Ideas needed to figure out how to cover top of run

[Duckie48]

Just what is a Pyre. Is it a sheep or goat or what. Can't tell. Also cant tell how big the tree is as can only see a couple of branches of something.

 

[emkatmo]

I'm very new to raising chickens -- got my first chicks a little over a year ago. We have purchased 9 chicks throughout the past year and because of our dog and hawks, have only 2 grown chickens and a chick about 2 months old. I was thinking about running fishing line from the top of our chain link fence to the hen house in 1-foot increments to keep hawks out and keep my chickens in. I like the idea of putting something on the wire, as well. I was thinking about getting some vines that would crawl up the fence and across the wires, but that will take some time, and I want to make sure I get a plant that is neither toxic to the chickens nor something they want to devour. Has anyone tried anything like that?

 

[junebuggena]

Just what is a Pyre. Is it a sheep or goat or what. Can't tell. Also cant tell how big the tree is as can only see a couple of branches of something.

Pyre - short for Great Pyrenese, a breed of dog.

 

[mandy123]

I'm on west coast near Oregon border. Winters are cold but not severe. a lot of rain. I have two apples and a plum tree coming thru the tops of my runs. Now ten years old. Thru pruning every year I have the branches trained to go either side and whats left in the center of the cage is pretty much gone. What fruit falls onto wire or goes thru is enjoyed by the girls Pruning and training your trees along with providing shade,seem to solve it. They devoir all the excess fruit. Don't overkill, time will show results.

 

[kubotafoot]

Use aviary cloth (basically plastic flexible netting). I am not sure how tall the apple tree is, but if the branches start like 4-5 feet up the trunk, run the netting to the trunk and fold a sash-like edging at the truck. Do this for as many runs of netting you have or need. Then, I run a rope through the sash and pull it tight to the tree. If you'd like you can put some cardboard behind the rope so you have no chance of the rope in the sash girdling the tree. The predators might come down the limbs of the tree, but they are outside the pen and netting and are stopped where the netting is in the sleeve at the trunk. If the tree is smaller.....trim the water spouts (branches going straight up) and throw the netting over everything. It will obviously be "loose" but I find it best to leave the netting a bit sloppy-loose as it is more difficult for a predator to walk on it that way then for it to be taunt and easy.
Good luck!
Paula in CT

 

[NapaChicknGal]

Hi - I have a 3 yr old nectarine tree that is dying because of either lack of water or bird netting tugging at it. I'm bummed that I'm losing the tree -- love the fruit -- I have an olive tree, a pomegranate tree and lost the peach tree with moving posts around -- so pomegranate and olive are the survivors. I don't have a hawk problem, just crazy hens that keep flying out -- even tho' I clipped wings on two of them. And I'm an old broad who does all this by myself so it is kind of catty-wampus--nearly hung myself putting up the netting -- still get tangled BUT they no longer escape--that's the wonderful part. I'm hoping my visiting grandson w/help me lift it up so -- since it wd/b so nice to enter run w/o nutty birds bugging me anddealing w/the saggy netting. Good luck!!

 

[lynnehd]

I have a smaller pen than yours, but it also contains fruit trees (& a tool shed) so bird netting the whole top is impossible. I used 6' wide strips of bird netting & zap strapped them together to cover what I could. There are gaps but I have used string to cross from one strip to the next in the hope it will be a visual deterrent to hawks. So far it seems to have worked.

Even fishing line (or similar) strung across, back and forth, can deter larger hawks and eagles (perhaps not Cooper's Hawks, unless the spaces are 6 inches or less).
Birds can see the line from high up and will avoid it.

I also have this strung across a tortoise enclosure, and no other birds have been harmed in 3 years; they fly above and below it, because they are smaller. Humming birds have even perched on the line!.

 

[Sea Wolf]

Have to echo some of the others. Go get a roll of either bird netting or deer fence (tougher). Cover the run and staple it around the tree trunk letting the tree poke up through. If leaves accumulate on top of it in the fall, go underneath with a stick and knock them off.
I have my own run open at the top. I have 5 foot chicken wire from the ground up. All posts have an additional wooden stake attached to make a height of 9 feet. Starting at the top of the chicken wire, I have attached a four foot high roll of plastic safety fence. Bright orange stuff like you see at job sites. The rolls of this I got were salvaged and free. A few bars across the top with hanging flash strips and I have never had a hawk go anywhere near it in three years. I have hawks strafe the bird feeder frequently which is about 200 feet from the chickens. I don't think they like that orange fencing or the flash strips.

 

[Birdydeb]

Loving all the advice and have a good idea how we will do it. Will take pics and post explanations when it is done. Thank you everyone for sharing all of your great ideas. I will need them for the duck pen we are building too. That one has no tree in it and while that is great for trying to cover it, I feel like my ducks are gonna be....well, sitting ducks. I may incorporate EVERY idea for them.

 

[Sandyboy]

Have you thought about moving the hen house out from under the tree? Hook on to it and move 5 to 10 feet. Problem solved..