- Thread starter
- #81
I will try to respond to more of you, this thread has been busy over the holiday! I will include some pictures below of our run now.
All options considered, we decided to go with topping the run with aviary netting. I couldn’t find any locally, but I was referred to an orchard and vineyard supply warehouse in the area. I ended up getting “extra heavy duty” netting, that has five eights inch openings. It is primarily used for keeping birds away from fruit. Although it says extra heavy duty, it’s very lightweight. But, throughout the course of installation, it snagged on several sharp surfaces and didn’t even fray. We folded it in half, attached it to the roof of the coop, and sort of pulled it over the run like a bedsheet. It overhangs the fence on all sides by a generous amount, and is secured well. I can’t imagine a bird being able to get through it, especially since there are two layers. Anything would get tangled before it got through. some thing that worried me about netting with larger openings, was potential risk for a chicken getting tangled in it. The nice thing about the five eights openings is that they are too small to fit a chicken head. And, since our fence posts are 10 feet high, the lowest area of netting right now is only about 8 feet. A chicken would have to fly up, flip upside down, and get her feet tangled in the netting to get stuck.
Although we do get a good amount of snow in this area, I am not too concerned. Their run is covered by a gigantic Douglas fir tree, and it protects the ground from heavy snowfall. For reference, we got 8 inches one day, and there was barely an inch on the ground in the run. If snow accumulation ever did start to become a problem however, it seems like it would be just as easy as knocking it loose with a broom handle and letting it fall through.
Since putting up the netting, we haven’t had any more problems. We do have plans to include a more permanent partial enclosure inside the run, directly off the side of the coop, but that will likely have to wait until spring.
The girls egg production has dropped off significantly, and the stress also caused one of our chickens to throw a late molt. Not ideal timing, as we are starting to get into the coldest part of the year! But, they seem to be recovering overall. Still a little gun shy, even nervous to approach me, but that is to be expected.
As you can see from the picture below, our property has quite a grade to it. I made them a little roost in the middle of the run when it was built, almost right in the middle. Since the base is a 6 x 6 post buried in the ground, we are going to drill a hole into it and anchor in a patio umbrella. This will help support the netting in the middle, as well as give the girls extra protection from sun and precipitation. The nice thing about the umbrella too, is that we will be able to crank it down if it’s windy, or to empty it of snow. I will add a picture here once we do that. Hoping to get that done next week(after payday).
All options considered, we decided to go with topping the run with aviary netting. I couldn’t find any locally, but I was referred to an orchard and vineyard supply warehouse in the area. I ended up getting “extra heavy duty” netting, that has five eights inch openings. It is primarily used for keeping birds away from fruit. Although it says extra heavy duty, it’s very lightweight. But, throughout the course of installation, it snagged on several sharp surfaces and didn’t even fray. We folded it in half, attached it to the roof of the coop, and sort of pulled it over the run like a bedsheet. It overhangs the fence on all sides by a generous amount, and is secured well. I can’t imagine a bird being able to get through it, especially since there are two layers. Anything would get tangled before it got through. some thing that worried me about netting with larger openings, was potential risk for a chicken getting tangled in it. The nice thing about the five eights openings is that they are too small to fit a chicken head. And, since our fence posts are 10 feet high, the lowest area of netting right now is only about 8 feet. A chicken would have to fly up, flip upside down, and get her feet tangled in the netting to get stuck.
Although we do get a good amount of snow in this area, I am not too concerned. Their run is covered by a gigantic Douglas fir tree, and it protects the ground from heavy snowfall. For reference, we got 8 inches one day, and there was barely an inch on the ground in the run. If snow accumulation ever did start to become a problem however, it seems like it would be just as easy as knocking it loose with a broom handle and letting it fall through.
Since putting up the netting, we haven’t had any more problems. We do have plans to include a more permanent partial enclosure inside the run, directly off the side of the coop, but that will likely have to wait until spring.
The girls egg production has dropped off significantly, and the stress also caused one of our chickens to throw a late molt. Not ideal timing, as we are starting to get into the coldest part of the year! But, they seem to be recovering overall. Still a little gun shy, even nervous to approach me, but that is to be expected.
As you can see from the picture below, our property has quite a grade to it. I made them a little roost in the middle of the run when it was built, almost right in the middle. Since the base is a 6 x 6 post buried in the ground, we are going to drill a hole into it and anchor in a patio umbrella. This will help support the netting in the middle, as well as give the girls extra protection from sun and precipitation. The nice thing about the umbrella too, is that we will be able to crank it down if it’s windy, or to empty it of snow. I will add a picture here once we do that. Hoping to get that done next week(after payday).
