No wire fencing required for chicken run?

[kdatavoice]

Chicken wire Only keeps chickens in, Not predators out! That said, you will need a sturdy coup that critters can’t dig under( they will) or climb over ( they will) . Do you on-line research before this undertaking for the health and safety of your hens. Free range is great while there are no threats around. Pioneers had guard dogs and many children to watch over their animals/ flock

 

[Eggcentric NanaJ]

I am going to grow my own Chicken Fodder for supplementing my bird's diet. This can be done very simply or with a complex "system".
~~ Disclaimer~~
I have not started my Fodder yet as my chicks are only 5 weeks old. I have done a lot of research and sought out trusted sources input. I did grow some in a small container to see what would happen. Our local deer loved it.

Simple: Small holes in clean cottage cheese sized containers, elevated with small pebbles in a flat tub or tray, so the water will drain. Water lightly twice a day.
First- Soak your grain for a day.
Put a layer of soaked grain in each container, 1/2" to 1" depending on the grain.
Place the tub with the containers in an area that gets sunlight and is warm 60-70 degrees. You don't want it to mold, so don't over water.
After 6-7 days you can feed the sprouted growth to your flock. The key is to stagger the growth by starting several containers a day in rotation so after the initial 6-7 days you will always have a few containers to feed your flock daily.

More Complex: You will need a storage rack that has plastic or metal open shelfs. I am using a Storage Rack (14"x30") I had purchased from a yard sale $10, a similar image attached.
Soak your seeds for a day.
I have 6- black 10''x20" trays that I had left over from getting bedding plants. Drill holes in one of the long edges of 5 trays so they will drain. A 3/32 drill bit worked well for me. They leak slowly.
Place a 1"x2"x 20" board under the undrilled side of the trays, tilting it slightly. This will allow the water to drain out of the tray into the tray below.
Spread your soaked seeds in one tray and place this tray on the bottom shelf with the 1"x2"x 20" elevating the undrilled long side. Water sufficient, but lightly twice a day.
On the floor make sure you have a tray that doesn't have any holes to catch the water from the shelf above it.
The next day repeat the process above placing the new tray on the shelf directly above yesterdays. Make sure you put the 1"x2"x 20" board on the opposite side of the shelf so when you water this tray, the water drains on to yesterday's tray to water it.
You will continue to do this until you have all your shelves filled with trays. Keep Ziz Zagging the drainage side as you move your trays to the next shelf.
As the bottom tray shows adequate growth to feed to your chickens, remove this tray and break the "sod like" fodder into pieces. Your chickens will love this.
Move all the trays down one shelf and start the next tray on the top. You want the new tray on the top because heat rises. your seeds will germinate better on the top.
I have a couple clip-on grow lights for the bottom two shelfs to encourage "Green Growth" the last couple of days. I got these at the same yard sale.
A 2 lb. bag of Forage Mix (Amazon $10.64), Wheatgrass 3-lb. (Chewy $16.99) should produce around 10 to 15 pounds of feed your chickens. Some Feed Stores & food markets like Winco have Bins of seed as well, I just haven't explored that option yet.

There are some VERY creative ways to use an old ladder to achieve this as well. I am just using something that I already have. I hope that this helps.

 

[RandyStine]

I hope this question does not offend anyone, but, uhm, if you are out in the sticks with lots of deer and rabbits, why not eat a deer or rabbit and skip the chickens?

Shooting game out of season is poaching. Certainly in season hunting can fill a freezer, but not everyone has the tools and skills to make hunting cost effective.

 

[RandyStine]

Hope someone can help.

My backstory: I'm 67yrs old. Kinda desperate. I have always worked for myself and never had a "real" job. I have been poor all my life but it's not been too bad overall, even though I have no retirement, a money pit for a car, and don't own this trailer that my nephew lets us stay in for free. (Thanks Joe) I make ends meet on $550 per month with a little bit added in the form of government food assistance. We visit the local food banks but we get more black beans than anything. The occasional can of tuna or spam comes in real handy late in the month. Currently my family of four can not afford to eat the whole month. We resort to eating ramen the last week or so before my benefits come in. In order to try and not starve the last week of the month, we have decided to try and raise some chickens to help supplement our diet in the form of eggs and meat. We have some locals who will donate a some birds. I have some wood scrap that might be enough to make a coop. Problem is that wire fencing is so expensive! I'm afraid we are going to have to do something else.

Is there any way to give chickens room to peck and eat grass and stuff without using a wire fence? How did the pilgrims do it some 300 years ago without wire? We have to have something strong and covered because there are dogs, hawks and coyotes all around.

I once heard someone say if the coop is safe from night time predators then free range in the day is safe. I'm sure that poster recognizes there will still be losses, but I've been surprised at the number of people in rural areas that do this.
I'm in the city and they require a run. No free ranging. And they want the run and coop screened from view from street and neighbors. I might use wattles and kill two birds with one stone.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Shooting game out of season is poaching. Certainly in season hunting can fill a freezer, but not everyone has the tools and skills to make hunting cost effective.

