A new house

[Tweetypie]

Since October last year, my girls have been penned into a rather crude looking fencing system. It started off looking OK, but as you wise ones stated, they can FLY over 4 foot! After many escapes, I decided to stop their fun. So... I attached some chicken wire around the original fencing, with the outcome looking quite awful. Even despite this being 6 foot high, Barbie managed to fly on top of the coop roof, which to be fair is quite low against a wall. She's a wise bird and susses out any weakness 08

Yesterday, I did what I said I would never do and I clipped their wings. Don't shoot me.

TODAY I had some 6 foot fence panels and 7 foot posts delivered. The OH and me are going to remove all the existing fencing and coop and start afresh. This time, there will be no escapees. I will take some pics when it has been completed. The girls are going to their usual "hen hotel" for a few days until it is finished.

I intend to have the coop in the middle of the run, so that they are unable to use it as a springboard to fly over the fence. I also intend to put some trellis on top, like a roof, so that doubly secures it.

The fence is actually heavy duty trellis, as I would like them to be able to see out and me see in.

The OH does not want them free ranging on the garden anymore as they did so much damage to the lawn and flower beds/rockery last summer :-(

 

[Marigold]

Well done - I really think this is a good way to go, for those of us who have small or medium-sized gardens that we want to maintain in good condition. Also, it's much safer for the hens - even if you believe that, at present, your garden and area is fox-free, there are enough horror stories in the Pests and Predators section to convince one that it's always a risk. Mine live very happily in their enclosed run, and I don't feel the need to go out and count them every time I've been shopping! They have daily greens, high perches (which they choose to sleep on rather than in the coop!) a big dustbath, and plenty of space, with an interesting outlook over the garden. They have shelter against wind and rain, and shade in summer. And they can't undermine our gardening efforts!

It's good to be planning a roof, as foxes will be able to scale 6ft fencing panels with ease, and I think it's likely that the hens will also be up to the challenge. Even if your present quite placid hybrids won't make it, any youngsters you get in the future will fly out over 6ft, especially if you ever get leghorns or leghorn hybrids for their beauty and prolific white eggs. We started by putting mesh over the roof, but things got so soggy in the run that it made an enormous difference to both birds and humans when we added clear plastic corrugated panels and a gutter to drain away rain that would otherwise have blown in under the edges. So far, the panels have lasted 9 years, the run has remained dry and easier to keep clean, and the birds go to roost with dry feathers, which is important because it gets humid in a coop where wet birds are confined all night, and this can promote respiratory disease. With a roof, you can put the coop wherever you like with no fear that anyone will fly out. The whole construction will be stronger if the sides are tied together by roof beams and panels, like a box.
You've now been keeping hens for quite some time, to know whether you enjoy it enough to make longer-term plans for the best setup in your circumstances. And you only get one go at a major reorganisation like you're planning, so careful thought beforehand is a good idea.

 

[Tweetypie]

I think you're right (again) Marigold. I did think about that corrugated sheeting for the roof, even if it was over just a third of the area, to keep the dustbath corner completely dry. The big tree in the corner works wonders, but they seem to want to be near the sunshine.
I don't see or hear of foxes around here, quite surprising actually, as next door have a field, a pond and ducks. Top of the hill there is a smallholding, too. The only complaints are of cats going for the ducks! But as you say, peace of mind is better than regrets. The sheeting might have to wait a while, as the panels and posts and cement have cost £170 so far. Might put the mesh over it for the time being.

EDIT - Marigold, do you have an apex roof?

