Fencing Ideas?

[Animals970]

No, I am getting chicken wire, is there any type of bushes or shrubs that I should not put in the run?

 

[littlequail21]

i have not read any of the comments, so sorry if this gets repeated,

Use 6 foot wielded wire fencing...chicken wire is awful, will only last a short time then fall apart its Way to easy to break, anything that tries to go after your chickens can/will break it, also your chickens will dig around the fence, Best to dig in the fence a few inches or lay down wire around the fence line. i know its pricey, but if you want your coop to be strong and last its really the best stuff. but am warning you now any Poultry Netting is very weak, i would not use it.




http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/welded-wire-72-in-x-100-ft

 

[260906]

Privet bushes: you can trim them to any shape and size you wish. Let them grow & they will be 10-15 ft wide, 15-20 feet tall, and spread out to touch the ground. They keep most/all of their leaves through the winter in zone 6 or 7 & warmer. Very hardy plant--practically a weed. They have extremely fragrant blooms in the spring. Our chickens love to eat the copious amounts of purple berries they produce in the late summer/fall.

Bush honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima) is also semi-evergreen, depending upon which zone you live in. It does not spread like honeysuckle vines, but still has the same smell to the flowers. I love it in my yard because it keeps most of its leaves in the winter and it blooms so early in the year--sometimes the blooms will even be encased in ice during a cold snap, but it does not kill them. The bush gets about 6-8 feet tall & wide.

Red tip photinia bushes get quite large. thick, and hang down to the ground. I'm sure chickens would feel secure under them. They are low-maintenance, if you don't mind them being the size of a small tree.

 

[Animals970]

@littlequail21 . Thanks. I know how you feel, Its so tiring to read all the comments.

@Sweet Basil . Thanks for the ideas. How big do you consider a small tree?, the Red Tip Photinia sounds interesting...

 

[260906]

I've seen them up to maybe 15 feet across and about 15-20 feet tall. There is a leaf spot disease they can get, so you might want to see which species grows best in your area. No one I've ever known had problems with the leaf spot disease (except me!

), so you may not have any problems with that. The more sun they get, the healthier they are.

 

[Animals970]

Yep, I know exactly how you feel. It seems as if everything bad will happen to me, but goes perfect for everyone else.

That may be a wee bit to big...

 

[260906]

That may be a wee bit to big...

They can take some pretty harsh trimming, just like the privet. Their branches get thicker than the privet, though. You could chop them down to half their height every 4-5 years. Anyway, there are lots of other choices on bushes. Good luck with your flock.

 

[Animals970]

Thanks for all your help.

 

[chickie farm]

We are getting ready to make our chicken run and I am so worried about predators. I most definitely want to use a hardware cloth type fencing since I have read that chicken wire isn't strong enough. My question is what size of hardware cloth should I get because I read somewhere that weasels can fit in an inch space. I was actually thinking about putting 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch hardware cloth up. Any suggestions or ideas are greatly appreciated because we have many coyotes, fox, raccoons etc. We are thinking about only making it like 3 foot tall due to cost etc but also put a removable top so that I can clean etc.

 

[Sonya9]

I was actually thinking about putting 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch hardware cloth up. Any suggestions or ideas are greatly appreciated because we have many coyotes, fox, raccoons etc. We are thinking about only making it like 3 foot tall due to cost etc but also put a removable top so that I can clean etc.

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.