What really is cheaper, buidling ones run or new panels

[CelticOaksFarm]

my 1 yr old male Great Pyrenees can and has dug through chain link fencing like it was butter. We had left him in the barn over night, and he chose to not stay in there as he wanted to patrol the yard all night.

We will be converting to stronger panels (feed/stock yard style) to help keep him IN with the flock and herd of goats. Nice thing about a LSGD (live Stock Guard Dog) he did his job that night and kept everyone safe all night after breaking out of the barn in the first place.

Netting over the top or something over the top is a must for us as we have hawks, and eagles.

Best advice I can give is, think how big you "might" want to go in 1 year and plan for it now so you dont have to build/rebuild.

 

[georgialee]

You'll find that everyone has different opinions and different experiences. Just take the advice you're comfortable with and that makes sense to you.

 

[wannabchick]

Quote:
Thank you so much for the break down.. I really appreciate it..

I am looking at maybe the wood post.. so I can paint it white.. then attach the cattle pannels... and across the top..

we shall see, when I get my mulah.. which route I choose.. LOL

pathetic part.. want to know the really really really pathetic part.. I have a dh.. that really seems to refuse to help me with this project.. I mean.. he I think is really upset with me for getting coops and chickens.. really upset.. so I have to do most by myself or pay someone

worst part.. HE OWNS A CONCRETE COMPANY.. WITH CREWS.......................... so you can just imagine.. the wood and things we have.. LOL

and yet, when I venture out to stock yard.. concrete stockyard.. every peice of wood I pick up.. he laughs and says.. so how are you going to actually hold that peice of wood up and connect it to the post.. LMAO little does he know.. at the rate he is going.. I am going to take his cc and just go out and purchase.. an all black, welded, top of the line.. hand crafted.. kennel.. LMAO

[okay not really.. he would really be infuriated even more..
my husband.. feels this way.. their chickens.. put some chicken wire up.. wrap it around and be done... with a pallet coop.. and he would be happy
but i have to have a certain look I am trying to acheive also and safety.

We also have a showroom out of our home.. so for me its imperative that it all ties in.. and looks okay.. for clients too.. heck he might not realize this.. but some of those amazing landscaped.. backyards.. may just want some adorable chicken coops and runs..

 

[wannabchick]

Quote:
Well again you end up with a much different product, they're not directly comparable.

Cattle panels have great big holes. You would absolutely HAVE to put something small-mesh near the bottom, and for whatever portion is above that, there are a bunch of predators that can get thru cattle panel holes that cannot get thru chainlink holes. OTOH nothing is going to pull apart a cattle panel, whereas *cheap* chainlink panels can be ripped open (good ones cannot)

You cannot compare the gauge of the cattle panel wire with the gauge of the chainlink, the weakness of chainlink is that it is merely wrapped not welded so a strong creature can just distort the meshes to pry a hole open, unless the chainlink is heavy gauge and real well stretched. Can't do that with cattle panel b/c the wires are welded together. But again, the cattle panel has bigger holes so more is able to simply go *thru*.

It comes down to what you most want the fence to do, what you consider your biggest risks.

BTW you can use t-posts for the middle of the fences but I would seriously suggest using WOOD posts for the corners. You can install the wood posts yourself unless you have some seriously limiting physical problem, all you have to do is dig a 3' hole (a lot of people get away with 2'6" although I am not *recommending* it) and then tamp the dirt in real good every 4" or so when refilling around the post. It is not a big deal. And makes a MUCH stronger and more sag-proof corner post than a t-post does (unless you do complex bracing schemes that are rather difficult to do properly with t-posts and realistically nobody DOES anyhow)

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

thanks again


and thank you to each of you... my mind now is all over the place.. LOL
what to do.. what to do..??hehehee

 

[georgialee]

Doesn't he have any hobbies that cost money?

If he's in charge of the checkbook that'll be a tough one.

I'm in charge of everything financial here so I don't really need to pass it by Dh (unless its really spendy, of course). I do buy him stuff he wants for hobbies though so he won't start bugging me about spending so much on chickens

I think I got lucky with him

 

[wannabchick]

Quote:
No he isn't in charge..but business was really slow this winter

And for me, it probably wasn't so cool to go out and get chickens and coops..etc

But I just couldn't help myself..lol, that's what I say when I spend

What he is charge of..is the crewsnand theirnya got tons of handy guys that could build me a house..lol
But now concrete is picking up
And if i were to use the crews, or even one guy my dh would say..you know what his daily ratenis right?

Lmao
My husband is awesome..he built this for me last year, a swim pond, 2 ft 4 ft and then 7 ft deep
Yes we swim with the koi

And this last year, so swim pond was actually last springs project
So he does everything for me..but for some reason..he is not budging about my chicken wants

 

[wannabchick]

Quote:
That's so true

Thank u

 

[redfeather]

Do what you think works for you... We have predators around here, although they mainly consist of raccoons and opossums. The coyotes have pretty much left, and there aren't too many loose dogs. In any case, our run keeps everything out--- It's fenced with chicken wire, roofed in tin, and has a double strand of electrical "hotwire" running all around it. Nothing'll dig because it would get shocked. We've had rats before, but we just set out traps and/or shoot and poison them after blocking their holes, and they go away.

 

[georgialee]

Dang! That's awesome!

 

[wannabchick]

Quote:
Isn't it cool...
He wanted a pond..I wanted a swimming pool
So we researched how they build natural swim ponds

And we came up with this

What's so cool, is it's a natural biological filtration system,,all the plants feed, clean, oxygenate the water

The water is always crystal clear

My dh is a great man

Just not an agreeance with my chickens

For now..I say for now..he will change his mind eventually

When they make him food..lol