 

[Marigold]

No, just a simple slope, with the gutter along the lowest side, discharging into a drainpipe which just drains away at an angle on to the earth. I did have a butt there at first, but found the connecting pipe got blocked up with leaves and mess in autumn, and as our dry chalk garden has good drainage and is always happy to have extra water, it works well for me just to let it run off into the soil.
We covered 1/3 of the area at first, but found that rain blew in from the uncovered part above, so that comparatively little of the covered area remained properly dry. Now it's all roofed, it's a much more pleasant microclimate in there, especially in winter. I've fixed willow screening round 3 of the sides, to give windproofing and also filtered shade in summer. The long West-facing side is open to the garden and that's where they sit on their long perch and look out at what's going on.
We added the roof panels on top of the mesh, once we found out how soggy it got in the run in wet weather. No point removing it, and it gives extra strength, though it did make it somewhat more difficult to fix the corrugated panels than if the mesh hadn't been there. If I were doing the job again I would just put the roof panels on without mesh at the start.
You do have to think about roof height - even with 6ft mesh panels, a taller person might have to bend a bit, especially if you add a 4in layer of Aubiose or other bedding. I installed weed proof membrane all over the floor, under the bedding, to stop them scratching holes in the soil and messing up the bedding. It's very cheap, lots of wider widths now available on eBay, just buy plenty of pegs to fasten it down at the sides.

 

[poachedegg]

Like Marigold I too have a walk in run with clear corrugated sheets for the roof which the window cleaner washes down for me twice a year. I'm too old for ladder now! It has been the best value for money that I have spent. The girls seem to be very happy and content and as I have a healthy fox population despite living on top of one of the tunnels on the M25, they can't free range.
Their dust bath is an old low level hen house with the roof removed and replaced with weld mesh and clear corrugated panels.This is fixed to the run and filled with soil/sand and is now their sauna/chilling area where they stay quite a lot of the time with a glass of wine and a good book lol!
I did put the whole thing on slabs and bolted the run on to them and then Aubiose on top, never regretted the expense.

 

[bigyetiman]

We have a similar set up also if we are not around the hens are in a run, even if you don't know of a fox doesn't mean they are not about. We do have foxes about and nesting Buzzard and Peregrine.
I know what you mean about the mesh, our run etc was here when we moved in and had mesh over it and we then roofed it which wasn't easy

 

[Marigold]

Tweetipie, when you say fencing panels, what sort are they? what kind of door are you planning?

 

[Tweetypie]

The OH and me had a busy day, but it's not even halfway done.
The panels are heavy duty square trellis. The trellis holes are 4 inches wide, they cannot get through (tried them with a piece I had).
The run will be approx 15 foot square. The coop is going in the middle. The coop has a small enclosed shelter underneath it. The dustbath area will be in one corner, a place they already use, but I'm going to have it dug out so there are sides to it and put more topsoil in.
I'm not putting a roof on, due to the width and height. OH said he wont do it. The run area is on a slight slope, so it's 8 foot at one end, so the fencing will be staggered. The lowest will be over 6 foot.
The place under the tree is bone dry, nicely shaded however, I am saving the small enclosed pen, just in case they need it this winter. I can just pop it in.?
Its not going to be exactly how I want it, but it will be far more secure than before, so i have peace of mind.
I'd like to have ordered a few tons of wood bark, but alas its a bit costly. I'll have to wait until I get a new job so i can justify the spend!
I'll post pics when it's done.

 

[chrismahon]

Just read this post and it's a good point about them using the coop to launch over the fencing- I hadn't thought about that Tweetypie. We're STILL in the process of building a proper enclosure. Have put 150m2 of grass down to replace weeds, cut back bushes, marked out and measured the area (232m2 using basic trig and Heron's Law). Went to get the posts last week only to find the Company have finished that side of the business! Now we are searching for a post supplier- no problem at 2m but that's too short, we need 2.2m because of the construction method. Coming up to 2 years working on it because the weather here limits things considerably- either too hot and dry or too cold and wet.

Marigold, we have water butts which used to block up with leaves. Our solution was full diameter pipes into the butts with a potato bag at the end to act as a leaf filter. We bought waterproof exterior tape from Aldi to hold them in place and just replace them when full. The overflow just runs onto the garden.

 

[Margaid]

Hate to be a party pooper but when my Welsummer hens were taken by mink they were dragged through 4" sheep netting. So I woulnd't be too sure about trellis with 4" holes keeping them in. I'm assuming you are trying to keep the hens in rather than predators out - that's another thing altogether.

