When the homes of my road were first built in the 40s they were bordered all around with 3ft block walls, to which decades of residents and neighbors added the traditional 6ft wooden fencing - always flush to the wall if not bolted directly to it. This was the case on my property. My hens usually freerange around the garden unless the weather is extra crummy or we're out all day.
Last week my neighbor pulled the fence between us down without telling me; luckily I hadn't opened the run that morning. After 5 days of cooped-up chooks, a new fence was constructed. The problem is not the fence coming down (it's his property, after all, although some warning would be nice) but that for some reason he rebuilt it a foot away from the block wall. It also doesn't go flush to the ground, there's about a 6in gap. More than enough space for a fox or dog to slip through to my side, and certainly no barrier to the hens.
My wife and I stretched garden mesh over the gap and attached it with screws and washers. It's far from perfect, but it so far has keep the chooks from getting over the wall. It's hard to tell from this photo, but the individual sheets of mesh are cable-tied together.
Although this has become their favorite resting spot. We call it the chook hammock.
I need some advice about the best way to securely block off the gap. We can't build our own fence (landlord said no), or attach any major construction projects to the neighbor's fence as it's his property.
Last week my neighbor pulled the fence between us down without telling me; luckily I hadn't opened the run that morning. After 5 days of cooped-up chooks, a new fence was constructed. The problem is not the fence coming down (it's his property, after all, although some warning would be nice) but that for some reason he rebuilt it a foot away from the block wall. It also doesn't go flush to the ground, there's about a 6in gap. More than enough space for a fox or dog to slip through to my side, and certainly no barrier to the hens.
My wife and I stretched garden mesh over the gap and attached it with screws and washers. It's far from perfect, but it so far has keep the chooks from getting over the wall. It's hard to tell from this photo, but the individual sheets of mesh are cable-tied together.
Although this has become their favorite resting spot. We call it the chook hammock.
I need some advice about the best way to securely block off the gap. We can't build our own fence (landlord said no), or attach any major construction projects to the neighbor's fence as it's his property.
