[SurreyLass]

Due to failing on getting rid of beasties from an inherited house, my 2 lovely girls are still in their small ark, and we have decided to invest our time effort and money in building them an extension, rather than continuing to battle beasties!

SOOOOOOOO - hubbie is off getting timber, and I am trying to look at what mesh to buy and from where!

From what I have read, I need weld Mesh - 16g or lower to be fox proof - right?

Anywhere good to buy it - either online or over the counter ....... dont need a million miles of it, we are thinking of a run 6ft x 3ft (and about 70cm high or so, so it buts up to the arc we have)

ANY advice very gratefully received - I am so desperate to get my girls so more space asap, without killing either my husband or our bank balance!

[crem]

Hi

Our house / run is made with Wire floor - HD galvanised 2" square 12 gauge (to deter foxes).
We also have the net from Omlet which we use all the time which is great for controling where the hens can and can not go.

Good luck

crem

[ManicMum]

And we've got electric fencing around their area which is on all the time & the coop sits in the middle

[GrannieAnnie]

2" square mesh won't keep the rates out though.  you'd be better off with half inch by 1 inch.  Put the Hills of Devon web address for you on your other post.

[SurreyLass]

Thanks Grannie Annie !
My husband has just arrived home with enough timber to build us a house, never mind a chicken run!!!

[GrannieAnnie]

And if you can afford the big roll of mesh, and make the run 6ft high, it will make it much easier for you to get in there when you need to.  The little ark can then sit inside it.

I hope 'Ice' doesn't me me showing her picture, but she made this run herself when she realised the run of her little coop was too small.

[SurreyLass]

Hubbie has just been given a MASSIVE roll of what I would call chicken wire - the stuff with the hexagonal gaps - can we use that??

[GrannieAnnie]

The problem with chicken wire is that it was designed to keep chickens in, not foxes out.  unless it is very thick wire, we have some that I don't think a fox could chew through, foxes can chew through it and how big are the haxagonal gaps?  if they are big enough for a rat to squeeze through, bearing in mind rats can dislocate their bones to squeeze through really small holes, perhaps you could use the chicken wire, but get weldmesh to go round the bottom couple of feet?

It's a good idea to have a skirt coming out from the bottom of the run too, about 1ft if you can, which helps stop rats and foxes digging under the wire.

I know it sounds a lot, but you would be surprised at some of the stories people tell on here, usually AFTER they've lost their beloved chickens.

[SurreyLass]

There is so much of it, I was wondering about using it doubled thickness, but with the gaps overlapping if you see what I mean, so that it all kind of criss crosses? Seems a shame not to find a way of using it.........

[GrannieAnnie]

You could try that.  oh yes, never waste anything like that!  Its not cheap stuff to buy!

Also, you may be lucky.  We have been here for nearly 9 years and not seen a fox once.

Plenty of rats though!  impossible to get rid of them as we have a big dyke down the back of the garden and the little so and so's live down there! 

[SurreyLass]

Our rats wouldnt be bothered with the chicken run - they have the run of a huge 3 or 4 car garage in our side garden - it doesnt have a concrete floor, so they love it - did get the pest people in the day I saw one watching me eat my dinner by sitting on the window ledge outside the dining room though! They have plenty of interest in the garage to keep them happy!!!

We have had the rare visit of a baby deer, or possibly a munkjack (sorry - spelling!!) from time to time though.

[joyfull]

the rats will be interested in the chickens as they will want the eggs and the feed. Please be carefull and never think it won't happen to you. I lost my ducks to a fox a few years ago and have also lost a couple of chickens to a mink this week (I know it was a mink as I saw it  ) so mink trap now bought and my next door neighbours with their shotguns are on red alert (they also have chickens).

[SurreyLass]

Joyfull - would you try the double layer of 'chicken wire' rather than buying weld mesh??

I dont think 'It wont happen' - I am still at the point of waking up in the night worrying!!!

[joyfull]

personally I think you would be better off with weldmesh, but that is just my opinion.