Hello I'm new!

mum23kids · « **on:** March 15, 2012, 23:33 »

Hello everyone - I am the proud new "mum" of 4 POL hybrids that I have had for a week and that have settled in really well. 2 happily feed from my hand, 1 always tries to sit on my lap! and they are all putting themselves to bed at the right time!

They are on a friends smallholding in a movable ark. It measures 2.9 x 1.2 m and rises vertically for 45 cm. Then it rises to an Apex in part of which the house is built (1.2 x 1.2). The house has a mesh skirt pegged down with tent pegs around it and around that is a 25m electric netting fence powered by a leisure type battery.

We are VERY rural and there are lots of predators around and my question is this: For this week I have kept the hens in the house run area but now that the girls have settled they need more space. Will they be safe let out into the area enclosed by the electric net?

It is only about 1.2m high and surrounded by trees and a large greenhouse on one side. What will stop the chickens flying up and off if spooked by something? Will a fox jump over or in from a tree? Will the girls get harrassed by rooks etc?

I visit them 3 times a day but most of the time there is no-one there.
Would love to have them in the garden but says no poultry on the deeds...

Any ideas, comments or suggestions would be really welcome!

Many thanks.

Tony H · « **Reply #1 on:** March 16, 2012, 03:02 »

Hi and welcome, bit risky but many on here including myself do let the chucks free range, realy the choice is up to and wether you are willing to take the risk, mr fox could jump that,in studies it has shown that a determined fox can easily clear 6ft unfortuanatly

Sassy · « **Reply #2 on:** March 16, 2012, 08:45 »

Electric fencing is generally a very good deterrent. They would usually get a shock off the fence and be deterred before trying to jump over. The key to stopping them jumping over the fence is to bait the fence if you know you have a fox around. Put a sausage or similar where the fox would get a shock!

Are you thinking of other types of predator?

If your chooks fly out they should not go far - usually only the other side of the fence - and come back to roost. If this happens you can clip one wing only, this prevents them getting height and unbalances them (in flight)

ANHBUC · « **Reply #3 on:** March 16, 2012, 09:38 »

Welcome to the site mum23kids. As Sassy said they can fly over the fence. Mine only seem to do this when they see me coming out of the back door. They all rush to one end and in the excitement occasionally one takes off and lands outside the fence.

You could put some taller netting up to prevent the fox getting access from the tree. It wouldn't need to be electrified if it is above your other fence.

The rooks would probably only be after food so if that is kept in the ark you shouldn't have a problem.

Have a read of this topic which is about Deeds excluding you keeping hens.
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=90914.0

Happy hen keeping.

Lewjam · « **Reply #4 on:** March 16, 2012, 12:39 »

Hey,

Welcome to chicken keeping!

Agree with others with one addition:

I would say the risk isworth it, becuase the alternative seems to be keeping then hens in a very small space. We generaly recomend 2msq per bird, so by that note you have twice as many brids as you should for the size of run.

If you are worried, get some pond netting (very cheap) i think �5 for a reel from Bnq, and just chuck it over the top of your electric fence area.

I would let them out into it though

Lew

mum23kids · « **Reply #5 on:** March 16, 2012, 20:36 »

Thanks so much for your advice everyone.

I did always intend to let the birds into the larger area it's just now I've rather fallen in love with them I wanted to make sure they are safe!

The electric fence is 25m long so they have a total area area of roughly 6x6m - 36 square metres. Think I'll put some bits and pieces in it though so they've got places to perch and hide and get out of the wind etc.

Think I'll just have to go for it and let them out. They seem really happy to go in the house at night so I'll just have to have faith that they'll get back in!

Thanks again
E

hen-night · « **Reply #6 on:** March 16, 2012, 23:53 »

Welcome and Good luck with your new hens....

mum23kids · « **Reply #7 on:** March 17, 2012, 19:43 »

It worked (so far!)

Went up to the field to clean them out and decided today was they day to let them loose into the fenced area. Put the electric fence on with me inside and set to cleaning out the house and run with all doors open. Gloria (Goldline) was straight out and sat on my foot commenting on what I was doing (wrong - no doubt) and then she was off, pecking at everything.

The other 3 just looked confused!

Got it all clean and moved it over onto fresh grass. Sprinkled some corn around and went home (leaving door from run into fenced area open!)

Went up at 5pm with the kids to check on them and they were all out and happy as larry. Dot (speckledy) was on the other side of the fence though and when I walked up to her she virtually asked to be put back in with the others!

All very happy and put themselves to bed in the house as normal. All locked in and safe now so will do it again tomorrow.

Thanks all
E

Cluckyclaire · « **Reply #8 on:** March 17, 2012, 20:35 »

oops i didnt check my deeds........soz

ah well

your lot sound great, and very settled, one of mine managed to get the other side of the fence today

though we are not rural like you mine are in the garden

nerdle · « **Reply #9 on:** March 17, 2012, 23:10 »

What kind of hybrid? I have a silverlink and she's so perfect - very friendly and curious.

joyfull · « **Reply #10 on:** March 18, 2012, 05:11 »

As mine free range I don't clip their wings so they can try to get out of trouble should they need to. Now this method does also have its problems as 10 of my girls sleep in the trees and in dense shrubbery. They are all too high for me to reach them - those in the trees are over 20 feet high and on thin branches that a fox would not be able to walk on so they are safe and those in the shrubs are about 7 feet up and 4 feet in so would hear a fox trying to get them and be able to try and get away.

mum23kids · « **Reply #11 on:** March 18, 2012, 09:25 »

Morning

Joyfull - I agree they need to be able to fly if free ranging - I can't clip their wings anyway as the land they are on is registered with the soil association so as well as all their food and bedding etc. being to organic standard they have to be out (with the exception of a few days to get them settled or if they get ill etc). Even if I could though, I wouldn't, it just makes sense to me that if they are out they are able to get away as best they can should they need to.

Nerdle - I have a Goldline (very friendlyand gorgeous) a Speckled rock type (very adventurous and a daredevil), a nera (bossy and truly, quite thick) and a Blacktails type (very quiet and calm). They all put up with my kids very well and are all keen to eat from your hand now.

Claire - this could get addictive don't you think!?

Thanks all

E

Hello I'm new!

mum23kids

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Tony H

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