Chicken people re: fixing the chicken yard fence.

[CalicoKat]

There's a very big area fence in around the chicken coop. It's on the side of a hill and it's pretty much the whole side of the hill all the way down to the barn. Right now it's overgrown with chest high weeds.

 

I walked around the perimeter to look for fox holes and found a few. In some spots it looks like the fox actually chewed through the fencing to make a hole. Very round. Too round to be a coincidence.

 

There are also a few spots where it looks like something can slide beneath the fence.

 

So my question. How does one fix chicken wire fencing? How does one fix the bottom of the fence?

 

My chicken ladies arrive this evening and they'll spend a few days in the coop until they know they're home. While they're in there I can fix the fence.

 

Advice for the newbie?

[KS_]

 

I walked around the perimeter to look for fox holes and found a few. In some spots it looks like the fox actually chewed through the fencing to make a hole. Very round. Too round to be a coincidence.

 

There are also a few spots where it looks like something can slide beneath the fence.

 

So my question. How does one fix chicken wire fencing? How does one fix the bottom of the fence?

 

 

I'm a chicken newbie too, but have read numerous times on another chicken forum that chicken wire is only good for keeping chickens in and not any good for keeping predators out. . .So I built my small coop with hardware cloth and now only let them out in the yard when we're around and watching. We have 6' vinyl fencing on 2 sides and 4' welded wire along 2 sides. Even so, I found a pitbull in my yard a couple weeks ago (she was charging at the coop and thankfully I hadn't let the chickens out because I was battling a migraine). Before that, I'd let them out during the day when I was home, but not specifically paying attention.

 

So I don't know if that helps your fence fixing question, but I'd be wary of letting them wander free with just chicken wire fencing. It won't keep any predators out if they want in.

[Momling]

Is your coop predator-safe? We just lock our chickens up in their coop at night and let them out in the morning. During the day it's not a problem if the run isn't entirely safe. Most predators attack at night (or late evening).

We did bury our hardware cloth about a foot underground should we ever decide not to lock them up.

 

Unless your coop is really big, I wouldn't leave your chickens locked up all day. Mine get antsy if they don't get out as soon as it gets light.

 

As for your fence fixing question... If you can't redo the entire fence to secure it, I would dig a mini trench and take a strip of hardware cloth and screw/staple/nail it into your fence posts so that it reaches to the bottom of the trench. You could add some ties to attach it to the existing chicken wire. Then fill it up with dirt/gravel/concrete/rocks... whatever you think will hold it down. But I'm not entirely sure what your fence currently looks like, so I'm not sure if that makes sense.

[CalicoKat]

Is your coop predator-safe? We just lock our chickens up in their coop at night and let them out in the morning. During the day it's not a problem if the run isn't entirely safe. Most predators attack at night (or late evening).

We did bury our hardware cloth about a foot underground should we ever decide not to lock them up.

 

Unless your coop is really big, I wouldn't leave your chickens locked up all day. Mine get antsy if they don't get out as soon as it gets light.

 

As for your fence fixing question... If you can't redo the entire fence to secure it, I would dig a mini trench and take a strip of hardware cloth and screw/staple/nail it into your fence posts so that it reaches to the bottom of the trench. You could add some ties to attach it to the existing chicken wire. Then fill it up with dirt/gravel/concrete/rocks... whatever you think will hold it down. But I'm not entirely sure what your fence currently looks like, so I'm not sure if that makes sense.

 

 

It looks predator safe. It's a small shed with two chicken doors (eye& hook secured) and a people door. I've never had chickens here so I don't know. And I can't ask the previous tenants. But I do know they supposedly had a fox problem. But then again I've learned not to believe most of what they said even before. They were known to stretch the truth for a good story. So, I don't know.

 

The 2nd chicken coop is NOT predator safe. We'll have to clean that one up a bit before it has tenants.

 

They kept two coops, one for layers & another for the meat birds.

[WishboneDawn]

I assume you've used chicken wire. The only thing chicken wire is good for is keeping chickens in. It's no good against predators. We have a chain link dog run for ours and have put 1/2 inch hardware cloth around the bottom.

 

You could probably still put the hardware cloth around your fence. You can get it 3 or 4 feet high. Make a skirt out of the bottom foot that covers the ground to prevent digging and stake it down. 1/2 inch will also prevent raccoons from reaching in and rats from getting it to get at the eggs.

[CalicoKat]

I assume you've used chicken wire. The only thing chicken wire is good for is keeping chickens in. It's no good against predators. We have a chain link dog run for ours and have put 1/2 inch hardware cloth around the bottom.

 

You could probably still put the hardware cloth around your fence. You can get it 3 or 4 feet high. Make a skirt out of the bottom foot that covers the ground to prevent digging and stake it down. 1/2 inch will also prevent raccoons from reaching in and rats from getting it to get at the eggs.

 

Yes, it's chicken wire.