[5coles]

 What is the best tool to cut aviary mesh?

[lucylou]

hi 5coles -  a pair of heavy wire cutters, you can buy them from most DIY shops, not too expensive and will save you a lot of time and ripped hands - good luck! have you get any birds yet?

[Goldfinger]

Abrasive wheel, or cut-off saw as some call it. No messing about with them,

Just make sure you wear safety glasses please 

[Elcie]

I used wire cutters and it was easier than I thought, although took a little bit of time and patience!  Don't forget to stand on it when you cut it and be careful as you near the middle of the roll as it springs up even more.

[joyfull]

Also remember to wear heavy duty gloves when handling it - something like rigger gloves.

[5coles]

Thanks everyone. After the laburnum issue have decided to site chicken pen in  another part of the garden. Ordered a chicken house from Littleacres yesterday. Very excited, should come on Saturday.

We will be making a pen that is large enough for the chickens (there will be 4, Dad doesn't want one and says there will be too many  eggs with 4 chickens!) to be contained in when we are away on holiday without guilt pangs. The pen will measure 8.75 m2. We do not have any wire cutters at the moment and our DIY skills are low! We were planning to make 6 ft panels and bolt them togther and use the existing fence for the other sides.

The best place to get the mesh seems to be Hills of Devon. Should we mesh the roof?

We aim to get the chickens (hybrids that look different around my youngests sons 6 th birthday April 13th, so we have time to sort ourselves out.

[joyfull]

you can mesh the roof this will help keep rodents out but also make sure you cover at least part of it so rain doesn't turn it into a quagmire. if you cover it with clear corrugated panels make sure that at least some are covered with a shade materials to prevent your hens from getting too hot. You can get sheets of coraline or onduline from builders merchants - some of these are clear and others are a bitumen substance so these could be used together.