Help With Run Implementation

[ark3422]

Obviously, I want to put up a wire fence to keep chickens in on my lot. The best suited area for it just happens to be on an incline and I am not quite sure how to build it given the terrain.

It isn't going to be extremely big, 20' x 11' with the top of the fence being 6' and I am going to build it off my existing deck posts and going out toward the back. Here are a couple of pics to give you an idea of the terrain and I can provide more if needed. I put my dog's pen up to it to show the incline. Picture 1 Picture 2

I have purchased wood posts instead of going with t-posts (they just seem more secure to me with the concrete setting) and hardware cloth instead of chicken wire although I am going to bury chicken wire as an apron for diggers. For better security, I am going to extend netting over the top as well. I'm just not sure how to knock out those 2, 20' sides on the incline. I've got my fence line lined out with landscaping timbers and I was going to space my posts about 7' apart. So questions...

• How do you deal with fence posts and the cloth or fencing on those inclines? I am assuming I would put the 8 ft posts down two feet, regardless of where it falls on the incline but I could be wrong about that.
• How should I attach the hardware cloth to the posts? What I mean by that is should I attach it to one post, stretch and attach to the next post, cut, and then restart from that post and go to the next or do I stretch the cloth as far as I can attaching to posts along the way?
• As mentioned, I want to run chicken wire under the landscaping timbers and spread outward for digging predator protection. I also want to reinforce it with rebar, if possible. Is that a good way to go or is there a better way to do that?

I found this design on here but I didn't see any instructions on what exactly they did, although I could have missed it or don't know where to look being a newb.

I may have some additional questions coming later, so I hope you don't mind.

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.

 

[igorsMistress]

Yes you would put the posts in to the same depth regardless of where it's placed on the incline. I can see needing some creativity at the top but I imagine you should be able to roll out the hwc straight down the incline without cutting at each post. If you have predators worrisome enough to bury a skirt then you'll want a more secure top than netting. HWC at the very least.

 

[ark3422]

Yes you would put the posts in to the same depth regardless of where it's placed on the incline. I can see needing some creativity at the top but I imagine you should be able to roll out the hwc straight down the incline without cutting at each post. If you have predators worrisome enough to bury a skirt then you'll want a more secure top than netting. HWC at the very least.

Oops! I forget netting and hardware cloth are two different things in the chickening world and I use them interchangeably. Yes, I'll be using it on top as well as for fencing.

 

[David61]

A few things. Chicken wire stops nothing but chickens. Netting stops nothing but hawks. Use the Hardware cloth on another project. 2x4 animal wire for apron in the ground and sides up six feet. Used the chicken wire or HC for the first two feet inside to keep the chickens heads in and outside hands out. After you set your corner poles pull a string and use a line level to set poles you my use 8' on one corner and need a 10' on some others. 6 foot with a two foot apron is 8feet or two pieces of 48" wire roll. Look what I did to get my seems covered and apron down. I found my center line and just turned the wire out at the bottom to make the apron. Over lap the wire seem in the middle and it was level at the top of the poles where it started. If I didn't have a roof, and I don't on my outside netted run, I would not have used HC as my siding wire. The advantage is gone because the net roof is not going stop anything the HC is keeping out over just using 2x4 animal wire. Rats, snakes and other will go right up the HC and past the net top. My netted run has 4 foot fence of chain link and 2x4 animal wire. I did not use an apron on my day time netted run as any diggers i have are night time. They are in the armored run at night.

 

[David61]

Well then netting=HC. Just over lap a few inches. Screw down wire with washers and screws.

I used 3/4 electrical staples in between screw and washers spacings. I covered my seems with dog eared fence boards

 

[3KillerBs]

Found this image online. It might help you.

 

[ark3422]

Well then netting=HC. Just over lap a few inches. Screw down wire with washers and screws. View attachment 2176615 I used 3/4 electrical staples in between screw and washers spacings. I covered my seems with dog eared fence boards

Looks great. Is that treated wood? I've been reading how it can cause corrosion with fencing but I bought galvanized hardware cloth so I'm hoping there's not an issue using it with the treated wood and footboards I bought.

 

[David61]

any wood that's not treated doesn't last long and any metal that's not painted or galvanized isn't as well. Dog eared fence boards are cheap and last a long time. Just the ticket to cover wire seems from getting pull at by critters.

 

[ark3422]

any wood that's not treated doesn't last long and any metal that's not painted or galvanized isn't as well. Dog eared fence boards are cheap and last a long time. Just the ticket to cover wire seems from getting pull at by critters.

That's good. The wood I have bought is treated and the hardware cloth is galvanized. My wood posts are spaced 7 feet apart though and I haven't seen any dog eared fence pickets that length. Is there a way to connect them?

 

[David61]

Lowes sells 8 and 10 foot dog eared fence boards. I have mad skills with power tools and cut them in half to trim as well as using them whole. And if you are just coming wire seems it doesn't have to be one board. You can use two. 3'6" or what ever. Its just keeping the wire seem away from little critter hands and teeth so they can't start a opening.