Fencing ideas

[Lou Anne McKeefery]

Hello,
I have a bobcat and hawk problem. After 2 1/2 years with no losses, yesterday I lost 4 birds to hawks. My girls are in a fenced area but the area is large enough for the hawks to grab them. Until I solve this they will have to stay in the coop unless I let them out late afternoon and stay outside with them.

I had planned on putting fencing to the side of their coop anyway to keep them to a smaller location so grasses could grow and I would let them outside late afternoon to eat then return to coop on their own.

I'm looking for suggestions on the design and materials. I'll have an auto closing door to the coop for the nights and open in the morning. Creative solutions appreciated!

 

[Bridger Davis]

First of all, I love your lemon tree! Second, what about a chicken tractor? They could have a covered walkway to the chicken tractor and then if you wanted them to have to option of free range, you could move the tractor around... That's just my thought. I'm eager to here other opinions!

 

[Lou Anne McKeefery]

I have too many girls for a tractor I think (17), but it is a good one to consider. I love that tree too, it's a lime tree (which is better I think) that does pose some constraint on the design of the fence since I don't want to take it out.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

We have 2 Meyer lemon and 1 blood orange tree in our backyard, our a/c is on stilts and we have a fake plastic cement square on cinder blocks that also provides areas to hide, I suggest you keep your lime tree and possible add some places for your girls to hide from hawks. A rooster is great if you can keep one. As far as your bobcat problem, can you trap him and get rid of him? Good luck

 

[Lou Anne McKeefery]

I think a bobcat has a territory and will find its way back.
How does a rooster help? I've heard that b4 but I don't understand the behavior. Are they more alert to danger than the hens? I can have a rooster but so far hubby has said no due to noise. But please tell me more! Thanks in advance.

 

[Lou Anne McKeefery]

We have 2 Meyer lemon and 1 blood orange tree in our backyard, our a/c is on stilts and we have a fake plastic cement square on cinder blocks that also provides areas to hide, I suggest you keep your lime tree and possible add some places for your girls to hide from hawks. A rooster is great if you can keep one. As far as your bobcat problem, can you trap him and get rid of him? Good luck

So you have hiding places, I do too. Lots of bushes and one table in the middle of the area. I like your idea of more smaller areas but they certainly have to get in there. I thought I might need ways to keep the birds from being able to fly in and take off but I also don't know their flight pattern, maybe I'll youtube for that.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

When we had a rooster (had to re home cause we weren't supposed to have him) He would call for his hens to hide if he sensed danger (called me once to get a hen that fell in our swimming pool in winter) and then face the danger head on. Watched him do this with hawks on a few occassions. Hawk ended up giving up, hens were hidden and rooster stood in the middle of the yard eyeballing the hawk, who swooped a couple of times and gave up. He spiked rats to death and attacked possums at night in the coop. Don't have bobcats, expect he may have lost that fight, but would have gone down fighting and would have alerted me to the danger. I guess that's why I think if it's a bobcat you might have to trap him and get rid of him. Also want your coop to be as tight as possible at night when they roost. Good luck

 

[Hivoltage]

I am in the same situation and this is what we have planned. Going to install a 6' tall 10 x 24 chain link fence covered. and bury a foot in the ground. Hardware wire around the bottom 2 feet and run electric around it. I dont even know what our predator is but I know it will be back !

 

[chickens really]

Electric poultry fence and get Decoy Crows and an Owl...They actually work...

 

[aart]

I have lots of hawks, so I built this:


Works better than a fake owl.