Right now my chickens are free ranging the yard but the poop is getting on hubbies nerves. Nothing like stepping in poop while having friends over for a BBQ. So this fall I'm going to construct a large run for the chickens. Here is the problem: Without taking even more away of the yard for human use and keeping the animals in the most shade possible, the chickens and dogs have to be close together. One of my dogs has already killed one chicken and hurt another. I've tried for 3 months to find him a new home, but no one wants him and I'm not going to kill or "take him to the country" either. He isn't trying to dig out to get to the chickens but will (and has) pulled them through the fence when they get too close, like sticking their heads in to eat his dog food. So a very good fence system is the answer.
So here is my plan. Run two fences down between the two (indicated in red on the pic, the green circles are trees) run areas. At least 1 foot buried with 4 feet high above and on the chicken's side also running chicken wire or hardware cloth (so chickens can't put their heads through & future chicks can't get through). The fences will be 2 feet apart. I don't want a privacy fence because I do want the air to flow through. Was also thinking of putting some cement down to discourage digging from both sides. Not a lot but enough to keep the fence from being dug out.
What I would also like to do is plant something in the 2 foot space between the fences that will help to keep them from seeing each other as much as possible (out of sight out of mind). Any suggestions as to what plant to put there?
The area is mostly shady & dry. It needs to be something that doesn't require a lot of work (pruning), since I won't really be able to reach it once planted. The weather here is hot and humid.
So here is my plan. Run two fences down between the two (indicated in red on the pic, the green circles are trees) run areas. At least 1 foot buried with 4 feet high above and on the chicken's side also running chicken wire or hardware cloth (so chickens can't put their heads through & future chicks can't get through). The fences will be 2 feet apart. I don't want a privacy fence because I do want the air to flow through. Was also thinking of putting some cement down to discourage digging from both sides. Not a lot but enough to keep the fence from being dug out.
What I would also like to do is plant something in the 2 foot space between the fences that will help to keep them from seeing each other as much as possible (out of sight out of mind). Any suggestions as to what plant to put there?
The area is mostly shady & dry. It needs to be something that doesn't require a lot of work (pruning), since I won't really be able to reach it once planted. The weather here is hot and humid.
