Help fence around Bushes

[newchick1358]

Ok so as my name suggest I'm very new to chicken raising. My husband God bless him thought it would be a good idea to raise them in the postage stamp of a yard we have. He bought a prefabricated coop that is too small. We have 4 pullits in the coop now. We have some bushes that are be hind the coop now I have cut out the under side of them where no leaves grow the girls love it under there. I have been raking my brain to see if there is a way to fence in the bushes so I can extend their space. As of now none of them have made the just into our neighbors yard but my Sussex has contemplated it and if she goes all but Chicken Little will be lost. If you have any advice please help. I have modified the coop it self but the run its still to small. Thanks

 

[21hens-incharge]

Can you post a pic of the shrubs you wish to fence in?
How big they are will help in deciding what the best options could be.
It is also helpful to know if they are sturdy shrubs or if they bend or break easily.
I know my elderberry would not take kindly to having anything on its delicate branches but the lilac could handle something touching them for example.

 

[newchick1358]

I will try to take a better picture but for now this is what I have the bushes go about two feet back from the coop and then about 8 feet over. I'm also contemplating a way to incloud the garden planter next to it. This is just a run it only needs to be chicken proof the bushes are good cover and our only preditors are nocturnal. My dog is very protective of the yard and feels the chickens are part of her gard job. It's quite cute to be sure. The gray fences is a temperary fix. Did I mention I can't dig more the a foot deep because we live on top of rock.the bushes can take some wait I can lean a peace of plywood on them and they are fine. It's a tuff problem. I've been racking my brain since tha dam coop came. I love our bird but I will not let them suffer. If I can't come up with some way to give them more room without taking up more of our lawn we will have to find them new homes

any idea is a good one.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I would go with bird netting if you are not trying to keep critters out but keep birds in. It will deter hawks as well. Look into hoop coops in the coops pages above. LOTs of ways you can use a hoop coop. You could incorporate one with bird netting above the flower box to allow them to get to that area as well.
The bird netting is almost invisible to the human eye by the way. Home Depot carries it and may have it called deer netting. It comes in narrow and wide varieties.

The shrubs look to be a type of boxwood so should handle the netting and perhaps some PVC run above them.

 

[newchick1358]

That sounds perfect thank you. I will give it a try