I agree. Here you put a few hundred dollars in for a chance on a drawing to maybe get a deer. If your name isn't drawn you get your $ returned.

A bird in the hand is better than a maybe deer in the brush.

 

[addctd2plnts]

Hope someone can help.

My backstory: I'm 67yrs old. Kinda desperate. I have always worked for myself and never had a "real" job. I have been poor all my life but it's not been too bad overall, even though I have no retirement, a money pit for a car, and don't own this trailer that my nephew lets us stay in for free. (Thanks Joe) I make ends meet on $550 per month with a little bit added in the form of government food assistance. We visit the local food banks but we get more black beans than anything. The occasional can of tuna or spam comes in real handy late in the month. Currently my family of four can not afford to eat the whole month. We resort to eating ramen the last week or so before my benefits come in. In order to try and not starve the last week of the month, we have decided to try and raise some chickens to help supplement our diet in the form of eggs and meat. We have some locals who will donate a some birds. I have some wood scrap that might be enough to make a coop. Problem is that wire fencing is so expensive! I'm afraid we are going to have to do something else.

Is there any way to give chickens room to peck and eat grass and stuff without using a wire fence? How did the pilgrims do it some 300 years ago without wire? We have to have something strong and covered because there are dogs, hawks and coyotes all around.

Are you are Nextdoor.com ? If you post there that you need some welded wire fencing or hardware cloth, I bet somebody will have extra. We always have extra welded wire. It's not ideal for pen to be predator safe but it would be a start. Hardware Cloth is more expensive and people usually don't have it laying around.

 

[MrsNorthie]

Hope someone can help.

My backstory: I'm 67yrs old. Kinda desperate. I have always worked for myself and never had a "real" job. I have been poor all my life but it's not been too bad overall, even though I have no retirement, a money pit for a car, and don't own this trailer that my nephew lets us stay in for free. (Thanks Joe) I make ends meet on $550 per month with a little bit added in the form of government food assistance. We visit the local food banks but we get more black beans than anything. The occasional can of tuna or spam comes in real handy late in the month. Currently my family of four can not afford to eat the whole month. We resort to eating ramen the last week or so before my benefits come in. In order to try and not starve the last week of the month, we have decided to try and raise some chickens to help supplement our diet in the form of eggs and meat. We have some locals who will donate a some birds. I have some wood scrap that might be enough to make a coop. Problem is that wire fencing is so expensive! I'm afraid we are going to have to do something else.

Is there any way to give chickens room to peck and eat grass and stuff without using a wire fence? How did the pilgrims do it some 300 years ago without wire? We have to have something strong and covered because there are dogs, hawks and coyotes all around.

Raising the chickens is a great idea, you just need a little help to get started. We got pallets from the pool supply store, they would just throw them in the back by the dumpster, so check around smaller businesses. Depending on where you are, you may be able to find people that have scraps of chicken wire and fence materials that they may be willing to just give you if you haul it away. Check your facebook market place for the free section, Craig's list has a free section (just be careful..), or maybe create a post to trade services, like yard clean up for materials or cash or even post a request for donations to get you started. A lot of people are in a really bad way due to the economy, and some people who are doing ok, have been between a rock and a hard place and may make donations of money and materials, if the news of your situation reaches them.

 

[Eggcentric NanaJ]

I found some affordable wire to make a 10x10 run. I have enough lumber to build a 8x8 coop minus flooring and wall coverings. Right now feed prices are also affordable in my area, even the good stuff. If I can find enough materials to floor the coop and cover the walls I think we can do this.

In my childhood years I can remember my family raising chickens. We ate meat and had eggs for everyone. The birds ran free and roosted in the trees around our place. No matter how many birds we had, they always only bought 100lbs of chopped corn. There were many predators but we had so many birds that we never really missed them. Think 200 free range birds left basically to fend for themselves. Every spring I remember seeing chicks everywhere. Multiple hens with so many chicks they couldn't cover them all. Many died, many made it. None lived to be over 4 years old. We also had geese, turkey, ducks and basically anything that an old farmer woman would want. That area still has a few chickens running around but the key is no neighbors and all the stray dogs get shot on site unlike my location. Out of the 15 or so people that have homesteads here, none have chickens. All have multiple dogs. Think 18 dogs of all shapes and sizes running around. Local dog catcher will come and round them up but my neighbors just go out and get more. The stress lvls of any chicken around here will probably be insane having a pack of dogs constantly staring them down through flimsy chicken wire.

I'm thinking about going with Rhode Island Reds. I hear some roosters can be aggressive which is a bonus. I personally prefer mean roosters. I may add in a hen that likes to go broody so I can raise a few chicks.

