Premier 1 electric netting and adolescent chickens... not working!!!

[Sazbaby]

We have used the netting for many years as well, with excellent results, rarely electrified... but this is the first time we've had such a large group of youngsters and it's getting to be more than I can handle around the house- the mess, the poop, the destruction!!! Typically we've not had problems in the past but I suppose maybe I've been more tolerant of the young ones being around the coop by the house when there aren't nearly so many of them... We have a mobile coop in the center of a square made by the fencing, using 3 100 foot rolls of it, so not nearly as big as your 200x200 space, but I think the main problem is that it's not far enough away from their original home, and they keep getting out to come back here. I think I'm going to lock the mama and youngsters into the coop for several days and then if they keep getting out I'm going to have to move them to a more remote location where they don't really know where they are, either that or just wait another month or so until they're big enough that they won't get through the holes. These guys are definitely big enough to be out on their own in the field, and have plenty of things to entertain themselves with, and lots of shelter from rain/hawks/etc. Guess I need to just be patient and accept that I'm the one who got us into this chicken-overload at the house, and remember that it's only temporary... Thanks for the input!!

 

[APPA Member]

We have a mobile coop in the center of a square made by the fencing, using 3 100 foot rolls of it, so not nearly as big as your 200x200 space, but I think the main problem is that it's not far enough away from their original home, and they keep getting out to come back here.

Makes sense. Sometimes when we move the mobile coops a longer than normal distance away during the late afternoon, the younger birds will often return to the previous location for the night even though there is nothing there anymore. Even some adults will do this until they figure out where the shelter, nest boxes, food and water went. Piles of disoriented birds can be seen huddling out on pasture at night, and have to be captured and moved to where the coops are. Fortunately, the fenced area is large enough to still enclose them until they figure it out. Not a fun thing to do during a thunderstorm.

I still have adult birds that are found outside the fencing in the morning. Same birds, over and over. I've also seen birds roosting on the poultry netting. Some birds like roosting in the trees along the fence line. The problem was more apparent when running 100' by 100' or 100' by 200' of netting, and greatly eased when expanded to 200' by 200'.

 

[Sazbaby]

Yep, been there, done that. Always have problems like that when I'm introducing new birds or especially with my "dimwit" silkies who seem to forget the routine a few times a week throughout their lives... argh. Always had the option in the past of closing up the coop by the house, since everyone there was usually moved out to a mobile coop together- if they got out and came back "home" there was nothing for them there- no roosts available, no food, no water, no shelter, and it was quickly figured out. Problem now is that I have several birds staying at the house coop, so the escapers still feel like they're coming "home." I did have 5 of the younger subset stay in the netting all day today. Guess that's an improvement over 2 if nothing else... One of the older group (big enough that they can't fit thought the openings) has apparently figured out how to jump over the netting, as he has gotten out every single day and that's the only way possible I suppose. Going to lock up the offending chickens for a few days and see if it helps. Fingers crossed...

We'll have more netting available at the beginning of next month after blueberry season is over- we have to use it to keep the chickens out of the berries or there's nothing left for us!!! Also getting another roll on order from Premier 1, so we will be able to expand a bit... again, fingers crossed...

 

[centrarchid]

Containment also more difficult when pasture within fencing is all grass. Not practical from a management point of view but they can be kept in much easier when plants get big enough to provide cover.

You may be able influence ranging of escapes by placing feed in a more tolerable direction. There needs to be cover there as well.

 

[Sazbaby]

Containment also more difficult when pasture within fencing is all grass. Not practical from a management point of view but they can be kept in much easier when plants get big enough to provide cover.

You may be able influence ranging of escapes by placing feed in a more tolerable direction. There needs to be cover there as well.

Agreed, we always make a point of including one or two additional structures for shelter/cover besides their coop, which also doubles as cover. We are unfortunate in that we have very few trees on our property, and the chickens have done amazingly well in the past with the system we use, thankfully. Wish trees grew faster... our property doubles as pasture for horses/sheep/pigs/cows, so planting in additional shrubs isn't terribly practical, and since the chickens rotate around through the pasture for fertilizer, they have to make do with the crazy things we put in for them to use! lol We have planted several saplings around the property but it will be decades before they're of much use for cover...

 

[centrarchid]

Cover my birds prefer over any other are brambles. Trees of any height lacking an understory do not seem to provide quality cover especially when perceived threats come at or near (low flying hawk) ground level. Have you ever seen how some of the larger horse breeding operations keep little fences around shade trees in pastures. Same fences can provide cover in addition to tree and brambles also contained.

 

[APPA Member]

Used to move the coops at night when the chickens were all roosting inside, and this helped orient the birds to the new location in the morning. Later, though, as the operation grew in size chickens began roosting on the running gears, which made a night move impractical.

I've talked with another pastured poultry operator who has 500 layers nearby, and they experience similar problems of having one or two birds escaping the fenced area. That's just farm life.

Bear in mind, though, if a stupid chicken can escape the fenced perimeter, a determined predator can find a way inside. I've had that happen to me, which is why I use an Great Pyrenees LGD inside the perimeter,