Plastic Fencing used for enclosure

[Justicedog]

Hi,
I've got to redo my chicken enclosure, the chicken wire has rotted/rusted away in places. I have a bunch of plastic fence/netting. Probably would be called snow fence. Similar to this

Do you think it would work in place of chicken wire for the enclosure? I'd love to use it up.

Janelle

 

[chicklover 1998]

well neither the snow fencing or chicken wire are goo for keeping predators out but will suffice for keeping chickens in, i'm assuming you are putting a top on it because chickens can fly over most stuff.

 

[Zamanthia]

We use it to allow our ladies to forage outside of their run, but we try to be out and about in other parts of the yard with them. They can definitely fly over it if they see something on the other side that interests them (like me picking up the scratch container) but for the most part, they seem to respect the boundaries.

 

[aart]

Even a rabbit can chew thru that stuff....rebuilt someone's garden gate that had that on it.

 

[hooktontravel]

I'm actually looking to get some to make a larger semi-portable fence for my little guys (who are currently in a human child corral & starting to run out of room!). not to keep predators out, but to keep the chickens in (and away from the 45mph road that's at the edge of our property, especially!) I was going to use zip ties to fasten it to trees. Of course I will need a more secure run with chicken wire/hardware cloth for them to be out if I won't be home for any length of time! but I'm hoping to use 4 foot for the moment, with some old netting we got to keep holly berries from being eaten to drape over top if they decide to fly out much. they're about 5 weeks old now. I picked heavier breeds (brahma & faverolles) so I hope they won't be super amazing fliers...but as youngsters they won't have much body weight to hold them down.

I would love to hear how it worked for you if you actually tried it!

 

[hooktontravel]

So my first batch of chicks is now 15 weeks old, and the duck-and-chick pair is 11 weeks. everyone is staying in the 4-foot snow fencing. It is zip-tied to trees, with a few step-in metal posts and some bamboo ones for extra support in longer gaps. It's clearly not predator proof, but so far that hasn't been a problem. The pen is 2 rolls of fencing (100 ft each) and since there're pine trees it should continue to be a hawk-deterrent even after the leaves fall off the other trees. I love how easy it is to move. It doesn't get caught on my clothes, skin, and poke into my eyeballs like chicken wire.

We are home most days to keep an eye on them, and one side of the pen is along a road with 45mph speed limit, and another along the side of our house, so hopefully that cuts down on the predators in the area already. We will see what happens as winter comes on!

 

[hooktontravel]

Here are a couple photos of my poultry pen today. it's autumn and looks so pretty with all those leaves down!
I have 2x100feet of green snow fence, mostly held up with zip-ties to the trees (I got the really long ones!) and a few metal and bamboo fence posts along the way. It isn't predator proof, but the trees keep hawks from easy access. The pen is between a busy road and our house, and so far no problems. Our neighbors did see a bobcat shadowing the neighborhood flock of wild turkeys, so i'm being careful to shut up at night as soon as they put themselves to bed... otherwise we will see how things go come winter! they do use the perches (just old downed branches tied between the trees with sisal twine).