Fencing Ideas?

[jetdog]

1/2 x 1/2 is perfect.

 

[Animals970]

I have a small dog chain link run attached to the coop and also a larger electric poultry fence for daytime use. I went with the 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch 48" high hardware cloth to line the dog run. No chicken heads can peep out of the fence (and get torn off by predators, including my own dogs) and nothing can get in. I also worry about field mice getting in to the coop for the food, the mice themselves aren't a big problem but their scent trails can lead timber rattlers and copperheads into the chicken yard so I don't want mice attracted to the coop.

I feel very comfortable knowing the inner "secure" run is VERY secure and that means I can leave the coop open to the small run when the nights are warm.

Oh, I hadn't thought of snakes being attracted to the mice. I know that rats can chew off the beaks, toes, and combs of the chickens. So, snakes aren't the only worry about mice and rats. I have a friend who's chickens beak got chewed off by mice (not at her house, but the person's that gave them to her). So yes, it needs to be rodent proof aswell.

 

[Animals970]

Ok, hello everyone again. I have not been on this thread for a while cause really all of the conversation was over, but i'm looking at picking it back up again cause if we keep this thread going it could be packed with some good info on building fences and runs.

I've finally decided what I want my run to look like. I'm going to have 8 Ft wooden poles (About 2 dollars a piece at Lowes) placed around the perimeters. Than I'm going to have 36 x 150 ft chicken wire all around. Then the wire is going to stack up on each other (about 6 rolls will cover it) and then I'm going to line the fence with center blocks and plant little flowers in them.

Does this setup sound ok?

 

[Emdy]

I'm getting welsh harlequin ducks and buff orphington chickens very soon and have almost finished my coop. my run is foing to be very large, much to large to cover. There is an exsisting 4 foot wood fence on one side and i was going to continue that 4 foot fence with t posts and some kind of mesh fencing. I'm going to run electric line at the bottom about a foot of the ground and on the very top of the fence. The bottom to keep dogs away and the top to keep cats and racoons away. My question is If my any of my birds decide to fly up to the fence will they fly clear over or on top where they will be shocked? If they get shocked will they learn from that and not do it anymore or get shocked repeatedly. I dont think they will try to fly out, like others have said if they have plenty of space and food they will have no need to. Anyway, any opinions are welcome. Thanks this forum has been very helpful. While not knew to chickens and ducks I am new to them in the current environment I'm in now. Not way out in the boonies where they can free range at will and fly up in trees at night.

 

[Animals970]

I'm getting welsh harlequin ducks and buff orphington chickens very soon and have almost finished my coop. my run is foing to be very large, much to large to cover. There is an exsisting 4 foot wood fence on one side and i was going to continue that 4 foot fence with t posts and some kind of mesh fencing. I'm going to run electric line at the bottom about a foot of the ground and on the very top of the fence. The bottom to keep dogs away and the top to keep cats and racoons away. My question is If my any of my birds decide to fly up to the fence will they fly clear over or on top where they will be shocked? If they get shocked will they learn from that and not do it anymore or get shocked repeatedly. I dont think they will try to fly out, like others have said if they have plenty of space and food they will have no need to. Anyway, any opinions are welcome. Thanks this forum has been very helpful. While not knew to chickens and ducks I am new to them in the current environment I'm in now. Not way out in the boonies where they can free range at will and fly up in trees at night.

Yes, as I'm the one who started this thread it has really helped me along. Hopefully it has helped some other people who have not posted here. I don't think they will get shocked. In my experience, chickens (which being land birds) do not perch on things unless they are really sturdy looking. Like metal poles or tree branches.