What to do? Chickens afraid of dog flight to neighbors garden

[abpatchy]

Maybe you could get some poultry fencing (it can be moved when ever needed) and some bird netting for on top. This way you could restrict their free roaming and they can't leave the run.

 

[BDutch]

Maybe you could get some poultry fencing (it can be moved when ever needed) and some bird netting for on top. This way you could restrict their free roaming and they can't leave the run.

I can make a temporally netting-fence from the coop to the house and make a permanent fence/door at the end of this space between the house and the bike shed. The 4th side has already a fence between our garden and the other neighbors. A netting on top is not possible because there are 2 trees in this spot.

This would create a free range area of about 40m2. That would be nice. But it’s no problem for the chickens to fly on top of the coop and permanent run. Or over the temporally netting. I have very small chickens that do fly a bit.

So I doubt if this will work because if they are in this spot they can easily get out. And if they see the dog they probably panic and fly away to elsewhere.

 

[abpatchy]

I have trees in my run... and there is a chicken wire to cover the top. It was already done since it is a breeding club. What they did is cut out holes to fit the trees. Depending on the size of the tree maybe that could be an option? It doesn't have to be preditor save... you are just trying to keep your chickens in.

 

[BDutch]

Thanks for thinking with me.

It would be quit an operation to make the netting. Too many cons. It has to be permanent. We have a terrace in that spot. It makes it impossible to pick the fruits. It wouldn’t be nice to look at. Its a view from the living room.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Maybe a chicken tractor can give the birds a safe place to scratch about and be moved whenever you like.....

 

[abpatchy]

Thanks for thinking with me.

It would be quit an operation to make the netting. Too many cons. It has to be permanent. We have a terrace in that spot. It makes it impossible to pick the fruits. It wouldn’t be nice to look at. Its a view from the living room.

I see... yes that would make harvesting difficult.
But the idea of 21hens-incharge is quite good. You could make a lager chicken trator.

 

[BDutch]

To keep them in a chicken tractor is not the same as free ranging.

 

[21hens-incharge]

To keep them in a chicken tractor is not the same as free ranging.

No it is not the same.

It is a compromise for safety though.

I cannot let mine roam my yard here because of the hawks. Most of my birds are big and the hawks still try to get them.

Maybe a tractor for when you cannot be out there with them and free when you can be there......

 

[abpatchy]

I don't know what else to tell you ... if you want to keep them safe you will have to have some restrictions of some sort. Either make sure the dog stays out or keep your chickens contained.
I recently purchased a net from amazon for my chickens to keep them out of a newly sewn gras area to allow it to grow. It wasn't that expensive. They come in different sizes. You could use snap hooks (karabiner) to easly attach and take off again. This is what I bought.. https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00KFF6LMG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
You could take it down anytime you need to work with a fruit tree. With karabiner hooks it's a matter of seconds.

 

[BDutch]

Yeah. You both are right for safety in general. But there are rarely hawks here.

Only the dog is a problem. And only during daytime. Cause the chickens panic if they see him.

If they only fligh up in a tree or on the coop there was no problem.

Probably best to keep them confined in the run if I cant keep an eye on them/the dog/the garden.