Fox, squirrel & rat-proof fencing

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Icemaiden

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From what I've read while lurking, I gather that foxes can get through the narrower gauges of chicken wire. On the other hand, the thicker stuff that I've seen appears to have holes that'll keep out foxes but let squirrels & rats in.

Can anyone recommend a kind of (non-electrified) fencing that'll keep out foxes, rats AND Mensa-accredited squirrels? I presume we'll need to put a roof on it too... How do you support a roof over a 20' by 10' run? (We don't want electrified fencing as a) we don't want to kill hedgehogs & frogs, & b) we'll have no protection during the countless powercuts that we get out in the sticks)

Lastly, if the fencing needs to be around 6' tall (or more, so that my husband can walk around in the run without bending over), how on earth do you get the fence posts in the ground? I've used a post-bonker before, but wouldn't fancy dragging one 8 or 9' up a ladder to use it! :-)09
 
I think you need to use wire mesh to exclude all 3 vermin from your chickens.Have look at this for ideas http://poultrykeeperforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=4240 and this http://poultrykeeperforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4818 You may not need theese huge fencepost if you make you run in to huge cage.I do not know your setup but maybe those two topics will help you.
 
My girls have been put in a large chicken wire run, the houses are in it.
I think the mesh is less than 1".
I have come to realise over the years, that foxes actually hate chicken wire. I think it threatens to hurt their feet so they tend to avoid it. They seem to prefer more stable surfaces to find entry.
Fences - even high ones, not a problem to a fox, gates - high, low - easy peasy for them, but a chicken run, chicken wire 100% on quite firm wooden supports, they do not mess with.
Every night just before dark I see the fox just checking that everything is the same before slinking off into the night.
My girls hopefully feel firm and secure within, as I do not hear any of the raucous noise that his daylight visits cause.
 
A firm which many have recommended for galvanised mesh is Hills of Devon, see http://www.hillsofdevon.co.uk/netting.html
As Valerie says, the smaller the spaces between the wires the better it will exclude vermin of all kinds. Mine is just over 0.5 in, I think this must be the 7 mm listed on the site, which excludes mice and rats, let alone squirrels, and foxes couldn't possibly get their teeth into the spaces as they can and do with the larger gauges of thinner wire with bigger spaces. If you use 7mm mesh you won't have to worry about birds or squirrels, rats or mice, taking or polluting the feed or water as they will be unable to get into the run. I leave my feeders out safely all the time.
You do need a run with good strong uprights, joined by thinner pieces to make a box-like framework, and it's important to get this level and with good right angles so that the mesh can be stapled on easily - if the sides are crooked the mesh doesn't fit so well. We bought 7ft posts, 4X4 inches square, and dug holes 15 ins deep, filling the bottom of the holes with 3 ins of small stones and concreting in the posts. Then we fitted the framework between them. Perfectly possible, even for a wimp like me, if you want a good safe run badly enough! I think it's good to g the run right, then you can feel theybarevaafe in there and don't have to worry about supplying special feeders to exclude vermin etc.
 
Thank you all for your suggestions. So from what you've all said, I need wire netting with holes less than 1" (13mm or 19mm?), & 0.7mm diameter wire should be OK; I can follow tygrysek75's example & put the multitude of offcuts in my garage to good use at last. The posts need to be set into a trench, held in with gravel & concrete.

Do I use the same wire mesh for the roof as for the sides, & how do I stop it from sagging in the middle? If I clear out our greenhouse (approx 7' x 5') and include it in the run, will this do as shelter for wet weather?

Thanks again,
Icemaiden.
 
I'd put support posts with batterns across them and the wire stapled to that. Don\'t need digging in much, just enough to stop them sliding at the bottom. A pain to move around them but they need not be closer than 4 feet between each. Could then fix some perches to them at about 15" high. The alternative is some fairly substantial cross beams with solid supports which sounds expensive.
 
I thought you had to dig down a foot or so & start the weldmesh a foot below ground to stop foxes from digging underneath the fence?
Do you mean to put horizontal battens at the bottom, or at the top to attach the roof to? (Sorry if I sound like a muppet, but I never got to do woodwork at school, being a girly...) Would 1" x 1" be enough for the battens?
 
I'm talking only about supporting the roof meshing here Icemaiden. Battens best use roof lath at 1" x2" which is treated and comes in lengths over 3.5 metres and packs of 10 at about £35 from builders merchants.
 
Just looking at your comment about electric fencing. It doesn't have to be mains powered, it can run off a car type battery. The fencing manufacturers suggest using a "leisure" battery - they are used in motorcaravans and boats when there is no mains power available and tend to last longer between charges. My friend's electric fence enclosure is in a field too far from any mains, so it runs off a battery.

I intend to move my electric enclosure around so sometimes it will run off mains and other times off battery.
 
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