Jump to content
Gavahen23

Escaping chickens

Recommended Posts

Help!

 

I am a new hen owner and am fed up with the chickens invading the garden near the house - onto our patio and eating the new plants, even the cat food given half a chance!

 

We've put up a length of light weight mesh on bamboo posts in concreted flower pots half way down the garden, about 4' 6" high. It's been pegged down to stop them crawling underneath and the ends are secure - but still they get through.

 

The mesh is fine as it gives a clear view down the garden but is the height sufficient? If you've constructed a successful see-through garden partition I'd love to hear how to do it.

 

Many thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do they have any launch pads near the netting?

 

i.e. are they jumping up onto a plant pot, and then from the flower pot getting up over the fence?

 

They can be very cunning - especially with nice plants to munch!!

 

The omlet netting is very good - we use that around the veg patch and (touch wood) they haven't got over it yet...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used omlet netting to begin with then used this wire fencing from B&Q. They don't go through or over it, only the gate I haven't really sorted out. Its easy to put up you buy metal stakes to secure it to. :D

http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.jsp?action=detail&fh_secondid=9426502&ecamp=trf-005&CAWELAID=266985184

 

With the omlet netting which I still use along flower beds and to make small runs they can jump over or if they panic one has got caught in it before now. :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I got mine from here - delivered within a couple of days.

 

I've set up a run with a 'cover' with it (no fox comments please -I've had them all on the fence thread I started :o ) and sectioned off a FR area of the garden.

 

Joy did a standing jump over ithe FR area fencing the other day - but I was trying to get her in and she was having non of it. :lol: On their own they are perfectly OK with it (assuming there is no gaps at the bottom).

 

Grace is a bit short sighted (I think) and could not see the way to FR yesterday so she tried climbing through one of the 'holes' of the netting. :wall:

 

Anyway - I am going to let them out of their secure run now. Hope they cheer me up - I have just been diagnosed with a nasty ear infection that has caused my right eardrum to perforate. No doubt caught from being out in raid, drizzle, mist and fog with my girls without suitable clothing. :doh:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Remember to only clip one wing as this makes flying more difficult and they are one-sided :lol:

 

Yes, we're only going to do one side. Gwennie is a very good flyer and I don't think it will stop her, but it might slow her down. I just hope we have tolerant neighbours as I'm sure she'll be in their garden before long as the fence is only 5ft on their side and it's their fence so we can't do anything about it *sigh*

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We use ordinary chicken wire to fence off any veggies we don't want the hens to eat yet. We use thin garden canes to support it so that they can't land before they fly over. We have found that they don't fly over if they can't land first (or are my chooks different.) The wire is only about 2 feet high! :D

 

I'm not a fan of wing clipping as they may need to get out of trouble one day and not being able to fly up would put them in danger. :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I must be very lazy. Put homebase plastic mesh around my fav plants and anything else the girls can nibble. Not that there is much to nibble. The gate to the veg garden is only 3ft but they dont seem intrested. Now ive said thet they will prob be in there like a shot. :?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My grateful thanks for all the suggestions I have recieved.

These hens are cleverer then you think!

 

Wings were clipped when I first got them, I have since seen them flying.

 

Cleaning the cube this afternoon, they were not far away enjoying the autumn sun and not being the usual escapologists.

 

Will try various suggestions, my thanks again. PPGNR

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.




×
×
  • Create New...