4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[chrisevans1001]

Hey there! Been a while since my last post. 3 chickens still relatively happy in their extended eglu run. I'd like 2 more now though and want to give them significantly more space!

 

 

As you can see, the new area is pretty big! I intend to keep the Eglu sitting on the patio which is just behind the area in the photo and secure them in with a mesh instead of fence.

 

Just wondering if anybody can suggest the best way of fencing off this area in the photo though - it's very uneven ground and mixed in with trees and half logs etc.

 

I've lived here for 10 years now and have only seen a fox once though heard them a few times I think. They've never ventured into the garden but I suspect they'll have a little more interest once a pen of chickens is the other side of the fence. On the other hand, the neighbours two doors up let all their chickens just roam into the woods, have done for a year now and not lost one!

 

Any tips?

 

Cheers

[chrisevans1001]

On looking at the photo - it doesn't do it justice! I assure you its a significantly larger area than it looks.

[Patricia W]

I can't see the photo as am at work, but could you think in terms of an electric fence? That's the safest. The Omlet netting is made to be electrified.

 

Tricia

[chrisevans1001]

Well I was wondering that - but I did think that may be a bit risky. The woodland is privately owned but the area a few houses back onto is completely inaccessible or visible to anybody else due to a bog separating the rest.

 

However, a few neighbours (who have kids) take their dogs out for walks in it. I understand I could be liable if they felt they were hurt by an electric fence. That's only from what I've read online though, not entirely sure how true that is!

[Space Chick]

Hi,

 

Have you thought about a Walk in Run?

 

This would be secure and would fit into the space.

 

There have been lots of people building Walk in Runs, if you go over to the Eglus, Cubes and Runs section, at the top is a sticky "We're all planning walk in runs lets share, part 2"

 

I can honestly say that building my Walk in Run was the best decision I made for my girls, and it has allowed me to increase my flock (significantly ) and still know that they have safety from Mr Fox when I am not around to supervise their free-range time.

[chickenanne]

Well I was wondering that - but I did think that may be a bit risky. The woodland is privately owned but the area a few houses back onto is completely inaccessible or visible to anybody else due to a bog separating the rest.

 

However, a few neighbours (who have kids) take their dogs out for walks in it. I understand I could be liable if they felt they were hurt by an electric fence. That's only from what I've read online though, not entirely sure how true that is!

 

I might be totally misunderstanding: but if you don't own the woodland part you refer to then you really can't fence it off - whoever does own it would be well within their rights to get your run/choockies removed and ask you to pay for the removal / bring a case against you for littering or somesuch. I think I have the wrong end of the stick here?

[chelsea]

 

I can honestly say that building my Walk in Run was the best decision I made for my girls, and still know that they have safety from Mr Fox when I am not around to supervise their free-range time.

 

 

I completely agree, especially now come this horrid wet winter weather - it saves me a fortune in wet aubiose with a roofed run.

[chrisevans1001]

I might be totally misunderstanding: but if you don't own the woodland part you refer to then you really can't fence it off - whoever does own it would be well within their rights to get your run/choockies removed and ask you to pay for the removal / bring a case against you for littering or somesuch. I think I have the wrong end of the stick here?

 

It is not owned by me however it is inaccessible to the owner and it's incredibly large, my tiny portion would cause no issues. For anybody to get to it they would have to cut through so many bushes and trees it would be pointless.

 

Besides, I've had this area cleared and bordered off for 9 years now.

 

Eventually as I understand it, land that has been looked after by somebody else for x number of years without the owner having cause for complaint can be claimed by the other person as their own (through the courts I assume). I see no real problem with it.

 

I wanted the run to be accessible like a walk in run, but I didn't intend on putting anything flooring wise down as it's so large and it grows up grass / weeds etc very quickly.

[woffle]

Besides, I've had this area cleared and bordered off for 9 years now.

 

I think it's 12 years you have to prove usage of . We had this raised when we bought our house as the neighbours claimed that the previous family had 'borrowed' about 3.5 foot of garden from them and they wanted it back. Our solicitor advised that as the current boundaries had been as they are for almost 25 years they hadn't a hope in hell in claiming any land back. I think the full details are on the Land Registry website...

 

Oh, and I think that electric fencing is your best bet. You can get some of the netting like Omlet's that can be electrified or you can make your own. I think the recommended setup is something like a 4 or 5 strand fence? You'd need to get a regulator etc but I think as long as it's signed as being electric you're ok - TBH they don't give a nasty shock to a human - it's not exactly pleasant but certainly not enough to do any harm. I've got to add an electric fence to our chicken run which is wooded too but it's not cheap and I need to save up for it

[chrisevans1001]

Is the omlet fencing high enough to stop a fence even if it is electrified then?

 

I thought, surely they could leap over it without touching it?

 

Cheers

[Patricia W]

They're more likely to touch it first and get a shock. I've never heard of one jumping over but I have heard of people having chickens behind electric fences in the most open and remote places.

 

Tricia