[Knight Family]

So I've decided to get a load of fruit bushes in and with the amount of birds (dam pigeons) I'll need a cage.

Has anyone made one or have sugestions for me? Pic's always welcome  

P.S. thinking solid as we do get some nice wind.....

[Trillium]

You could make something very similar to this:

http://www.allotment-garden.org/greenhouse/Garden_Shed/garden-785.html

by using 2x2x8's for uprights and crossbracings, then poultry mesh for durability. Just be sure to also brace across the tops as the beasties can be heavy and make the 'roof' sag otherwise. A small door at one side to enter and you're set. Be sure to tuck the side mesh into the ground or the birds will simply nose it up and walk under.

[PennyS]

I made mine from an old gazebo frame (well it was two that had bits missing).  Hubby has sprayed it camouflage style as it was a bit white. It hasn't got the netting on yet but I'll put that on in the summer.  Sorry it's not a great photo but I hope you can see it OK.

[Rangerkris]

I also have a gazebo frame and need to get some netting sorted for it like Penny.

[HugglescoteGrower]

I planned a fruit cage based on treated cls timber from b&q wich comes in 8 foot lengths, braced with treated 6 foot battens and covered in fruit netting from allplas.

Total cost, excluding a door which i planned to bodge together from leftovers was around £80, for a 12ft square cage with 6foot 3inch headroom.

The cls timbers are about 2.5 by 2 inches, and buried 21 inches deep, with the bracing should provide a lightweight but very solid structure.

[Digger Tom]

I planned a fruit cage based on treated cls timber from b&q wich comes in 8 foot lengths, braced with treated 6 foot battens and covered in fruit netting from allplas.

Total cost, excluding a door which i planned to bodge together from leftovers was around £80, for a 12ft square cage with 6foot 3inch headroom.

The cls timbers are about 2.5 by 2 inches, and buried 21 inches deep, with the bracing should provide a lightweight but very solid structure.

 Or buy a second hand gazzebo/tent frame from ebay for £10, then spend £15 on chicken wire. massive fruit cage for not much bucks.

[HugglescoteGrower]

Or buy a second hand gazzebo/tent frame from ebay for £10, then spend £15 on chicken wire. massive fruit cage for not much bucks.

I have been looking for gazebo frames on ebay, and advertising on freecycle but I have never seen one above 3m2, which is not big enough for what I want. Once you go above that size they seem to become more "commercial" type market / side show structures and even frame only are a lot more expensive.

I did think of chicken wire, 25 meters of 1/2 inch is £30 with deilvery, slightly more than the netting, and though probably more hard wearing I like the idea of a traditional net.

However, as the redundancy fairy has raised her ugly head, it may well come down to "any port in a storm" thinking for this season at least.

[PennyS]

Could you join one or more standard gazebo frames together?  

(In fact I'm thinking of making mine bigger in the future so that's what I'll do - I'll have a 6m x 3m instead of a 3m x 3m!)

I got my donor frame free from Freecycle.  I like free.  I'm sure many people have part frames lurking in their garages and will be only too glad to get shot of them.
Just a thought?
 

[jonny]

I have used an old unglazed greenhouse frame covered with a football  goal net and it works a treat.