I need an alternative to poultry netting

[Howard E]

Couple suggestions. If you don't like the commercial chemical weed killers, spraying a more organic mix of vinegar, salt and dish soap will kill surface vegetation, but not the roots. But keep it up over time, and the roots will eventually die too. Internet search will show you how.

If you want a different e-fence......go through the archives to find one of my several posts on electric fences. I prefer the 3 or 4 strands of wire, tape or poly rope over the netting. Far and away prefer it. Easy to setup and easier to maintain than netting and a fraction of the cost. If you already have the charger system, you have the most expensive part already.

 

[hayley3]

Couple suggestions. If you don't like the commercial chemical weed killers, spraying a more organic mix of vinegar, salt and dish soap will kill surface vegetation, but not the roots. But keep it up over time, and the roots will eventually die too. Internet search will show you how.

If you want a different e-fence......go through the archives to find one of my several posts on electric fences. I prefer the 3 or 4 strands of wire, tape or poly rope over the netting. Far and away prefer it. Easy to setup and easier to maintain than netting and a fraction of the cost. If you already have the charger system, you have the most expensive part already.

That would really be the simplest option but my neighbor has a HUGE poodle that can jump , I am just afraid that he would jump right over the strands of wire. I actually bought those push in posts because of your setup but I'm afraid to test it out for fear of losing a chicken.

 

[RojoMarz]

I'm not sure on all the particulars...are you going to keep taking something down to mow or are you wanting something more permanent? I have some Snow fence, that is used on my run walls, to stop the plastic from flapping. It is more rigid than poultry netting, could be attached to tposts (or something) with zip ties, removed if needed, and maybe flexible enough that you could weed eat/mow at the bottom. I think mine is 4', so your neighbor's dog might could jump it.

 

[mommiesrcool]

I'm tired of taking it all up to mow and putting it back down. It stretches which I don't like either. I am overspent on my chicken coop so I need alternatives that I can do that are cheap.
I might be able to pay someone to put up some tposts ( a fence would cost me $6,000, which I cannot do.)
But the area they have is too small so I wanted to expand it somewhat. I cannot put up farm fencing, it is beyond my strength.
I have no issues doing an electric fence but I would prefer a physical fence that I can then electrify. I am basically keeping out my neighbor's dogs that get out occasionally.

Hoping there is something I don't know about. Can you attach chicken wire to tposts and it last?, I wonder.

I did my fence for 150 i used t posts from HomeDepot and chicken wire from HomeDepot

 

[mommiesrcool]

I was also going to suggest welded wire attached to t-posts as your cheapest option as far as an actual fence. Then a couple of electric wire strands in front of the field fence should be plenty sufficient to keep the neighbor dogs away, plus most other poultry predators too.

I have a fence just like that but without the shock wire and it works well

 

[cmom]

I'm an old lady in my 70's. Here is an updated picture of my wires. I use chicken wire but have had no issues of anything getting past the electric wires to get at the chicken wire. I didn't put the insulators back on the fence posts. Instead I used step in posts. Salt works well under the wires. It will eventually kill the weeds.

This was before I added this coop.

Luckily we have a tractor. I put a 5' roll of the chicken wire in the bucket and took it over and rolled it out of the bucket onto the ground. I put a couple of stakes in the ground to hold the end while I rolled the wire out. Starting at the end I picked up the chicken wire and attached it to the edge of the coop and gradually put it up. I used cable ties to hold the wire up. After I got it up I used aluminum wire to attach it to the metal fence posts. No more cable ties. They eventually deteriorate and come off but the metal wire lasts. DH is 80 and can't help me because he's not steady enough. He has Parkinson's so I have to do it myself so I can understand your plight. Good luck...

 

[hayley3]

I'm not sure on all the particulars...are you going to keep taking something down to mow or are you wanting something more permanent? I have some Snow fence, that is used on my run walls, to stop the plastic from flapping. It is more rigid than poultry netting, could be attached to tposts (or something) with zip ties, removed if needed, and maybe flexible enough that you could weed eat/mow at the bottom. I think mine is 4', so your neighbor's dog might could jump it.

I actually thought about snow fence when I saw the Omlet fencing. I need something more permanent because taking it down all the time to mow is probably the cause of the sagging.

 

[hayley3]

I'm an old lady in my 70's. Here is an updated picture of my wires. I use chicken wire but have had no issues of anything getting past the electric wires to get at the chicken wire. I didn't put the insulators back on the fence posts. Instead I used step in posts. Salt works well under the wires. It will eventually kill the weeds.
View attachment 2490441
This was before I added this coop.
View attachment 2490442
Luckily we have a tractor. I put a 5' roll of the chicken wire in the bucket and took it over and rolled it out of the bucket onto the ground. I put a couple of stakes in the ground to hold the end while I rolled the wire out. Starting at the end I picked up the chicken wire and attached it to the edge of the coop and gradually put it up. I used cable ties to hold the wire up. After I got it up I used aluminum wire to attach it to the metal fence posts. No more cable ties. They eventually deteriorate and come off but the metal wire lasts. DH is 80 and can't help me because he's not steady enough. He has Parkinson's so I have to do it myself so I can understand your plight. Good luck...

What kind of metal wire? Yeah it is rough getting old but still want to keep your chickens.

 

[cmom]

Aluminum wire for attaching the chicken wire to the fence posts. It's easier to work with than steel wire. For the electric wires I used poly rope wire so it is easily seen. As far as a predator, I want it to associate the poly rope wire with "if you touch it you will hurt". I have heard a predator connect with the hot wires every once in a great while and I guarantee they won't touch it again. This is the time of year when the predators are out more during the day looking for mates so every now and then a new predator will pass through and not know about the electric wires but know there are chickens. I'm sure when they touch the electric wires they forget all about the birds.

 

[hayley3]

Aluminum wire for attaching the chicken wire to the fence posts. It's easier to work with than steel wire. For the electric wires I used poly rope wire so it is easily seen. As far as a predator, I want it to associate the poly rope wire with "if you touch it you will hurt". I have heard a predator connect with the hot wires every once in a great while and I guarantee they won't touch it again. This is the time of year when the predators are out more during the day looking for mates so every now and then a new predator will pass through and not know about the electric wires but know there are chickens. I'm sure when they touch the electric wires they forget all about the birds.

I have a ton of poly wire.
Since I moved, I haven't seen traces of any predators...the facebook group talks about bobcats and coyotes though, but the land around me is cleared so my worst issues are the dog next door and both dogs have had a taste of the electric fence already.