The New Dog-Proof Chicken Yard

[chickenwhisperer]

Hopefully this will do the trick.
With the section of yard I chose and the placement of the coops, the chicks are pretty much out of sight out of mind right now.
I know the JRT isnt strong enough to damage the chainlink, and I dont think my mutt has the determination to remain interested enough to want to get the chickens.
We will see how things progress once the chicks start coming out.

Since I recorded this video, I have cut in the door to the coop and added a ramp.
I wont allow the chicks out till the weekend tho, so I can supervise the dogs.

 

[chickenwhisperer]

I know that the fence I built was 40' long including the coop.
Without measuring right now, I estimate the the length to be at least 90+'.
It is almost a perfect A-shaped triangle, giving me an estimated 1800-2200sqft chicken yard.

My plan is to keep 12 hens for myself, and the rest of the layin chickens go to my buddies mom(there are 34 right now).

Do you think that 12 chickens would completely decimate that size yard?
Do you think that the grass can stand up to the manure if it can survive the eating?
I would like to still have to take the mower in there, as I love to mow the grass.
This part of my yard has sprinklers, so that should help, I hope . . .

The fences are 5 and 6', which I hope is too tall for my standard sized chickens to fly over.
I purposely did not put a top rail for the chainlink, as Ive heard that gives them a perch to try to reach, and maybe a way out.

There are tons of bugs and worms and flying things and spiders back there for them to find.
There is also alot of acorns and oak leaves for them to munch, along with that big ole rose bush that I was sure to include.

I have that auto watering system my buddies mom gave me, and it works great.
I have some round pavers that would raise the bowls off the ground, and look geat too.

I am in the designing phase of the last part of it all, and thats a shaded/safety area in the middle, as it gets brutally hot in the summer, and I do see the odd hawk high overhead sometimes.
I plan to run a misting system to this shade area, on a sprinkler timer to come on during the hottest part of the summer days.

Seems like the landlord shoulda been a little more specific when he said he didnt care if I got a few chickens . . .

I am right around $100 to fence off that chicken yard, pretty cheap!

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

I'd run some smaller wire along that chain link fence too...I had a friend whose dog would wait patiently for a chicken to stick any body part through the chain link, she'd pounce on it. . . she lost a lot of chickens that way. That's a terrier and you know how tenacious they are.

 

[teach1rusl]

Looks good! I love when chickens have a lot of space! I think that area has a very good shot of retaining some grass if you're just keeping 12 of them. Of course how long you keep all 34 may determine that...lol. If you're just keeping them till they feather out, good! If you're keeping them to pol, then maybe not.
With the shrubs and bushes you have in there, they will most likely not try to fly out on the board fence side (my little EE pullet just flew on top of my run this morning to get away from my rooster...it's a little over 6 ft. tall). Do regular checks along the privacy fence though, to make sure it's secure, and no holes being dug underneath (chickens can dig pretty deep holes for dust bathing and such).
I agree w/knockkneedhen in that you really should run a strip (maybe 24 inches tall) of smaller netted wire along the bottom so that chicks, pullets, or hens can't get their head through (which they will occasionally to grab at something). Also, I would begin socializing your dogs w/the birds asap. Your mix looks like she'll be really easy to work with. Your jack you will probably have to hold in your lap.
I have gold. retrievers. I started by having a hold on their collar (one at a time of course...lol) and just sitting with them in the run, commanding "gentle" when the girls would come around. I worked my way through walking them around on a leash in the run, to walking around off leash (me right beside walking with them), to me just sitting in there watching as the dog walked around. Always have your command ready, whether it's "leave it" or "easy" or whatever. I think teaching your dogs about your birds (your pack/property) is a huge part of protecting your hens too.
Good luck.

 

[drumstick diva]

that hook and eye latch isn't gonna hold if the dog jumps against the gate a few times.

 

[harewizard]

Wow, Chicken Whisperer! Awesome job!

Two comments I have for ya:

I have seen a JRT climb a tree..up at least 10 feet!

He would get a running start and just climb right up the bark, until he made the first limb. Of course, YOU know your pup better than me, so just a thought! Is that an electric fence collar on the JRT? How about running some electric fence wire around the perimeter of the coop/run. That will definitely keep the cutie from getting too close!

The other comment I have is 12 chickens in the run/yard and keeping grass. I myself LOVE to mow grass. It the best therapy...However, I'd bet you won't have much grass left. Yep, even 12 hens can till, fertilize and create the optimum gardening soil! How about creating 2 (two) areas to roam, within that yard? Separate what you have into 2. Let the girls scratch, peck, and roam around in one area for a season. The next season, move them to the other area and seed or garden the fertilized/scratched ground.

Something like this idea: http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/silveira44a.html

Good Luck! You have a great thing going there!!

Lisa

 

[KKatknap]

Looks really good

CUTE dogs

Only other thing I would do is run a couple strands of hot wire along the dog side of the fence. One low, one higher.

If you have mostly dual purpose and heavier-breed layers, the fence is probably high enough. If it were me, I might add a 2' row of chicken wire at the top. But I tend to overdo stuff.

Good luck!

 

[chickenwhisperer]

Thankyou all very much!
To answer a few . . .

I already plan to run some chicken wire along the inside of the chainlink fence, that way there is 3.5" of space between the chainlink and the wire, so any heads that poke thru cant make it to the dogs.

My mixed dog(cattledog/lab) will want to play, but she pounces and is just too big and rough on the chickens, I really dont think she wants to kill them.
My JRT has proven 2x now he cant be trusted with my chickens.
He is not a climber, he wont chase the squirrels up a tree, but I purposely did not put a rail along the top of the chainlink to a)not give the chickens a "goal" to reach and b) keep it flimsy so he cant climb it easily.
He is a digger tho, and I am going to run the bricks all the way along the fence.
But I am pretty sure the ground is too hard for him to dig thru in the time Im at work.

The small hook and eye latch and small hinges have already been replaced with heavy duty gate hardware.
I wanted the door hung, and used what I had.
You guys can notice that the JRT has his shock collar on, he minds his manners, the mutt just sits there and wines.

I like the idea of splitting the yard, I might do that!
I was totally thinking about cutting a door on each end of the front side too . . .
But I ended up cutting one right smack in the middle . . .
Maybe I can make like a little fenced in staging area in front of the door and have access to either side from there . . .


And thanks to whoever said my dogs are cute! I like them too