Suburban Backyard ~ Temporary Fencing Suggestions?

[harldane]

We live in a suburban neighborhood surrounded by 6' fences. I like to allow my 5 girls free-range as much as possible but my husband's pet-peeve is chicken poop on our patio. I don't know if it's the warmth of the afternoon sun or what, but the chickens are drawn to it like a fish to water!

I read in a book one time about putting tubing into the ground and putting poles attached to fencing into them as a temporary fencing method. I'm considering this surrounding the patio perimeter, but for other suburban "peeps" out there, what do you do to block off your patio - or do you?

Thanks!

 

[teach1rusl]

Oh yes...poop on the patio...lol!!

I'm in the country, so it's poop on the porch here...lol. If you're going for pretty, I'd invest in some of that decorative fence that bolts down into concrete for your patio. If you're just looking for something quick and cheap, I'd look at deer netting. It comes in 100ft. rolls x 7ft. tall. I use it to keep the girls out of my garden, but I cut it in half (42 inches). I also use it to block them from our garage bays when we have them open and are working out there. You might look into it...@ $16 a roll at Lowes.

 

[Zahboo]

If you could get some deer netting, it's cheap and like ours comes in 110'x7' which is plenty. Pretty much transparent when not right up on it.

 

[TwilightMom]

Well, I have the same exasperating problem. I love to let them roam free but I can't stand all the poop on the patio. Ours love it too, all seven of them. They also sit and poop on the patio chairs and table. Yech! We are just thinking of building an exercise pen for them and attaching it to the coop/run area. We, of course, built our run too small (or I got too many cute baby chicks)

and don't like keeping them in there full time. Our summer plan is to build it thing this summer. I'll let you know how it goes!

 

[Sammimom]

I don't know if you like picket fences, but we put a cheap little wooden picket fence around our rabbit pen to keep the dogs out (fence panels from home depot, very easy to install). We let our hens free range in the yard all day, and they squak like crazy when we lock them back in the run. I'm thinking your hens will balk when you try to contain them again. It might be better to fence the patio, and provide them with some kind of sun warming area? Flagstones, maybe? For some reason, my hens are afraid of our new deck. I miss them coming to the sliding glass door, but it is nice not to have to de-poop the area. I think the fake wood is too slippery for them.