New pen

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chickenfan

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I've taken on a 4-acre field where I am now enjoying two sheep and two hill pony foals. I'm planning a new adult poultry pen which needs to be extremely secure as its away from my house. I've planned 6' high, 14guage galvanised mesh with 1.5" holes, reinforced by 3' 3/4" hole ' 16 guage galvanised mesh anti-dig skirt to come 18" up the side, and a nylon game-fencing roof. The guages are supposed to be strong enough against foxes, and it will have very sturdy posts. I'm not sure if I have to worry about other predators such as badgers.

Electric netting fencing is probably more practical as it can be moved around, but I'd worry about birds flying out, or one of the livestock knocking it over.
 
OMG Chickenfan, 4 acres! But then ponies put it in context! I'm guessing 6 foot high fencing would be more than enough normally but some special breeds could fly over. Mine couldn't!
Would livestock knock over electric fence? It's well out of my league!
 
Loads of room for extra chickens alongside what your already grazing on 4 acres chickenfan, sounds lovely. Your plans seem good, 14 gauge is more than strong enough and as your doubling up at the base it would be just as effective to use 16 gauge with 1 x 1/2 or 1 x 1 inch holes, I suppose it depends on what is available and most cost effective. If you really want to go for it on security then you can position two strands of electrified wire around the base of the enclosure which is a very effective deterrent. With regards to the height you will be fine provided that you angle the fence outwards at the top to prevent the fox climbing over, Tim has a good diagram of how to do it here.
https://poultrykeeper.com/pests-and-predators/poultry-fencing/
 
What a fantastic article by Tim Daniels on the fencing! Thank you very much for this, Dinosaw. Its full of good advice. I've been to visit an organic poultry supplier to see what they do. They have 5' fencing, then two rows of barbed wire which seems to be very effective in both keeping predators out and chickens in, as well as an anti-dig skirt. But I'm going for a nylon mesh roof in preference to barbed wire, as it will keep birds of prey out, and hopefully crows. I think you are right about the strands around the bottom being necessary too.
 
I'm worried about the mesh now it has arrived. It is not 14 guage (2mm thick) but just 1.4mm. I'm pretty sure 2mm thickness is the minimum to keep a fox out. So many things are being sold as 'fox-proof' which don't look strong enough.
 
What you have is between 18 and 16 gauge Chickenfan, it is closer to 16 gauge which is 1.6mm. It ought to be absolutely fine provided the gaps in the mesh aren't too large which they shouldn't be if you are doubling up at the base. I use 16 gauge at 1" x 1" with no reinforcement at the base and I sleep soundly with that arrangement. The problem only comes when the gaps are large enough to let the fox get a full grip with its teeth on the wire and pull it about.
 
Thanks for your really helpful and logical reply Dinosaw. The holes are one and a half inches so perhaps this is big enough for the fox to get a full grip.
 
I think with your 3/4 inch mesh skirt coming up the side though you ought to be fine.
 
But he will be able to stand on his back legs and reach above the doubled up base 18"-2' up.
 
You could extend it up to 2ft 6 then chickenfan. Are you going to do the electrified strands around the base of the pen? If so then it will be absolutely fine, Foxes won't bother with that. I understand though if your not happy with it then your not happy, you could return the wire you have and get a narrower mesh size/ heavier gauge if they have misdescribed it as 14 gauge.
 
No, it really needs to be 12" minimum chickenfan, but if you turn your wire about the other way, (I assume it is 3' width) you could go as far as you want both vertically and horizontally, assuming of course that you have posts that aren't greater than 3' apart. So you would have a series of 3ft wide 3' 6" long panels going 2'6" upward and 1' outward. Failing that I sometimes put a 1' internal anti dig mesh corden on the inside of the run heavily pegged down with tent pegs so you could get your anti dig width that way instead.
 
Thank you very much for all your thoughts. The pen is 75 metres long so it will be 18m x 18m. I think I will probably change the wire as you suggest to save labour. Thanks again for all your help.
 
Interesting about putting an anti-dig skirt on the inside. I've never thought of that. So I suppose the fox would keep digging from the outside and never find a way up into the pen.
 
Yes, it has the added advantage of not allowing the chickens to undermine the run by digging around the edge.
 
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