[Carol B]

We got a few ducks this spring and are making a large fenced in area for them. Also adding a bit so we can "free range" some meat chickens too. (No not together but separated by chicken wire fencing.) So the plan is to bury hardware cloth down 1 ft. With 3 ft above ground. Then run chicken wire another 3 ft up. Cover the whole thing with a chicken wire roof. However now my husband is thinking of using deer netting for the cover. We don't have large preditors but we do have raccoons, possum, skunk, an occasional cat or dog wonders through, I know there is a fox or two in the neighborhood but have never seen them on our property, hawks, lots of deer and rabbits. I know some of these are not a threat but others are. What do you think of the deer netting to go across the top? A falling limb, if large enough, would obviously take it out but not sure how strong it is to be good for the rest. I hate giving the wild birds something to perch on as they just poop on everything below. Maybe they wouldn't bother with the netting? If critters below can't climb 6 ft to the top he's thinking it should be good.
Thoughts please. 😊

 

[robin416]

Are they going to be up at night? If they are then the deer netting will work.

If they're not then go with something more solid. Fox and raccoons climb quite easily,

 

[Lillith]

Agree, fox and raccoon can easily scale a 6 foot fence, no problem. I do have a nylon netting that I purchased on Amazon over the top of my run and nothing has taken a chicken inside the run yet (knock on wood), but they also go in the coop at night where nothing can reach them. If something was really determined they could probably rip it, but it's tough stuff, and I left about two feet hanging over the side of the run, mostly because I'm lazy but also because anything that wants to climb will have to go through it while it's waving in the wind.

You can also run a string of hot wire around the top of the run. If I ever have problems with things climbing over my run fence in the middle of day, that's what I'll do. Predators are unlikely to brave a 6 foot fence, loose netting, and then attempt to break through the netting while getting zapped by a hot wire.

 

[Carol B]

Yes they will be locked up in their own house at night just like the chickens. We've had a chicken tractor for the meat chickens and they will also be locked up in that at night.

I thought raccoons could not scale 1/2 inch hardware cloth. Not so?

 

[robin416]

Never heard that about raccoons before. Doesn't mean it's not true though. I've just never heard it.

 

[imnukensc]

Raccoons can't easily chew through or reach through half inch hardware cloth. The can easily climb it.

 

[Lillith]

Yes they will be locked up in their own house at night just like the chickens. We've had a chicken tractor for the meat chickens and they will also be locked up in that at night.

I thought raccoons could not scale 1/2 inch hardware cloth. Not so?

I would assume they can scale it. They can not rip through it or reach enough of their little hands through it to grab a chicken, but there's no reason they won't attempt to climb it.

 

[Poultry Judge]

At the sanctuary we have six foot fence with a hot wire at the bottom, we also use inexpensive blinking LED holiday lights strung along the fence on the rear side facing the barn and the woods. I would run a hot wire near the top but the peafowl and turkeys walk on top of the fence.

 

[wineberryhillfarm]

You almost have to think like a prison warden.

 

[Poultry Judge]

You almost have to think like a prison warden.

You almost have to think like a prison warden.

...and we still have lost four chickens and one duck to raccoons this year.

 

[robin416]

...and we still have lost four chickens and one duck to raccoons this year.

Even with your hotwire?

 

[Poultry Judge]

Even with your hotwire?

Even with your hotwire?

Yes, they've been climbing the fence, Melissa has been trapping them with a large HavaHart trap using peanut butter and mini-marshmallows for bait. She said she read it on the interweb.

 

[robin416]

You're hotwire isn't right on the pens, is it? That might be the difference between yours and mine.

 

[Poultry Judge]

You're hotwire isn't right on the pens, is it? That might be the difference between yours and mine.

No, it wouldn't be easy to electrify the whole thing, but I have thought about it.