Plastic netting vs chicken wire

[Joker69377]

Here is a brief outline of what I am attempting. Pen is 21' X 12' X 7' (H). The house will be 5'9" X 5'9", roughly 5' tall. I have several rolls of fencing, 2" X 4" openings that I intend to completely enclose the pen with, including top. I was going to completely encclose it in chicken wire inside of the fencing.

First question. I am tight on money, are'nt we all, so I found a product called " Black Multi-Purpose Net" at Lowes. Since pen will be enclosed in wire, will this be ok?
Second, Do I need to go higher than 4' with net or chicken wire from the ground?

 

[patandchickens]

This is the thin flimsy stuff, the filaments are sort of like thicker fishing-line? (Or is this the thick construction-fence type stuff?)

If it is the thin stuff, be aware that a chicken who REALLY wants to rip through it, can (e.g. I would not use it to separate two hostile roosters).

If this is just a question about predatorproofing, though, then since your run will be entirely constructed of 2x4 wire (I am assuming it is a good heavy gauge) all you're trying to do with this add-on material is prevent reach-through. 1/2" plastic netting is certainly a reasonable option for that IMHO. Yes, worst case scenario a predator CAN rip it apart in order to shove its arm further through, but having slowed the predator down that much is likely to prevent anything too gruesome from happening, and the netting works fine for keeping chickens from shoving their heads through 2x4 mesh. So while something stronger might be more ideal, I do not personally think that using 1/2" netting in this case would seriously compromise safety. (YOu have also made some provisions for protecting vs digging predators, yes?)

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[svalentine]

We used the deer proofing netting(the kind you use on trees) over the top of the run. It is supported by clotheline running in lots of directions. We are trying to prevent them being hawk bait. But there are still openings on the sides. Will this do it? Or do we need the wire fencing over the top as well. The eggs are getting really expensive!

 

[svalentine]

We had the poultry fencing up and had one chicken get stuck half out when she got scared. We ended up cutting the wire around her to free her. It was an awful ordeal. They are 7 wks old now and we have taken down the layer of black netting you are talking about. No way those fat bodies are going through now. So, yes, I would suggest the double layer until they are bigger. It adds to piece of mind.

 

[Joker69377]

Pat, thanks for the fast reply. I am inheriting 4 Rhode Island Reds, One is a Rooster, and all are mature and have been together for awhile. My mesh/chicken wire is exactly what you stated, too keep their heads in. The field fence is predator control.

I intend to add 3-4 more hens down the road, hence the big fun and coop/house.

Here is a link to the product I am looking at. I am going to Lowes to buy my lumber today and start building.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_157766-1311...tk=i_products&ddkey=http:SearchCatalogDisplay

OH, Can I stack nest boxes? Will this be a sanitation issue?

Thank You

Steve

 

[possumqueen]

Deer proof netting will stop a hawk, especially if you have it supported by clothesline. And anything that slows down a reach through is useful because by the time they get through it the chickens will have got out of their way -- the smart chickens, at least. The ones I worry about are the diggers.

almost forgot!!

 

[elmo]

Since this is your "reach through protection" layer, I'd go for whichever has the smaller openings. Someone else here mentioned that they use cheap bamboo or reed roll fencing, and I thought that was an interesting approach, too, since it provides some shade as well.