Using bird netting to create a "chicken yard"

[Ziyphyr]

We used to free range our chickens until a family of hawks settled nearby and decided they would have a daily chicken dinner. We haven't been able to free range the poor girls since.

We were trying to think of ways that we can semi-free range them, but still keep them somewhat safe.

Our thought was to take bird netting and create a large area that they can range in. We would also cover the top of this in more bird netting. The girls would have access to this area via their run.

I know this won't prevent larger preditors out, but would it stop the hawks?
Any other ideas would be great
Thanks

 

[Miss Eliza]

We used to free range our chickens until a family of hawks settled nearby and decided they would have a daily chicken dinner. We haven't been able to free range the poor girls since.

We were trying to think of ways that we can semi-free range them, but still keep them somewhat safe.

Our thought was to take bird netting and create a large area that they can range in. We would also cover the top of this in more bird netting. The girls would have access to this area via their run.

I know this won't prevent larger preditors out, but would it stop the hawks?
Any other ideas would be great
Thanks

Hi, we just started with chickens in May. So not a lot of experience talking here but, we have an electric fence around the mobile coop and I have bird netting over top to protect them from hawks and eagles and owls-here’s hoping it works!! I hope you figure something out and other more experienced folks can help with ideas.

 

[Sueby]

I created a 350sf run out of green safety fence, t posts & bird netting over the top. Its temporary till we finish the real fence but its been up for a while now & *knockonwood* it's been safe. I have hawks & bald eagles & have had no issues. I only let the girls up there when Im home. The dog is usually out in the yard too.

I also used 7ft bird netting to surround my garden because of the deer & that's worked well so far.

What type of preditors do you have? Would they just be out when you're around or all day when at work?

 

[Ziyphyr]

I created a 350sf run out of green safety fence, t posts & bird netting over the top. Its temporary till we finish the real fence but its been up for a while now & *knockonwood* it's been safe. I have hawks & bald eagles & have had no issues. I only let the girls up there when Im home. The dog is usually out in the yard too.

I also used 7ft bird netting to surround my garden because of the deer & that's worked well so far.

What type of preditors do you have? Would they just be out when you're around or all day when at work?

I'd only let them out when I'm home. the day, during the day my big issue is hawks. Even when I'm outside, the hawks are cocky enough to swoop down and take a chicken before I can even react.

I was hoping having the chickens safely under a bird net might help

 

[Sueby]

I feel like I have my bird netting pretty secure, zip tied every 6-12 inches, that if a hawk tried he would just get pretty tangled up. I don't think he'd get in, get a bird & get back out. Hawks have super vision so I think they see the netting & don't even bother. Hopefully, lol.

 

[Sueby]

Also think about resting a pallet up against the fence, I have pine branches we cut down propped up -all places to hide. Or even a table. My girls dug a dust bath under the pallet & they hang out under the pine branches. I think thats some discouragement for a hawk & safety for the chickens.

 

[want2know]

We used to free range our chickens until a family of hawks settled nearby and decided they would have a daily chicken dinner. We haven't been able to free range the poor girls since.

We were trying to think of ways that we can semi-free range them, but still keep them somewhat safe.

We used to free range our chickens until a family of hawks settled nearby and decided they would have a daily chicken dinner. We haven't been able to free range the poor girls since.

We were trying to think of ways that we can semi-free range them, but still keep them somewhat safe.

Our thought was to take bird netting and create a large area that they can range in. We would also cover the top of this in more bird netting. The girls would have access to this area via their run.

I know this won't prevent larger preditors out, but would it stop the hawks?
Any other ideas would be great
Thanks

Our thought was to take bird netting and create a large area that they can range in. We would also cover the top of this in more bird netting. The girls would have access to this area via their run.

I know this won't prevent larger preditors out, but would it stop the hawks?
Any other ideas would be great
Thanks

We used to free range our chickens until a family of hawks settled nearby and decided they would have a daily chicken dinner. We haven't been able to free range the poor girls since.

We were trying to think of ways that we can semi-free range them, but still keep them somewhat safe.

Our thought was to take bird netting and create a large area that they can range in. We would also cover the top of this in more bird netting. The girls would have access to this area via their run.

I know this won't prevent larger predators out, but would it stop the hawks?
Any other ideas would be great
Thanks

I discovered Deer Barrier when looking to put up an inexpensive barrier to keep out deer from my vegetable garden. It is light weight, somewhat invisible, and very inexpensive. You can get 7ft x 100 ft for $17. Some may call this bird netting, but the bird netting I am familiar with, birds can get tangled in. We have a lot of wild birds and my chickens sometimes forget about the deer netting and run into it, they just bounce. So we used cedar limbs, stakes and light weight rope at corners. to build a large run around the two coops we have. To prevent hawk entry, you would have to extend netting to cover the top., which I have seen done. Anyway we put up a chicken run about 75 ft long x 25 ft wide in an hour and a half.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I have deer netting over my dog kennel/chicken pen since May. So far so good. Hawks are seen frequently around here. It even keeps most songbirds out. I also fastened with zip ties.
I don't think it will hold up to snow or freezing rain. I'm thinking of replacing with 1 inch chicken wire and supports before winter. GC

 

[paneubert]

My run is topped with bird netting and it has been working fine. I think making the walls from it is also totally fine as long as you know (which you do) that it would be like cutting butter with a hot knife for any land based predator to rip or chew thru it. Birds of prey would not be an issue since they dive bomb and don't take the time to sit there chewing on it or tearing it apart with their "hands".

 

[gtaus]

First year with laying hens for me. I have a small 13X13 foot fenced in area with 6 foot tall 2x4 wire with bird netting on top attached with plastic cable ties. To keep the bird netting from sagging, I strung some twine from corner to corner in an "X" pattern and laid the bird netting on top. Works for me and so far, no attacks from above. Our local farm store sells a 14X14 bird netting for $6.99. Amazon sells some bird netting up to 50X50 for a very reasonable price.