[rosied]

As some of you may have read, my first attempt at chicken keeping was met with disaster when my hens got killed by a fox or possibly a mink during the day...which put paid to my happy little idea of free-ranging them round the garden.  So having weighed everything up I have decided to go with a post and wire run, I just cannot do the electric fence thing in a garden with children, they are too little to be relied upon to not run into it.  So this is the plan.  Wire dug into the ground and out in an L shape for about 2'.  On top of the wire I am intending to bury a load of hardcore/broken glass that I have dug up from the far end of the garden which is now slowly becoming my kids play area.  I am going to put paving slabs or possibly even cement under the gate and I am intending to cover the top of the run with the plastic mesh that you see builders using to barricade off areas - it comes in bright orange normally, but I have some slightly more tasteful green stuff!  Will that be ok on the roof as it were or should I have wire?

At the top I am also planning to try and have some wire forming an overhang of some description to make it more tricky for the fox to climb and I am going to keep the wire a bit loose between the posts.  

As this run will be against my neighbours hedge line and there is a chainlink fence there allready, do you think the fox would be able to use that as a leg up given everything i have described?  I am growing a hawthorn hedge but it is very young and not much of a deterent at the moment.  

Anything else I should/could do?  

I am intending to forget about grass and put woodchip down or maybe some gravel.  Should I put in some kind of mudbox for them?  I also have some bits of tree which I think would make nice perches - good idea or not?  They are like branches I have cut off a tree we are felling.  

I am hoping to be able to let the hens free-range for a couple of hours a day in the garden when I am around but I do need a pretty good pen since I know I have a fox problem.  I wish I could shoot the thing (sorry fox lovers) but sadly not.  Anyhow I understand that will only open up a space for another to come back.  

One question, I am assuming that at some point I will have to overlap the wire to make it go all the way to the top, what is the best way to join it?  I am thinking cable ties?  Or is there a better way?  

Any comments suggestions before I start to build would be great!

[tam]

Foxes climb so don't just rely on height. They'll go up and over a 6' fence so if you've got handy steps up then mesh to be sure.

Likewise they chew so I wouldn't rely on anything that is just plastic, go for wire of wire covered plastic.

A paving slab buried on it's end (with a few inches above ground) across the doorway with the door closing against it makes a solid barrier and stops digging under the door. It gives you a slight step but it will also keep whatever you use on the floor from walking out.

If your using cable ties go for the metal ones not plastic and join every couple of inches.

Your other option is to pave the whole area (slightly larger than the run) then build a wooden structure on top. You can use a couple of brackets to attach the wood to the paving (though if your using chunky stuff the weight should be enough on its own to prevent it lifting).

Here's a post n wire enclosure, it's full of rabbits but same principle...
http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showpost.php?p=1329081&postcount=1
http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showpost.php?p=1351883&postcount=1

[Bodger]

Hi Rosied.
Its been covered on here quite a few times but electric fencing is by far the easiest and most effective way of protecting your birds from fox attack.
There are also threads on the best way of protecting against mink attack.

[rosied]

Hi thanks for the replys, the idea about the paving slab is a good one, will also source some metal cable ties.  I really can't do electric fencing, for one thing it only comes in 25 metre rolls and I don't have that big an area to fence off, nor do I have mains to the garden and leisure batteries are just not reliable enough looking at what i have read.  I'm not relying on height which is why I was going to roof the run, I think I will go for wire to be on the safe side, I know they can chew but didn't think they would be able to get up on the net as it wouldn't be solid.  Thinking about the fence next door though shows me that they could stand on that (possibly) to reach the top.  

If I grow climbers up the side of my run would that be ok, might just want to pretty it up and if so is there anything I should avoid - don't want to protect my chicks from the fox only to poison them or do they just avoid things that are nasty?  

