Poultry netting... Anyone use it for fencing?

[Julie_A]

We are working to close in a large area near our shed for use as an additional chicken pen. Funds are really limited and I've been looking at the mesh poultry netting. Anyone using it? Have any luck? This pen will have a metal sheds on two sides, small wire square "dog wire" on the third side. This pen is inside another base-wire fence and then there's a five-strand electric fence around the perimeter of our place.

 

[2txmedics]

I would think that would hold for a little while, but it wont keep the predators out....you might want to re think that...I would hate to see you set up and loss your flock.

 

[newchickmom]

Ours has 6 strand electric fence around the pasture, with 2"x4" field fence around the barnyard with a strand of electric along the top. The run is inside that and it has the 6 foot field fence with the wire poultry net fence covering the bottom half of that. This combination has, so far, been very successful in keeping out preditors.

 

[patandchickens]

You mean like plain ol' chickenwire?

It keeps chickens in, mostly, but it is awfully hard to find any being sold these days that is heavy enough gauge to keep predators out. Dogs and raccoons can rip/bite it apart, honest. I would seriously not use it as run fencing, at all... although if your property is really well fenced with electric and you have no resident raccoons nor overhanging trees, and the chickens are shut into the coop without fail at dusk, it would be *less* risky than elsewhere. (I still don't know as I'd do it myself, but tastes vary)

I don't know how it is wehre you are but I've had pretty good luck obtaining various sorts of wire fencing, including chainlink and 2x4 mesh (which work pretty well for a run if you add chickenwire along the bottom 2-3'). Both used and new-but-just-part-of-a-roll. I've gotten it at auctions, 'construction junk' type thrift stores, our Habitat for Humanity ReStore, garage sales, and in one memorable incident picked some up at the curb. Some was free; I think the most I paid for any of it was $25 for a 75-ft roll of heavy gauge 60" 2x4 wire. I have also heard of people stopping at a house with a dog kennel or small livestock pen that did not appear to have been used since time immemorial and asking politely if they'd be interested in selling it for a low price in exchange for having it removed.

So even if you end up using chickenwire for now, keep an eye out and I bet something better will turn up.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Julie_A]

Knock on wood... with the Pyrenees on prowl and all the layers of mesh and electric fencing, we've had no predator issues at our place. We live in a large hay patch with no overhanging trees. I think I may give it a try as a temporary fence. I'll be on the lookout for a metal replacement, though. I just hate that chicken wire rusts so quickly and scratches like the devil.

I'll keep you posted...

 

[gsim]

Definitely do not trust chicken wire to keep preds out. I used 6 ft tall 2" x 4" galvanized welded wire, set in a shallow trench that I then filed with cement . Then, I put 24" tall chicken wire inside at bottom, to prevent coons from ripping birds thru it a piece at a time. Also keeps birds from poking their heads thru for grass outside of pen. I have 4 courses of hot wire, (4 kv/5 mile fence charger) around entire pen to discourage climbing predators such as coons. Will keep squirrels out too which might otherwise eat food. Used a ground rod 6 ft deep and also grounded unit to fence. Even with that, I still drop guillotine pop doors down in coop at night just in case. so far, no casualties. I do not have any protection overhead, but I do have a lot of resident crows who are always after any owl of hawk which happens to fly by. I think most flock casualties that come from predatory birds are chicks, and not full-grown birds. There are exceptions to that tho.

 

[Julie_A]

GSIM, where the heck do you live?