Please rate / advise on my new setup ideas

[mestizomad]

Hello,

We are thinking of getting chickens for our fairly big back garden. We live on a nicer/greener part of a city area.

We plan to create a run area that is 5 x 6 metres / 16 x 20 feet (30 sq mtr / 322 sq feet). And we are planning on having 6 x Hens. Is this area OK for 6 x free range Hens?

However, we have a lot of Foxes and Badgers in our area.

So i am thinking of creating my own version of chicken fort knox. My idea is:

Fence:
- 75mm (3″) thick treated timber posts buried 600mm (2ft) into ground, 1200mm (4ft) above ground.
- A post every 1 metre (3.33ft) or less
- 100mm (4") thick concrete blocks buried 445mm (17.5") into ground on outside perimeter edge of fence to prevent tunelling.
- Inside edge of fence with be covered with heavy duty chicken wire, buried slightly into ground (1.9mm thick heavy wire).
- Outside edge of fence covered in 12 x lines of barbed wire spaced every 100mm (4").

Sketchup drawing on my two layer fence.

Coop:
- Shop bought secure chicken coop on stilts, over 1 metre (3.33ft) off the ground.
- Removeable sloped ladder
- Top 500mm (1.7ft) of Stilts wrapped in barded wire.
- Security light covering entire run/coop area

I was also toying with the idea of a running a mains powered 12v DC horse/sheep electric fence system to the barbed wire outside edge of the fence. I have seen other chicken owners do this.

What do you think to my security?

Any other tips / ideas?

Many Thanks

Marcus

 

[Chickiemom25]

Size sounds good. Its a little bigger than mine and I house 13 larger breed birds. change the chicken wire to hardware wire cloth. Chicken wire is not strong enough to keep predators out and with wire cloth you wont need the barbed wire. Dogs and cattle get through barbed wire with little effort. Prefab coops are good for a year or 2 at best, consider making one. You can get solar small animal electric fencing at tractor supply for about $125 if you really think you need it. I would pass. Here is my set up. What are you doing about ariel control ( hawks)?

 

[oceansunset73]

I suggest using hardware cloth; no chicken wire, no barbed wire.
Chicken wire is just to keep the chickens in, but it will not be able to keep a predator out.

 

[mestizomad]

Size sounds good. Its a little bigger than mine and I house 13 larger breed birds. change the chicken wire to hardware wire cloth. Chicken wire is not strong enough to keep predators out and with wire cloth you wont need the barbed wire. Dogs and cattle get through barbed wire with little effort. Prefab coops are good for a year or 2 at best, consider making one. You can get solar small animal electric fencing at tractor supply for about $125 if you really think you need it. I would pass. Here is my set up. What are you doing about ariel control ( hawks)?
View attachment 1091692

I suggest using hardware cloth; no chicken wire, no barbed wire.
Chicken wire is just to keep the chickens in, but it will not be able to keep a predator out.

Hi, thanks for your reply.

Yes i am looking at a solid mesh type stuff this is specifically designed to keep out foxes/predators and uses steel that is about twice as thick as normal chicken wire.

Thanks, yes i will certainly consider making a coop, and making it really nice and custom.

The chicken area will be on the side of our shed, which already has mains electric. So i was just going to plug in a DC electric fence transformer and power the fence from there.

Thanks, i havn't thought about aerial protection. Will have to look into it.

You have a good setup. I like that meshed run area around the coop that you also have.

Cheers

 

[Ridgerunner]

To stop digging predators I suggest you look into an apron. They are a lot less work and quite effective. Essentially you take a half meter or so of mesh wire, lay it flat on the ground outside your coop/run, securely attach it to the bottom of your coop/run so nothing can squeeze through, and bury it about 2" (50 mm). Just take up the turf and cover it. That keeps it out of the way of mowers and weed eaters. The idea is that a digging predator goes up to the fence or wall, starts to dig, hits the wire, and does not know to back up.

Barbed wire is pretty useless in that application as far as the barbs go. It won't slow down a fox or badger. However the electricity is a great idea. That will stop critters like a fox or badger from climbing over your fence. It has to be set up properly to work but it is extremely effective against ground based predators.

I assume you are in the UK just from the way you worded your post. I suggest you find a supplier of electric fence and chat with them about how to properly set up the fence unless you have experience doing this. You might be able to use barbed wire, but those barbs are more likely to snag you than help against any predator. I'd want to use the proper wire. It's easier to work with as well as safer to you.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! Also, covering the run with at least mesh to keep out raptors, and then you will hate the run height. Make it tall enough to comfortably walk in; at least a bit over two meters high. I agree with everything else mentioned already. For the coop, a garden shed type structure with lots of ventilation added, even a three sided shed facing south, rather than a raised smaller coop. Mary

 

[mestizomad]

To stop digging predators I suggest you look into an apron. They are a lot less work and quite effective. Essentially you take a half meter or so of mesh wire, lay it flat on the ground outside your coop/run, securely attach it to the bottom of your coop/run so nothing can squeeze through, and bury it about 2" (50 mm). Just take up the turf and cover it. That keeps it out of the way of mowers and weed eaters. The idea is that a digging predator goes up to the fence or wall, starts to dig, hits the wire, and does not know to back up.

Barbed wire is pretty useless in that application as far as the barbs go. It won't slow down a fox or badger. However the electricity is a great idea. That will stop critters like a fox or badger from climbing over your fence. It has to be set up properly to work but it is extremely effective against ground based predators.

I assume you are in the UK just from the way you worded your post. I suggest you find a supplier of electric fence and chat with them about how to properly set up the fence unless you have experience doing this. You might be able to use barbed wire, but those barbs are more likely to snag you than help against any predator. I'd want to use the proper wire. It's easier to work with as well as safer to you.

Hi,

Thanks for your reply. Yes i am from the UK!.

I do have a good amount of experience with electric fecing for horse and sheep. I will use those plastic insulated screw on holders for on each post for the barbed wire to wrap around, i will connect all wired as a single large circuit, but have none of it touching the ground or another other green.

Thanks, That's a good idea for burying the mesh and yes that would be a lot easier!

Yes i do get what you mean about barbed wire not being the safest to work with!

Cheers

 

[aart]

I will use those plastic insulated screw on holders for on each post for the barbed wire to wrap around, i will connect all wired as a single large circuit,

You're going to use barbed wire for your hot wire?
I would think that might reduce the charge?

 

[Folly's place]

Barbed wire will increase the danger to you and your birds, and not increase the effectiveness of the electrified wire to deter predators here. Smooth wire or electric tape or rope is best. Mary