Sanity Check on Fenced Area

[mfh]

We are now full up backyard chicken keepers and loving it. We have a great mix of barred rock, RIR, New Hampshires, and golden comets - they start laying this fall. They are all getting along, healthy and so much fun to watch. The dogs are comfortable with them, and have not made a move towards them since being "trained" with a sport dog collar.

We have a good size coop (8x10) and fully enclosed run that is covered (14x24); fenced with welded wire with 1/4 inch hardware cloth up to 3 feet with a 18" apron. Auto chicken door and all coop windows are covered with 1/4 cloth. Grandpas feeder to keep rodents at bay; nipple water system. Set up done by listening to all the lessons learned here!

We have been free ranging them during the day, opening the run at 1000ish after most predators (aside from air bound ones) are not around.

Well…we had three months of no loss…but then, the fox(s) and hawk found the flock and we lost a couple within a couple weeks. We locked them down after the first loss…and after a week let them back out but the fox checked regularly. We trap and shoot but live where there are many and the chicks love to get into the thickets where they are easily stalked.

Sooooo……I am thinking that I want to build fence panels to make a large run area. There is a post about making them and I will make a bunch to create 4' foot high, 8 foot long panels with 1x2 welded wire attached to 2x4s. The thought is to keep the chicks from going into the thickets, and at least give any predator a speed bump. I also plan to attach a hot wire.

My questions:
- I know the chick can easily get over the fence….but if the area is fully grassed and large enough I suspect departing the pen will not be the norm. I will provide some roosts for them in the center. I really don't want to net the top (though I might). I know a aerial atack is possible…but I am mainly concerned with the fox and being able to reconfigure the pen to ensure there is good grass for them. They will have shade available. Am I kidding myself that the chickens will stay?
- I am thinking a 1600 sq ft or maybe larger area area. How strong of a hot wire do I need? I will use an AC model.
- What height should I put the hot wire? My main concerns is fox and the neighbors dog (should he get loose).
- This addition will cost peanuts compared to the original coop and run cost…but I don't want to start this project if it wont accomplish anything.


Any and all thoughts are appreciated!
Cheers,
MFH

 

[GitaBooks]

Sorry to hear about the chickens you lost.

It sounds like you are giving them great care though!

Chickens can jump over fences, but mine generally don't. They have a fence that stops them from going onto the road and then free range area back behind the barn and into the field. Only a couple of my hens jump the fence, which is about 4-5 ft tall (I'm not quite sure).
They are wary of predators and prefer to stay near the barn. Hawks have dive-bombed them a few times but they give a warning cry and run for the barn, where they are safe. The hawks seemed to attack mainly on foggy days, when they could surprise them.

Most hot-wires designed for protection from predators I think are strong enough to prevent anything dog sized or smaller from attacking.
I don't use electric wires, but I've learned a lot about it. Setting it at nose height will prevent predators from investigating but sometimes a stubborn animal may jump, climb, or dig under. Placing one near the bottom and one at the top may be safer to prevent this from happening.


Best of luck!

 

[mfh]

Thanks for the input! I read alllllll last night and seems like that nose height is best, and since it is a small area, I will likely do a second layer on top.

Removed a second fox permanently again this morning. I have seem at least one other cruise the yard so the chicks are staying in San Quentin for a couple more days. That should give me time to put together a pen as well.

I know the hawks will still be a potential problem, but they will only be in the pen when we are around and hopefully that will deter the aerial attack from being often. The roos are pretty alert and looking skyward all the time its the ground predators that concern me most since they could wipe out the flock in short order. And if it was adog…they would do it for sport.

Just looking to give them the best of both world - lots of area to range while ensuring a modest degree of security.

Thanks again and any additional thoughts would be welcome!

 

[dheltzel]

Thanks for the input! I read alllllll last night and seems like that nose height is best, and since it is a small area, I will likely do a second layer on top.

Removed a second fox permanently again this morning. I have seem at least one other cruise the yard so the chicks are staying in San Quentin for a couple more days. That should give me time to put together a pen as well.

I know the hawks will still be a potential problem, but they will only be in the pen when we are around and hopefully that will deter the aerial attack from being often. The roos are pretty alert and looking skyward all the time its the ground predators that concern me most since they could wipe out the flock in short order. And if it was adog…they would do it for sport.

Just looking to give them the best of both world - lots of area to range while ensuring a modest degree of security.

Thanks again and any additional thoughts would be welcome!

For hawks, you can build some movable, low shelters, like a piece of plywood with legs raising it about 18 inches off the ground, even cinder blocks would do. They will often hang out under that for shade and be hidden from hawks. If a hawk is spotted, they can run under that as well as back into their main run.