I can't follow the links to the wire runs I need to log on to the rabbit site!  But thanks anyhow

Rosie

[Kate and her Ducks]

I also wish I could use leccy fencing but it is simply not practical in my garden, its too small with too many vantage points for a fox to jump over unless I has it in a little square in the middle or put it round the top of the neighbours fences and garage. They don't seem so keen :roll:

Don't think I would worry about children though. There was lots of electric fencing for the cattle when I was little and yes kids do walk into it but generally only the once. Aversion therapy is very effective in my experience! My parents could have corralled us with a piece of string after the first jolt!

[Sadgit]

I'm currently making a new run and will hopefully finish it today. I have used 2x2 treated timber and mesh weld wire stuff.

I have no real plans but am using ideas I have picked up from seeing other runs. will be about 10ftx10ftx5ft which isn't huge with will suffice for my 3 girls... mine may end up looking something like this.

It will have a fully covered roof which will keep them nice and dry and stop anything getting in over the top of it also.

[Kate and her Ducks]

Wow that looks fab. I also put corrugated plastic over the roof as was informed that foxes can gnaw through chicken wire which was what I had. I had lost two to a fox (not through the wire though) and wasn't prepared to take any chances I could avoid.

[poultrygeist]

For a mid-height join, I have a timber rail running round the enclosure made from 2x1". I just fixed the long edges to that and it helps to keep the whole rigid.

I think Bodger has suggested running an electric wire round the top edge as well as/instead of the overhang. If they manage to climb, it will zap them on the way over.

I don't know anythign about leccy fencing but I'm sure he or another experienced user could suggest a few things.

Keepign them out is definitely better than tryign to wage war on them. There's more of them than there is of us  :?
And it gives you peace of mind when you're not around. Well done for getting back on the horse and trying again.

Rob

[rosied]

I would be interested in doing this provided it didn't cost an absolute fortune - I am not wealthy!  Otherwise I am legally allowed to put barbed wire up there???  So two further questions really, how do you do the single strands of electric wire - please make it simple - I'm not the most technical of girls!  And if I am allowed to put a strand of barbed wire around the top edge where would I buy that from?

[poultrygeist]

Trouble with barbed wire is it would maim rather than deter. The fox could injur itself badly and take days to die. Not nice for anything.

I knwo leccy fencing is usually about £100+ but don't really know the specifics.

Rob

[karlooben]

hiya  rosied , i saw that for the roof u were going to use that orange builders tpye fencing  dont use it anything living creature will go rite though it i have been told and seen the damage done by other bird keepers.
i have used fruit cage netting that does not  tare u can get it from any garden centre { i paid £50 including postage } for 10 m by 6 m worth think i got 12 metres by 12 in the end cant remeber what   . go to www.harrod.co.uk or .com an look at thier netting for cages . its a black mesh and comes in different strengths .

while quite a few peeps have read this post can i ask something please.... for the hen house itself can  u get away with just pvc corrugated sheets for just the roof itself.i need to re do the roof an was thinking about taking of the wood an just using the pvc  :?:

[poultrygeist]

If you just use clear plastic, it'll heat up like a greenhouse in the summer and you'll have roast chicken  :shock:

You can use onduline or similar. It's the the black or green bitumen type corrugated roofing.

Rob

[karlooben]

i am so glad i asked ,i never even gave that a thought . thankyou rob think i will leave the roof as it is  and just angle it a bit more to let the rain full of  although with all that rain we had the weekend it didnt leak   . cant beleive i never thought about that

[poultrygeist]

Don't worry. Can't think of everything

My roof leaked first off but I felted it and it's been fine since.

I have seen one with plywood with corrugated roofing over it. That should be ok if you have problems.

Rob

[karlooben]

i have the original roofing wood that was already there it was apex but i made it go on flat { well kind of at an angle } then ashfelt an then the pvc sheets but its to high for me to check wether any water is sitting under the pvc sheets as i put them up in gale force winds an rain    but ti doesnt leak well not yet