Single hen

[Rhoderunner]

Hello, excuse my ignorance. But I have just received my chicken netting from Omlet. I want to put it across my garden leaving a door in the middle. Do I just cut through the netting in the middle and let the pieces overlap? Has anyone done this? Any suggestions gratefully received. I don't want to do it wrong and waste all the netting!

 

Also what are the funny little plastic things that came in a bag with it? There were no instructions and I can't figure out what they are for! I'm very new to all of this... obviously!

[Egluntyne]

Mine encircles the area and two end pieces come together. I loop a bit of netting from one side over the other to form a 'fastener'.

 

If you can avoid cutting it, I would.

[yvonne]

Welcome Rhoderunner

I've had the omlet netting for about 18 months, great product !

I simply worked out roughly where I wanted a gap and cut it in half at that point with small sections either side so I could have a "door" with a post not too far away. The only very slight problem is if it's wet, the door area gets quite muddy, so if you leave yourself enough slack to move the gap around a bit, that would be a good idea.

I don't electrify it, I imagine that would need a bit of thought if you wanted a door.

I don't recall any plastic bits, maybe to do with electrification, repairs or holding the bottom of the fence down ?

[WitchHazel]

Hi, it's fine to cut the netting wherever you want it.

 

We move our girls ranging area around all the time. I have 50metres which is now cut into threex1.5metre pieces, and the rest into four equal lengths. I can now accomodate wherever I want to put them/stop them getting.

[Katy]

I can't bring myself to cut our netting, so have it in a big loop with the two ends overlapping to form a gateway.

 

Plastic bits are to go over the spikes to hold the netting to the pole at the bottom.

[Rhoderunner]

Thanks all for the advice everyone. And so speedy too!

 

I've cut my netting into pieces now and I've made a doorway. That was so easy once I took the plunge!

 

But just wondering ... to open the doorway do you have to move a post and put it in the ground each time. Or is it secure enough to just move a bit of netting back and forth? if you get what I mean?!!! I have three little children and I want them to be able to get through the opening themselves and I'm not sure how they'll manage it!

[Millihelen]

I know you have cut it now - but thought others might be interested in my solution.

 

I have looped and tied a length of string through the slot at the top of one of the poles. This acts as a marker and also fills the slot. I then loosely place the net on top of the slot, so that it is not clipped in. Then when I want to get into the enclosure, I just lift the net off the slot and that gives me enough slack in the net to be able to lower it with one hand while I climb over.

 

I am only 5ft tall with short legs and I manage this easily. It also stops the "inmates" from escaping at the same time!

 

If I want to get a wheelbarrow through (the compost heap is in the enclosure) I just take down part of the netting temporarily!

[Patricia W]

Has anyone electrified their netting? If so, how did you do it?

 

I'm looking at doing this as an alternative to a WIR - more flexible to move the girls around.

 

Tricia

[Rhoderunner]

I know you have cut it now - but thought others might be interested in my solution.

 

I have looped and tied a length of string through the slot at the top of one of the poles. This acts as a marker and also fills the slot. I then loosely place the net on top of the slot, so that it is not clipped in. Then when I want to get into the enclosure, I just lift the net off the slot and that gives me enough slack in the net to be able to lower it with one hand while I climb over.

 

I am only 5ft tall with short legs and I manage this easily. It also stops the "inmates" from escaping at the same time!

 

If I want to get a wheelbarrow through (the compost heap is in the enclosure) I just take down part of the netting temporarily!

 

Thanks for this. I'm trying to work out what you mean and am about to go in the garden to give it a try. I've only cut up part and still have lots of netting left to experiment with.

[Ygerna]

Has anyone electrified their netting? If so, how did you do it?

 

I'm looking at doing this as an alternative to a WIR - more flexible to move the girls around.

 

Tricia

 

 

I would be interested in this too please. Can anyone help? TIA

[Rhoderunner]

I have just constructed such a cleverly designed netting area plus door, I am bursting with pride. But as I stood admiring it, Rhode-runner wriggled underneath it! Does anyone else have this problem?! Do I just need lots more poles? Why are they so clever?!

[Falkor]

I have just constructed such a cleverly designed netting area plus door, I am bursting with pride. But as I stood admiring it, Rhode-runner wriggled underneath it! Does anyone else have this problem?! Do I just need lots more poles? Why are they so clever?!

 

I have ten poles up for eight metres of netting, my chooks have yet to get under it but it is fairly taunt or maybe they are not very bright . Have you put the little plastic bits on the bottom of all the poles and thread the bottom of the netting into them?

[Rhoderunner]

It's getting dark now so I will continue with my mission tomorrow! Thanks for all the advice. Maybe one day I'll work out how to upload a photo...