When I talk to people around here about playing classical music for my birds, insulating the coop, planning the run and coop the right size for the flock, feeding my birds anything other than corn or mash, keeping the coop warm in winter and providing something more robust than flimsy chicken wire, they think im crazy and tell me that chickens don't need all of that. When I'm successful and do more with less, maybe they won't think I'm insane.

Already been through this with tomatoes, telling me that 10 10 10 fert is all they ever need. I told them mine will grow 12 foot vines. They called me crazy. Right now they are at 4 feet and going strong thanks to research and the net. Maybe my girls will get some tomatoes too!

By the way I really do appreciate all the help and responses I have gotten. It has helped in so many ways. Thanks again.

Chickens can eat tomatoes. Ripe tomatoes are a healthy treat containing nutrients like Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Potassium, and Folate to benefit chickens. Still, tomatoes are nightshade plants, and green tomatoes, tomato leaves, and stems contain solanine, which is toxic to chickens. Also, overfeeding with tomatoes may lead to lower egg quality, so, like everything else use moderation and common sense.

 

[teddyjames]

Chickens can eat tomatoes. Ripe tomatoes are a healthy treat containing nutrients like Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Potassium, and Folate to benefit chickens. Still, tomatoes are nightshade plants, and green tomatoes, tomato leaves, and stems contain solanine, which is toxic to chickens. Also, overfeeding with tomatoes may lead to lower egg quality, so, like everything else use moderation and common sense.

Right off the bat I heard two different things. One its safe, the other its not. I found out its the green fruit and the plant itself that is bad. The bad thing being solanine. Did you know that they are now finding a link between solanine and spina-bifida (birth defects). Makes you wonder if some women who have children who have this ever ate green potatoes which are high in that substance. Its a natural pesticide. Tomatoes say hey, I don't need to be sprayed, I make my own.

Are you are Nextdoor.com ? If you post there that you need some welded wire fencing or hardware cloth, I bet somebody will have extra. We always have extra welded wire. It's not ideal for pen to be predator safe but it would be a start. Hardware Cloth is more expensive and people usually don't have it laying around.

Just went to the site. It told me to: "Be the first in your area to use Nextdoor." I take it nobody in my area uses it. I may try a zipcode further out and see if I find anything.

I once heard someone say if the coop is safe from night time predators then free range in the day is safe. I'm sure that poster recognizes there will still be losses, but I've been surprised at the number of people in rural areas that do this.
I'm in the city and they require a run. No free ranging. And they want the run and coop screened from view from street and neighbors. I might use wattles and kill two birds with one stone.

I have friends who don't have a coop or a run and they free range. They also have 6 dogs that run around being their protectors. They lose birds all the time they just get more when they don't see many around. They don't eat them and will eat eggs if they find the nests. Too many stray dogs around my place to let them free range and Its going to get real ugly when the dogs start hanging around my run harassing my birds.

Shooting game out of season is poaching. Certainly in season hunting can fill a freezer, but not everyone has the tools and skills to make hunting cost effective.

I have the tools and the method. I hunt all the time and follow all the rules to the T. Honestly I can't say I remember.. let me think.... nope.. I have never broken a hunting rule or law in my life..... so far. Lets see just how bad this world gets/hungry we get.

 

[myluckychucks]

Hope someone can help.

My backstory: I'm 67yrs old. Kinda desperate. I have always worked for myself and never had a "real" job. I have been poor all my life but it's not been too bad overall, even though I have no retirement, a money pit for a car, and don't own this trailer that my nephew lets us stay in for free. (Thanks Joe) I make ends meet on $550 per month with a little bit added in the form of government food assistance. We visit the local food banks but we get more black beans than anything. The occasional can of tuna or spam comes in real handy late in the month. Currently my family of four can not afford to eat the whole month. We resort to eating ramen the last week or so before my benefits come in. In order to try and not starve the last week of the month, we have decided to try and raise some chickens to help supplement our diet in the form of eggs and meat. We have some locals who will donate a some birds. I have some wood scrap that might be enough to make a coop. Problem is that wire fencing is so expensive! I'm afraid we are going to have to do something else.

Is there any way to give chickens room to peck and eat grass and stuff without using a wire fence? How did the pilgrims do it some 300 years ago without wire? We have to have something strong and covered because there are dogs, hawks and coyotes all around.

Hello, sorry to hear about hard times, that's tough. I wasn't around with the pilgrims but I bet they lost a lot of birds. If you have the right breed they replenish the flock quickly. I DON'T want to be negative but if you let them run free as soon as predators find them they will be killed. Hawks, owls and foxes are the worst here and they take them in broad daylight. If you don't have a REALLY secure place to lock them up at night the coons, weasels, and fishers will get them. You will need feed, and it's not cheap, unless they can free range. Free range probably won't give you too many eggs because of protein requirements not being met. If you just get hens and let them fend for themselves you will need quite a few to cover those lost.