piece large enough so I used very large pieces of 150' x 50', 150' x 25' and a 50' x 50'.

 

[cmom]

https://www.amazon.com/Poultry-Nett...sprefix=poultry+netting+2+inc,aps,208&sr=8-56

 

[BackyardJulz]

There’s 7’ plastic netting sold at TSC that can be effective at keeping birds in, hawks out. They also sell tall rebar-like posts long enough to hold it up at that height. I use it over the top of my run, threading edges together with twine/wire for greater width.
TSC deer netting 7’

I would still run a hot wire down low, outside perimeter, to keep predators out.

 

[rosemarythyme]

You can definitely net over 600-800 sq ft, but it'll be a bit of a chore. I have a 525 sq ft area netted with the same netting cmom linked above.

 

[cmom]

It isn't going to be easy but can be done. I put all 9,000+ square feet of netting up myself, no help. As I said it wasn't easy and took a whole day to get it up and another day to tie it all in together. I still have a little work to do. I used hog rings to join the pieces of netting. I made some T posts to hold the netting up high enough for me to walk under. Here is one. This was before I changed the netting over this pen. This was crappy netting and an owl went through it. I have since put the other netting up. My fences are 5' high.