[Minnie&Moose]

Has anyone electrified their netting? If so, how did you do it?

 

I'm looking at doing this as an alternative to a WIR - more flexible to move the girls around.

 

Tricia

 

Hi - the easiest thing is to look at the various electrified poultry netting kits available from places like Solway Feeders, Flytesofancy, etc.. This will give you an idea of the different components you need - basically an energiser (either mains or battery), any relevant connectors, and an earth spike. It's not as confusing as it sounds (honest ).

 

We electrified our netting and it's been great. The chickens love the freedom and so far (6 months on) we've had no problems. It took the original chickens a little while to get used to the netting being electrified (that was stressful for us as well as them) but the new chickens learnt much more quickly (I suspect because they'd never known the netting not to be electrified). But I'm very glad I persisted with it.

[Gallina]

I deeply regret having cut my Omlet netting, so think very carefully before doing it.

[Rhoderunner]

The chickens keep escaping!!! I've put lots of poles in and the pegs and bought extra tent pegs. I don't know how they're getting out but they are! Any ideas anyone? Once they've escaped they can't get back in so they can't access their water and food. Help!

[Falkor]

Maybe they are coming over the top?

 

Are their wings clipped or is there anything they can use as a launch pad?

[Millihelen]

I know you have cut it now - but thought others might be interested in my solution.

 

I have looped and tied a length of string through the slot at the top of one of the poles. This acts as a marker and also fills the slot. I then loosely place the net on top of the slot, so that it is not clipped in. Then when I want to get into the enclosure, I just lift the net off the slot and that gives me enough slack in the net to be able to lower it with one hand while I climb over.

 

I am only 5ft tall with short legs and I manage this easily. It also stops the "inmates" from escaping at the same time!

 

If I want to get a wheelbarrow through (the compost heap is in the enclosure) I just take down part of the netting temporarily!

 

Thanks for this. I'm trying to work out what you mean and am about to go in the garden to give it a try. I've only cut up part and still have lots of netting left to experiment with.

 

You need to keep the netting taut else they will manage to get under it. But if its too taut the netting gets stuck in the slot on top of the poles and its a b****r to get out, especially with cold fingers. So , the bit of string fills the slot to stop it getting stuck and also reminds you which pole you can lift the netting off!

[Hen Watch]

Hi Roadrunner, to stop your girls getting under the netting you need to get some cheap tent pegs. I use 3 pegs for every section of fence to peg it into the lawn.

 

Where the "door" is, I have 2 wooden stakes from the garden centre left and right of the door, otherwise I find the poles are too wobbly. Then I use some expanding trellis over the door. However it's not a pretty option, as to stop it blowing over I prop it up with garden chairs or the dusbin. But it works for me and the kids.

 

Not a great pic but here goes.

[Rhoderunner]

Hi Roadrunner, to stop your girls getting under the netting you need to get some cheap tent pegs. I use 3 pegs for every section of fence to peg it into the lawn.

 

Where the "door" is, I have 2 wooden stakes from the garden centre left and right of the door, otherwise I find the poles are too wobbly. Then I use some expanding trellis over the door. However it's not a pretty option, as to stop it blowing over I prop it up with garden chairs or the dusbin. But it works for me and the kids.

 

Not a great pic but here goes.

 

Thanks Hen Watch. I've used one pack of tent pegs already. Just bought some more and am off to try and secure the area again! They seem happy inside the area for most of the day. But then at some point they all appear at my back door and I wonder how they did it! Like the trellis idea. Thank you!

[Hen Watch]

But then at some point they all appear at my back door and I wonder how they did it!

 

You haven't got the too close to the fence have you??? My lot were using it as a launch pad over the fence and I had to move it a good 2 meters away to stop them.

[Rhoderunner]

They never do it when I'm watching them so I have no idea. I don't hear a lot of noise so I think they are probably going under the netting rather than over. Anyway I have tent-pegged galore so waiting to see if that does the trick! Here's hoping...

[Falkor]

remember these chickens are sneaky! Mine never drink from the Superglug when I am watching at the patio door but when i go upstairs and watch them trough a slit in the blind they are all three having a merry old time tapping the SG nipples (and probably sniggering to themselves "ha ha MUM thinks we hate this think! "

[Scottie]

We found when we were using the netting that a couple of them would fly over. To stop this, we draped strawberry or bean netting over the top and this put a stop to escapes!

 

Sheila

[Rhoderunner]

Thought I'd cracked it today. Chickens free ranging happily on 'their' side of the netting for several hours. Then I went out for an hour, came back and found two of them on the 'wrong' side. Still have no idea how they are getting over. They don't seem to be big on flying and there's nothing they could leap up on. Puzzling.... and annoying!!!