Help! Netting question?

[frenchblackcopper]

bdfive,minxfox says her netting rips a lot,,maybe because it's stretched too tight? My netting really wasn't stretched or pulled tight because I had wire and cable for the net to lay on between the posts.My east side outside pen is about 48x48 and my top net size was 50x50.One side I did roll up about 2feet of excess net,I took a 3/4" x2" board and rolled the excess net around,then drywall screwed these boards and net all along the top of the poles.The other edge came out with no excess at all to mess with so if the net was cut correctly at the factory my net isn't stretched at all in either direction.
The top of your 2- 14' high poles,,is it possible for you to go to a car exhaust shop and buy some new but not used scrap exhaust tubing? Say maybe a 4' length of 2" exhaust pipe for each pole? You could easily weld this on top of the poles and afterwards of you needed to,heat the exhaust pipe to bend both outside ends downward some? Or leave it straight? If your hubby is handy with a welder you could make a cross shape on top of each 14' pole with exhaust pipe.My buddy buys 10' sections of exhaust tubing because he has a custom pipe bender and makes custom exhausts for cars and trucks,,a 10' stick of 1 1/2" tubing costs him about $15.Since it's a round pipe the net will not catch on it.You can buy spray cans of paint and give it several coats to prevent rust after it's been welded on top of your two poles.If you make a cross shape on top of the poles you could then lay a circle of welded wire or chicken wire over your cross shape and use wire strands to secure it to the exhaust pipe.You could visit a local car junkyard and buy two car trunk lids and weld on top of the poles and trim as you desire.They would already be painted and could be bolted to a top plate welded to your poles.You could find semi truck "budd" style tire rims,these are round,and most are made for a 20" truck tire size giving you an already round piece of steel,with a center hole in it,with bolt holes already in place from where the rim was attached to the axle hub,,these lug bolt holes can be used to secure to the top of your posts.

 

[destinduck]

Your netting shouldnt rip if stretched too tight unless its old and not UV protected. I do want it tight enough that the birds wont get caught up in it if they happen to go nuts. A sagging spot is not good.Of course the UV sun is the main killer of any netting. If you have any doubt if it is any good.Just do the old pull test If it rips you might think about getting some new stuff. Pacificand toprite is great place to get netting.The guy that was mentioned earlier obviously is good. One of my buds got his from Pacific. Thicker is better in my opinion. I am fortunate enough to have got all my netting real cheap from friends excess.Both Pacific and toprite i was told It is all knotted and 2 in(I like knotted the best) but is not the thicker types of the two main sizes. I nail all my netting even on my center post also cause I dont want rubbing anywhere it doesnt have to. Like french said though smoother is better if you are going to use cables or want play on top of your center posts. Hawks have landed on top of mine before. I mainly keep waterfowl and only one peafowl.

Just some netting thoughts here.

 

[bdfive]

Frenchblackcopper, Destinduck and everyone, I will be so happy when this project is finished. I'm exhausted from being out there practically every day. We have quit working weekends thank goodness. We're paying $12 an hour to a very knowledgeable young man to do the main work. He is a genius at carpentry and I can't say enough regarding how great my peachick house has turned out. I will eventually post pictures. Today my husband, JR and I were pulling huge boulders out with our Kabota tractor and a chain. We're in the Hill Country of Texas.....lots of serious rocks here. The largest moved as yet on our 5 acres will be trailered to JR's home in the next week or so. He's thrilled and we're more then happy to see it go as we have plenty more, haha!!

Thanks for all the ideas of what to put on the top of the poles. We'll be at that point soon. Presently we're laying miscellaneous wire on the ground around the perimeter and attaching it to the fence so no predators can dig under. I'll be placing large rocks over the wire then mulch. Some of each rock will be sticking out to give it a landscaped look. I think I've decided to purchase a larger net since price is just a little more. We can roll out a 50 by 100 foot in the front pasture and cut it in half. I'll have twice as much netting for a little more money. Forget the prices but what I need is under $300 ...... twice as much was only another $60 or so. I keep forgetting the man's name at Pacific Netting.....he sent me samples of the netting. Knots are really tight...I can't get them apart so the netting can be easily trimmed once installed. I'm excited....the birds are going to love their courtyard.

