Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[HiEverybirdy]

I've used it plenty before, and I'm using something similar now for the larger areas of field I rotate them through at the back of the plot (old fishing net on electric fence posts - left my poultry net with other people who've probably trashed it by now, and I can't buy the good stuff any more due to Brexit nonsense). I need something more solid for putting them on individual beds down at the end of the field that often has dog walkers passing through, though.

Gotcha. Domesticated dogs worry me more than other predators with the netting because they're the most likely to just run through it. Dogs are more playful and familiar with manmade barriers than the wildlife.

But generally it's been effective for slowing predators. I've watched a bobcat be flummoxed by it (thank goodness, or our hen Ashley would've been cat food) and watched deer and neighbor horses carefully avoid it as well.

 

[kattabelly]

Gotcha. Domesticated dogs worry me more than other predators with the netting because they're the most likely to just run through it. Dogs are more playful and familiar with manmade barriers than the wildlife.

But generally it's been effective for slowing predators. I've watched a bobcat be flummoxed by it (thank goodness, or our hen Ashley would've been cat food) and watched deer and neighbor horses carefully avoid it as well.

Dogs are probably the main danger here, when they're out on the field. There's a few predators that would take unaccompanied chicks, and might try an older bird if they were desperate and it was already ill or injured, but really not too much of a risk.

I'm far more worried about the danger my chickens pose to other people's vegetables!

 

[Molpet]

Gotcha. Domesticated dogs worry me more than other predators with the netting because they're the most likely to just run through it. Dogs are more playful and familiar with manmade barriers than the wildlife.

But generally it's been effective for slowing predators. I've watched a bobcat be flummoxed by it (thank goodness, or our hen Ashley would've been cat food) and watched deer and neighbor horses carefully avoid it as well.

I had a deer strangle herself in the poultry netting. They had been jumping over it so they knew it was there. Just start of the rut, wasn't from my usual herd. They were all still around. Probably she was running from a buck.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Dogs are probably the main danger here, when they're out on the field. There's a few predators that would take unaccompanied chicks, and might try an older bird if they were desperate and it was already ill or injured, but really not too much of a risk.

I'm far more worried about the danger my chickens pose to other people's vegetables!

Are you in more need of fencing, or of something to keep them from flying out of it? Or both?

Is something like this feasible? -although I loathe giving money to Darth Bezos

https://www.amazon.com/FXW-MiniPaws-Playpen-Designed-Expandable/dp/B0D63B2FXG

 

[kattabelly]

Are you in more need of fencing, or of something to keep them from flying out of it? Or both?

Is something like this feasible? -although I loathe giving money to Darth Bezos

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0D63B2FXG/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_plhdr=t&aaxitk=be69105aa41409e353603b3ab6d588c4&hsa_cr_id=0&qid=1767290708&sr=1-3-11607ad3-dd0b-452c-9e6b-4ed8b25bd108&ref_=sbx__sbtcm2_asin_2_title&pd_rd_w=3JLzN&content-id=amzn1.sym.6e02f57c-9693-4b30-aab7-da8695731f1f:amzn1.sym.6e02f57c-9693-4b30-aab7-da8695731f1f&pf_rd_p=6e02f57c-9693-4b30-aab7-da8695731f1f&pf_rd_r=HHQM07M5FM876GN1MK6G&pd_rd_wg=cQNfV&pd_rd_r=e276a321-e06c-417b-ad9b-1705d4b0a877&th=1&psc=1

Something to stop them wandering off to destroy someone's entire brassica crop or investigate the road, be enough of a barrier that an off-lead dog can probably be grabbed or called off before it grabs them, and that won't just fall over or go flying off in the wind.

I have a few designs in mind, some old structures (broiler tractor, veg mini tunnels) that can probably be modified and plenty of scrap wood, water pipe offcuts, chicken wire and rat mesh.

 

[kattabelly]

Fence tax: the bedtime bus was late tonight because I didn't fancy trying to rearrange everyone so the chicks could roost while it was hailing at about 40mph. We sat in the greenhouse for a bit and I think they would've been quite happy spending all night inside my jacket.

 

[kcan2]

Glais shown here muttering something about intrusive ear examinations and the indignities incurred thereof

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Ahh, the sun spot!

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Tessa still gets a bit confused by the clear glass bit:

 

[RoyalChick]

Ahh, the sun spot!

View attachment 4275415

Oooh. You are giving me ideas!