 

[rick]

To pass through they would want to put their foot on the bottom edge - they just don't do wriggling through and standing up afterwards like a mammal might. But, yes, they could be dragged through a 4" hole by something smaller than a fox.
Its close - 5" and there would be easily enough room to go through while keeping their feet under them.
Im sure there are examples of a fox grabbing a chicken by sticking its head through a 4" hole and dragging it out - like roosting right next to the fence. Mine would wriggle through a 2-3" vertical gap in a fence but at ground level and with enough height to go through standing.

 

[Marigold]

I think a fox would have no problem chewing through wooden trellis enough to enlarge the hole and get inside. Let's hope you're right about the fact that there are no foxes in the area. I'm sure it will keep the hens in OK, so long as you don't start keeping bantams! At any rate, the garden will be good this summer.

 

[Tweetypie]

It hasn't been an eventful day as we had showers this afternoon, so we were unable to treat the fence posts with the same colour as the panels. The trellis panels are heavy duty, not like normal plant trellis, but i guess if something wanted to bite through it and get loads of splinters, then it could It would need to be one desperately starving fox!
I want to put kickboards around the bottom of the fencing, too. It stops the soil being kicked everywhere.
I'm looking for some railway sleepers to make the dustbath area so they can kick around without it going everywhere. Might have to comprise with fence posts screwed together.
The coop stands on a large slabbed area, there's also shelter underneath the coop, with a perch.
I've had them a year next month and touch wood - they have been safe - even when free ranging on the garden. I feel better knowing that they are fully secure now and no more escapees destroying my flower beds

 

[rick]

Kick boards are a great idea! Put them on the inside to minimise the amount of bedding that gets trapped in the complicated spaces round the bottom of the fence.
I know it sounds like banging the gong of doom - but foxes just turn up out of the blue when they are particularly desperate or move into a new territory for some reason (in our case after 3 years.) As long as it isn't a walk right in situation, though, and you keep an eye out for signs of braking in or odd panicked chattering of hens in the night, then something to chew through that takes longer than a few minuets or goes should give you forewarning.
If you want to feel really safe at any point (like after an attempt) then puppy wire fencing is very good.
Its great to have a new run!

 

[Tweetypie]

I'm not ignoring the doom, Rick, I had the extra tall fencing so I can rest easy. They cannot scale 6 foot 3 (minimum) up to 8 foot. The trellis is 1 inch thick, like a fence panel, but I had squares so they can see out. Next door has some juicy ducks, easy pickings ;-) and top of the hill has ducks, geese, sheep, goats... I have not heard of any foxes, do you think it is because there are plenty of cats around here?

Anyway, the girls are back and I have many photo's of the new Cluckingham Palace. They were straight into the make-do dustbath. I'll have to buy railway sleepers at some point for the sides. It will be a bigger area when I have the proper stuff. Mesh is over the soil, stop them digging it all up. It's better than it was, can never be perfect, but a far cry from the place they came from. 17

The FIRST pic is the "before" set up

VIDEO PRESS HERE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGM8b5eVNIU

 

[rick]

Woah!!!
I like the rustic logs. It all gets kicked out whatever!
Took a picture of Bonnie and Linden in the bath the other day - its a bit more 'bijou' than yours, well it is with Bonnie in it.

 

[Tweetypie]

Your dustbath looks so much tidier than mine. ? yep, mine just live kicking soil everywhere, that's why I want a deeper dustbath. I reckon I've got the 4 worst dust kickers in town. They're forever kicking, scratching or looking around for escape routes. Funny birds. Ps I love your plant pots. ?

 

[rick]

I bought a scaffold board recently and considering the amount of plank in it it was pretty cheap (£15 for 5.2m or something like that.) It could be set into a square shallow hole as a box with half of its width above ground. Just a thought. Its always surprising how much it takes to make a box though - 5.2m would only make a 1.3m ish box.
Thanks. We have to resort to tall pots in our garden because they are just above the height that the dog pees!

 

[Tweetypie]

Scaffolding boards are a great idea and also good for making raised beds for plants. I'll suggest that to OH today, that will need to keep him busy ;-)