fencing for run and overhead poultry netting

[Natty Bumppo]

Thanks for the advice folks, much appreciated.

I think I will have to cover the run. We have spent a lot of time improving the habitat on our farm, and have MANY birds of prey including a very healthy redtail population.

We have a great blue heron rookery along a creek on the back of the property, and the only predators that go after their chicks are the big owls and the redtails. That's a substantially bigger nut to crack than a domestic chicken, but they do it. Sounds like murder back there when a nest gets raided!

I started setting the rafters today to my coop. Thanks for all the useful information on this site! I didn't have much of a clue what I was doing when I started but I'm gonna have a regular coop deville by the time I finished. Sould outlast me at any rate

 

[ams3651]

I use the deer netting over top too. when I upgraded my fence a few months ago I didnt put it back on till this past week 3 days in a row Wiskers the worlds smartest chicken was walking around my yard. I put it back on. It also keeps the native birds from getting inside and eating the chicken food. I have redtailed hawks too but I think they prefer the plethora of mice in the fields. Now that my roo is nearing 10 months of age hes really gotten great at keeping the ladies close to him and watching out for them. Id say my roo is their best defense.

ETA, its now a 5' tall fence

 

[Robin'sBrood]

I think that's a very good idea. If you can stomach watching the following video, you can see how determined a hawk can be when it wants it's dinner. I know they have to eat too, but poor ducky...

WARNING: DUCK BEING TAKEN DOWN BY HAWK, NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_mCDTWvtbk

I sure don't want that to be one of my chickens!

 

[mbrobbins]

I use wild bird netting also. the only problem after about a year, the squirrels ate holes in the corners of the nets over the pens, and they would get in there in the daytime to eat the chicken feed. We have replaced the netting over one pen with poultry wire. A friend of mine just bought some plastic poultry wire from Lowes or Home depot that is more heavy duty than the netting. I might try that next. If the squirrels eat through that, then I might have to resort to squirrel stew! LOL I would definately cover the pens, just because we did lose a half grown pullet to a hawk a few years ago, and a few to a fox one year ago. No More!
I tried trapping the squirrels in live traps and releasing them a few miles down the road, but we seem to still have just as many. I guess because they are attracted to my bird feeders, too.
Good Luck!
Mary
(wife of a supportive husband, and proud owner of seramas and silkies, and looking for some porcelain d'uccles)

 

[joebryant]

Natty Bumppo, where do you live. 45 acres of restored prairie sounds fantastic. What grass(es) did you use and how many different forbs? Sure would appreciate seeing some pictures of it.
My relatively small 1 1/2-acre one is being redone this year because of its having been taken over by Canada thistle. I think I've gotten rid of that completely now, and I will probably sow new seeds the middle of December this year. Meanwhile, I'll continue spraying because the flood in central Indiana last year brought all kinds of new grasses to my field that was ready to be planted again LAST December.
You're right, if all goes well, you're going to have lots of critters wanting to live in the paradise that you've created for them, and your chickens will fit right into their food chain if lots of precautions are taken. Free ranging might not be a good choice for your chickens unless you wanted to consider moving them in a tractor coop around your property.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Joe I'm in Southern Illinois.

Here's a picture from the last CP4D prairie planting I did a couple of years ago. It's much thicker now. The heron rookery is in the trees in the background on the left

I harvest the seed heads of noxious weeds like thistle and johnson grass, and then selectively use outrider or roundup to kill the plant. I also used plateau as a preemergent, which gives the native grasses and forbs a huge boost in getting established. I look at the herbicides as a necessary evil when it comes to prairie restoration, but the truth is, once you get things under control you're using a LOT LESS herbicide than when the ground was in production

 

[porteryork]

I use deer netting as well. Cheap and flexible and easy to put up. Good luck!

 

[countrybum]

Hi Bumppo, I have a chicken pen that is 24x32 and 9ft high, I do not have it covered. My chicken coop is 10x10 with 1/2 wire on the bottm. My chickens are let out by day and in at night and I have not had a problem with the Hawks going into my pen. The only loss I have had with chickens is when I allow them to free range.

I will try to get a picture to post, but I am on another project and have not had a chance to finish my coop. I have yet to add the trim and the feed room.

 

[ChickenNoodle]

I'm wondering about raccoons and the deer netting. Can't they just rip right through it? Anyone had any problems? I was considering netting but am afraid raccoons might get to my chicks. They stay in their coop at night so I don't close their door to the run. I'm considering a galvanized metal roof. It's a bit pricey, but sturdy. Thoughts?

 

[lux_interior]

Raccoons usually only come out at night... If your birds are locked up at that time, I wouldn't worry about the raccoons