I'm up because baby monitor picked up sound of big cat, probably a Bobcat. Wanted to make sure it moved on so dogs and I went outside making noise before it got too close. Hopefully it's not the Mountain Lion that moves through once in a while. Forgive the language but I'd crap my pants if ever I saw on of those, LOL! Actually would love to but if ever do I hope it's from the safety of the house and none of my animals/birds are at risk. I've been told it/they take domestic cats when in the area. Friend said she lost 3 last time there was a sighting. We all have cats....they get dumped here because of being near year around Rebecca Creek. Not many reproduce because we all get them spayed/neutered at low cost of $20 each. We do have some feral (gone wild). I have 2 feral, 1 semi and 1 pet. They all just showed up here.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

Hows progress?

 

[bdfive]

I ordered a 50 by 100 foot net from Pacific Netting today. Courtyard is about 35 by 55 feet but it's not too much more expensive to get one big net and cut it instead of purchasing 2. I'm sure I can find a use for the remainder. It's actually closed in now with the gates finished. This is going to be so much fun and I'm so happy for the birds getting more room. I am concerned about the free range peafowl flying onto 2" netting so high where I can't help them. Also peas inside will be trying to fly to the top of the pen where netting will be attached. I doubt they will be able to see it and think it's open space. I realize in time they will learn........or will they? I promise to eventually take some pictures. I'm not real great with digital cameras so it's a chore for me.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

bdfive,I too was very skeptical as to what my peas would do when first allowed into the breeding pens and seeing open sky for the first time.I moved most of my birds at dusk or very close to dark.I put each one on a perch. A few did fly to the ground that night.The next morning it was interesting to watch them and especially when jets was flying over because we are in the direct southbound flightpath for most departing O'Hare and Midway airport traffic. Some did fly directly "UP" and did a header into the netting but soon would tire of flapping and drop down. I did have an Opal b/s hen once that got her neck caught in the netting and I happened to be close with my step ladder and got her out but she was not caught in the netting,,rather if she would have just turned her head she would have been free.
About 1/2 of my breeding stock I purchased last spring and some was wild as deer.The other 1/2 were ones I had hatched and been around since day1.My own hatched birds was far less flighty.About 1/2 of the newly purchased birds had been around people before and they too were mellow.But then the last 1/2 seemed to take most of the summer to settle down.I had vertical take-offs at high noon.My purple pen was the worst and two of them came from a large breeder who evidently feeds and waters each night because these two birds were bat crazy most of the summer.I think they were trying to break the net everytime as hard as they hit it.If your peas are used to you,they will adjust fast and easy,,if they are not used to peaple it can be very interesting for you and them.

 

[bdfive]

The only wild and crazy pea I have is a young Java male I've raised. I have his dad, mom and another Java hen that are calm. My Emerald Spalding and all the India Blue are calm....most eat from my hand. Each pen is approx. 10 x 30' with only 20' of each roofed so they have 10' of wire above where they see sky and can experience rain. Am I right in thinking if they fly into the 2" x 2" netting their head will go through but easily come right back out when gravity takes hold? My plan is to not have anyone but me out there when they are released into the courtyard. They don't fear me at all. Once accustomed I hope to have lots of people spend time here so they will become friendlier with strangers. Some will eat from stranger hands now. I'll let one pens occupants out at a time and rotate through the 4 pens. The males are displaying so don't want them fighting.

I'm still concerned with the steel poles being 16 feet high in the center of the courtyard. Have no idea how we'll deal with any problems that may occur. Also questioning the decision of what to have on top of the poles for the netting to lay on. We decided and found 2 of the 250 gallon propane tank covers (domed with hinges that covers the valves). Plan is to weld them on top of the poles and the netting will lay on them but I wonder if the movement of the net on the metal will wear out the netting....also that metal is going to get hot in the summer. Maybe using car wheel rims as suggested in this thread would work better. We were talking today about running wire for the netting to lay on. I need to closely read through all you nice folks have shared with me. I've been so busy my head is spinning. We are pretty much finished with everything so maybe I can slow down and concentrate a little.

 

[zazouse]

how big around are the poles mabe i can help you come up with something.

 

[bdfive]

2 7/8 are size of poles . At this point unless I put a stop to it the domes will be welded on today. I think I've attached a picture of a propane tank. If so we're using the blue dome on top of the tank.

 

[bdfive]

I see picture didn't post.