Fencing Help

[Kris5902]

I really like the no climb horse fencing and think... if I recall correctly, that was what you’ve decided on for an enclosed run, plus finer mesh hardware cloth for the bottom skirting and a flared out apron? I personally like the look of wooden posts but they do need to be well installed in this climate.

It sounds like... all these posts later, you’ve got a good handle on what you’re planning on installing. I like having a walk in coop over a raised one... but for the number of birds you’re planning a raised one should be fine. The auto door is a good idea if you leave that early, but I would still double check and do a headcount every night once they are shut up. Lets me sleep peacefully through the night knowing they are all safe!

Watch the water patterns on your property carefully while you pick the coop site! It’s easier to prevent moisture problems than try to fix them later... So Much Mud (which is also 1/2 poop!)!!!

I’ve discovered my chickens hate snow, and wind, and the sound of rain on their tarped run, and cold weather... maybe I have indoor chickens? This did not fit well with my chicken tractors and “they will spend most of their time outside on grass” ideas. Make your coop twice as large as you think you’ll need, just in case your chickens also decide the “great outdoors” isn’t as great as you think it is!

Ask 100 chicken people what the right way to do a fence/run is... get 300 different answers, coop advice, feeding suggestions, the list goes on!

 

[AmyJane725]

Remember, someone brand new wouldn’t necessarily realize it’s a cut and paste... and might think that maybe the responder didn’t bother to read his/her post before responding (hurtful thought!). Just as they might not realize how to put it into their profile and how helpful it is to everyone!

Let’s all get started on good terms here! No offense is meant by any party I’m sure!

And !!! Happy to have you here with us!

^^THIS!!^^ I had no idea it was just a copy/paste, and I did feel like they didn't even read my post. And I was also afraid that others reading their response would think I didn't even bother to mention where I was, even though I made a point of saying it at the very beginning because I figured it would be important for predators/weather. I also didn't know it was something you could/should have on your profile. I know better now thanks to aart's instructions.

I certainly don't want to get off on the wrong foot with anyone. I want us all to be friends.

 

[AmyJane725]

@Kris5902 You seem to have a handle on wet weather chicken rearing. Do you think I should have fence posts that are set in concrete? I am kind of afraid of them tipping over after a while because of all the rain. Also, do you think metal or treated wood is better in terms of longevity with all the water?

 

[paneubert]

@Kris5902 You seem to have a handle on wet weather chicken rearing. Do you think I should have fence posts that are set in concrete? I am kind of afraid of them tipping over after a while because of all the rain. Also, do you think metal or treated wood is better in terms of longevity with all the water?

I'm not them, but my 2 cents is that posts in concrete are always better than no concrete since they will be very bottom heavy. Let the low center of gravity work for you. I'm also in Washington state, and I always go with concrete footing for posts if it is an option.

 

[paneubert]

I like the look of wood over metal. Also easier to attach things to. Pressure treated ground contact lumber will last a long time in concrete as long as the concrete does not form a bowl for water to collect at the post. Make sure there is a slight dome so the water runs away from the post. My 2 cents.

 

[AmyJane725]

I'll probably break down and spring for the concrete. Thanks for the tip on having it dome shaped.

And I'll certainly agree with you that wood looks nicer than metal any day of the week.

I just wonder about rot vs rust...

So many decisions *sigh*

 

[Kris5902]

Agreed... concrete footings extend the life of posts with correct installation, as mentioned. Assuming you aren’t looking for organic certification... pressure treated will also extend the life of posts, and the chemicals they use now are much safer than 15-20 years ago, so I wouldn’t hesitate to use them in this sort of application. You’re not keeping cows, sheep, or goats or doing 100 foot long runs, so I wouldn’t get too hung up on bracing techniques... but good solid footings on corner posts and gates at the least are helpful in the long run.

I really dislike doing fencing... so it’s better to do it solidly once, IMO, than to have to constantly repair or maintain less sturdy ones regularly. Now I have miles, and miles of page wire sheep fencing to fix, yay! I named our privacy fence in the city “the fence of domestic discord” for a good reason... husband and I spent longer arguing over it than we did building it, including the custom lattice work and conversion of the chain link posts to cedar without damaging the concrete retaining wall it was built on!


The professional photographer made it look smaller than it was... it is 5-6 feet high and on top of 3-4 feet of retaining wall. (I miss my city lot!) but the wood almost all came from the farm where we are living now... now it’s all sheep fencing, pencil posts, and cows for my neighbors...

 

[Kris5902]

We mostly put cheap PT pencil posts in here... depending on the location and installation some last 6 years... others are still solid more than 20 years later! The ones put in by the professionals with the high tensile fencing are my favorites. These were all installed with a post pounder (and varying degrees of competence from the operators) that drives them straight into the ground, it works less well in really soft or rocky ground.

For what you’re looking to do I think DIY is a good inexpensive option... you probably won’t need anything bigger than 4x4 square posts. You might want to think about getting a post hole auger. You could rent one of these:

But honestly, one of my new favorite tools is this:

The wooden handle will break... but you can then use a metal pry bar to replace it. It works a lot faster than you would think once you get the hang of it and digs super nice holes without disturbing the surrounding soil too much. Putting coarse gravel/drain rock in the base of the hole before the post also helps, then pouring the concrete... then when the water gets in (and it will, even despite correctly shaping the top) it doesn’t pool at the bottom of the post in a “concrete cup” (most common mistake I’ve seen in setting posts in concrete).

If you put the posts in well enough and make them overheight you could even upgrade to a solid roof for the run in the future. Like a pole barn. That will require more bracing and if you’re thinking about it I would recommend going up to 6x6 posts, set a minimum 2 feet deep for the corners and the center post of the long sides of the run. I like overkill on my posts though, because I dislike having to do the actual work of fencing... so why do it twice?

 

[paneubert]

I'll probably break down and spring for the concrete. Thanks for the tip on having it dome shaped.

And I'll certainly agree with you that wood looks nicer than metal any day of the week.

I just wonder about rot vs rust...

So many decisions *sigh*

Everything will rot or rust eventually unfortunately. But just for one anecdote, and keep in mind I am the same climate as you. I replaced a fence that used pressure treated 4 by 4 posts in concrete. Even after a decade of them being there (that was the neighbors estimate of when the fence had been put in), 99% of the posts were still completely solid and structurally secure at ground level. Some of them were buried really deep..... I ended up not even trying to pull out the remainder and just cut them flush with the ground/concrete. The wood inside the cut still looked like it was alive.

 

[Kris5902]

I’m in southern BC Canada, just a little bit north too! Usually nice wet weather here... I miss it over the current cold though. One thing I notice is @paneubert you've got a decent slope there and what looks like nicely draining soil (sandy clay?) you could probably even skip the concrete footings entirely and still be good for over 10 years with pressure treated posts! (Enviously admiring your posts!)

Location is almost as important as installation technique. Concrete is still porous and Posts can rot in a footing easily... if you have a really wet spot post saddles can also help. Use these in a concrete footing:

These ones are next to useless, I’ve found:


If well installed, wooden posts are, IMO, superior to metal for most applications.