Thorns and Predator ?

[flnatv]

Been following a thread on vines in the coop/run... and someone posting something that made me start thinking.

Anyone used thorny vegetation to keep predators out?
What if I surrounded my pen with thorny roses, barberry, etc. ??

I know that you can use them for "natural" fencing... I have hedge roses planted all along the inside of my dog fence to keep my dogs from trying to dig out, etc.... they don't go near them

Would a coon try and get through these?

 

[Hoss1975]

Smaller predators would go right through,i used to know an old farmer that used osage orange trees as a living fence to keep his cattle in though.

 

[drumstick diva]

I don't know about preds but I have loads of winter hardy cactus (they refuse to die) - I once found a dead bird that had gotten itself impaled on the spikes. Another time a poor toad had a rings of spines around his neck. He looked like a lion. I chased him down and tried to pull them out but, they wouldn't come out of his skin.

That said, I find rabbits make their nest right in the middle of the cacti - I suppose they feel it is safe from preds. I would imagine they get stuck too - I sure do.

 

[flnatv]

Quote:
That is sad

I would hope that hedge roses wouldn't be as violet as those cacti are...
I started a hedge of barberry near my property line so that the rabbits could live there and have some protection... I think the hedge roses are prettier

 

[Two Creeks Farm]

Ive seen hawks go right into thick multiflora rose and come out with birds and rabbits. It cant hurt for sure, but nothing short of a fort knox coop and run will stop it all

 

[flnatv]

Quote:
good to know... I was planning on using wire with it, but was hoping it would keep down predators that dig and climb... maybe not a good idea for that then, but it will still be pretty

I also lost 3 last week to dogs that broke through my privacy fence (not the dog area I was talking about earlier)... thought it could help with that as well....

Keep the ideas coming please... anyone have luck keeping out coons this way? I have only seen one in the 4 years at my house, but after reading all the horror stories I am always on the lookout for a deterrent.

 

[bryan99705]

Might work for dogs but I've chased a lot of coon thru wild blackbery patches and rosebushes. The darn things didn't even slow down but actually used them as protection

 

[uaj0sh]

I'm going to plant roses around my chicken run. I stopped by a nursery today, and based on the conversation of available plants/pretty ratio, I'm going to go with a variety of rose bush that has a zone 2 rating. Being in Zone 4 (Denver CO.) I'll be able to see the roses grow all year. If you prune them when they are about a foot or two high, an make them grow left and right, it should be able to keep most preditors out when combined with a chicken fence.

I'll try and keep the group posed on the results I see. I've got a ton of fox, coyote, rabbits, hawks, and skunk here that I am hoping to ward off.

 

[ivan3]

Having shot a raccoon from the upper reaches of a Greenbier Vine strangled Honey Locust (was sleeping the day away near the top), I have no faith in thorns. Raccoon will grab and pull down Gooseberry canes to get at the fruits as if the mass of needle-like thorns wasn't there at all.

A couple strands of electric and then plant whatever you like.