using stakes and poultry netting for supervised free ranging?

[kortmom]

I feel like I just came up with a genious idea, but I want to get everyone's okay before I do it! I will not be doing any free ranging that isn't protected because we have preditors. I am not too worried about attacks from the ground since I will be right next to them gardening or sitting in the yard while they are out but I want them contained and under cover because I worry mostly about overhead attacks. I would never leave them unsupervised.

I was going to build a wooden movable chicken tractor but after my coop and run and garden investment, I am out of people who want to build something for me and funds. My father asked me today why I don't just set up an area with stakes and throw bird netting over the top, maybe put a few small rocks around the bottom to keep it down. I thought that was a great idea!

This is something that I could also use in my compost area as well. I could put up stakes around the outside and drape my trusty bird netting over the top when I want to let them in my compost pile.

How does it sound?

 

[Debbiesue]

Hi

We are in the UK and our threats are more from ground level. However a neighbour used a bird net over their permanent run and one winter the fox chewed through and killed all the chickens.

We let our chickens onto the vegetable patch in autumn and spring to clear the area. To keep them contained we use both chicken wire and heavy plastic mesh wire both staked to the ground using canes. We can then move this to make sure they clear the bits we want. We only do this if we are in the garden with them as the foxes here are very brave.

 

[Life is Good!]

I do this every year for our chicks - take 5 garden 't' stakes (3 or 4' tall), a 50' or 100' roll of garden fencing or chicken wire. Put four posts in the 'corners' and designate one 'corner' as the gate. Overlap the fencing so you can get in and out. Use twist ties or twine to hold wire to posts (critical!) as a stiff breeze can blow the whole thing over quickly (don't ask!).

I've done this with 2wk old freedom ranger chicks and 2day old Black Java chicks with their momma. I generally don't cover it, as a winged predator is unlikely to attack in this small a space.

 

[4 the Birds]

Sounds fine to me since you will be right there with them. Since you will be with them you could even just run net along fence stakes and not mess with the "over the top" net. You may want to set a lounge chair in the area and join em.

 

[kortmom]

I will give it a try in a few weeks. Right now we are finishing up the chicken run and we leave for vacation in a week. But after vacation it's play time! If I can figure out how to post a pic on here, I will!

 

[Motts]

kortmom - did you try the netting system you talked about? How did it work out? If so, did you use something over the top?

Thanks.

 

[cstronks]

It is a good idea. It is something that I have been doing for roughly a year now. Just beware...hawks will come down at the netting and they can really do it some damage. Get a sturdy bird net, not a cheap mesh kind, because the hawk can really tear it up ( and I didn't want to see a hawk get stuck in it ). I've only had hawks come at it twice. Once the bird came down, touched the netting and flew away, and the second time the hawk came down to the netting, somewhat hovered, and then appeared to try and pull the netting up to tear it. I was able to get outside by then. He had put a nice hole in there, so I decided it was time for better mesh.

 

[kortmom]

I did not try it last season. I am, however, going to try it this year. We have a large area near the coop that is situated under pine trees and I would like to set up stakes and netting to make an area for them to use when I am in the yard. I am very protective of my girls and we do have hawks so I will have to cover the top. Since I have to cover the top, I would keep the area on the smaller side or I can see the top caving in. I could always rotate it to new angles off the run to place it on new ground. I want to have it come off the door to the run so they can come in and out as they want and it will make herding back into the run with sunflower seeds easier for me. Even better would be if my father would build a small locking chicken door off the side of my run into this area! I think zip ties would hold the netting together nicely. I have 4 ft stakes and zip ties already, would just need to buy the netting for the top and that plastic green fencing for the sides and zip tie it all together. Eventually I would like to add 100 square feet to their run, but for now this will do just fine.

 

[gjensen]

I have a local friend that uses a tall center t post and has tied a pyramid of fishing line for a cover. On this line she has flags to identify them. It appears effective and it is not unattractive. I was impressed by it when I saw it.