Solitary chicken - need advice

[ajm200]

Hi,

 

Do any of you have problems with your Omlet netting fraying and breaking?

 

We had a problem a few weeks ago with an intruder regularly visiting our garden who damaged the netting on several occasions but we were left with one 13m length that was undamaged. We've used it to split the garden so that our little one has a clean area to play in.

 

Over the past few weeks holes have started appearing in the netting between 6 inches and a foot from the floor - about the right height to have been pecked by the chickens and there are several weak patches where it is about to snap.

 

It looks like I'm going to have to replace the netting or look for an alternative but before I pay out for another length of netting I want to know if this is a known problem or if we might have a bad batch

Edited June 11, 2008 by Guest

[Egluntyne]

One break in 2 years. Repaired fisherman style with string.

 

Mine even survived being caught with the strimmer this afternoon.

[Olly]

Mine has survived a small Cornish Rex cat forcing her way through one of the squares, without any damage at all. I've used it lots over the last year and it's as good as new.

 

I suspect that perhaps a fox/badger or similar is destroying it, not the chickens?

 

I've not heard anyone else on here complain about the netting breaking - I had a job to cut it when I split mine into smaller parts.

 

Sorry, that's not much help to you, and I'd be a bit cheesed off if it were me, because the netting isn't cheap.

[Jules.]

Mine is tough as old boots- you may have a bad batch there.

[Lesley]

We have lots - and it's all tough as old boots as Jules says.

[Willow]

It will be something else coming into your garden at night chewing holes. I have the netting fencing off an enclosure and even though at night I leave a space to get through as the chickens are in their run I still have something chew the odd hole (only happens at night). We repair it with green garden wire as I've found only one break is enough for even our fattest chicken to step through

[Lesley]

You could buy an Energiser and battery and hook it up at night? - that should stop whatever is chewing it

[Guest]

Hi,

 

Do any of you have problems with your Omlet netting fraying and breaking?

 

 

squirrels and foxes regularly chew through mine - there are giant holes all over it... it's not just you!

 

Phil

[Gallina]

The only holes in my Omlet netting were done in the night by a fox.

 

I can't imagine the hens being able to make holes in it.

[urbanchick]

I noticed a break in the netting and concluded it must have been a fox. I was annoyed as it otherwise seems very strong. The chickens can get through it but hopefully don't notice it's there.

[Mutrix Farmers]

I caught mine with the secateurs but it hasn't done it any harm (secateurs could do with sharpening but then I might do some real damage!!!)

 

OH did say that one of our girls kept escaping yesterday, but I've inspected the netting and there are no holes. I think she is squeezing through where the two ends join to complete the circle.

[ubereglu]

How about informing Omlet about the problem you're having with it, you never know they might replace it for you!

 

I have no experience of Omlet netting, instead we use massive amounts of chicken wire from Mole Valley to fence off the places where the chickens aren't supposed to go.

 

You could try plastic mesh, you can get it from places like Wilko!

[JM]

I caught my dog busy chewing his way through it the other day - not to get to the chickens - but to get to a particulary tasty looking poo!! (It was only the second time we'd used it!)

 

I thought he was a bit quiet - he'd got through about 5 different bits in about 2 minutes!

[Roxanne]

I had a chicken escape this week and when I looked closely at the netting found holes in about 10 places, all below a foot high. The chicken escaped through a hole made of three broken squares. I think it is rats as they are trying to chew through the wood of the enclosure too - we are having to shroud the whole enclosure at the bottom with chickenwire.

 

I now go round and check for holes in the netting before I let the girls out.

[Lesley]

How about informing Omlet about the problem you're having with it, you never know they might replace it for you!

 

 

I'm not sure that they would.....or should.

 

although called Omlet netting it is just electric fencing. As electric fencing it is meant to be used in conjunction with an energiser and battery or mains power and the whole fence then acts as a deterrent. As many of you have found out, dogs can chew through it if it is not electrified - hens don't do that. As it is sold for keeping hens where you want them and not other animals then I think it is something you have to find another way around

[MaggieMcHen]

I don't think your problem is one for Omlet either we have had the same problem and it is foxes and my dog chewing the netting. Try fixing it and smearing it liberally with Vick vapour rub I did this several weeks ago and no more holes have appeared

 

Oh and one of my chickens was eagle eyed enough to spot the holes and was regularly escaping to the garden. Took me ages to find out where she was getting out as it was in a little used area behind the shed

 

I am thinking of elecrifying the netting though - has anyone done so and was it expensive to run?

[The Dogmother]

The Omlet fencing is very strong, in fact it is reinforced with steel wire so that it can be electrified. Mine is ages old and still going strong.

 

From your posts, I am wondering whether something or someone is weakening it. It would be hard to imagine it being a design or manufacture fault.

 

Lesley has yards of the stuff at her farm and even uses it with the sheep - I haven't heard that hers is fraying.

[Olly]

Try fixing it and smearing it liberally with Vick vapour rub I did this several weeks ago and no more holes have appeared

 

What a brilliant tip Maggie - I'd never have thought of that, but presumably foxes don't like the stuff. (Unlesss you're unlucky enough to get a fox with a chesty cough, of course! )

[MaggieMcHen]

It works for puppies who like to chew kitchen cabinet k"Ooops, word censored!"s, stool legs and the like, so why not foxes (and puppies) on fencing?

Now you come to mention it I haven't heard any foxes coughing lately.

[Karen & co.]

I am thinking of elecrifying the netting though - has anyone done so and was it expensive to run?

 

I did this to ours, the only time it caused a problem was when Alfie was a puppy and kept putting his nose on it he'd run off yelping, but came back and did it again Holly only did it once

 

We also got a hedgehog stuck in it one morning and it was screaming I cut the fence to get it out quickly, and kept an eye on it in a box and it was fine

 

My electicty came from a small plantpot sized unit that takes D cell batteries, and as long as the long grass doesn't cause the fence to short out touching the ground it was great the batteries lasted about a month.

 

Karen x