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Author Topic: Any ideas what can get into a herris fence run to attack the hens?  (Read 6053 times)

mab

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • carmarthenshire
hello all,


Last summer I made a run from Herris fence panels as my neighbour said the fox can't get in - and indeed, the hens have been safe from the fox. But about a month ago, I came home and went to let the hens out only to find one had been killed in the run (but not eaten - maybe I disturbed the predator). It appeared to have been moved to a small gap (2" tops) under the fence panel, a couple of yards from where the scattered feathers suggested it was killed. I filled the gap.


Today another has been got - apparently in the same spot in the run as the first, not moved, but partially eaten. One of the two remaining hens has lost some neck feathers but is otherwise fine. There don't appear to be any gaps apart from the regular vertical gaps between the panels.


I'm assuming it isn't a small fox as they have a reputation for killing all the birds. Any ideas what it could be? stoat? mink? buzzard?. I'm wondering if I'm better off leaving them out as at least they can run away.

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Any ideas what can get into a herris fence run to attack the hens?
« Reply #1 on: August 26, 2016, 08:42:10 pm »
stoat

mab

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • carmarthenshire
Re: Any ideas what can get into a herris fence run to attack the hens?
« Reply #2 on: August 26, 2016, 09:03:40 pm »
OK, that sounds quite definite - enough to not go out and buy netting to go over the top of the run  :)  - thanks.


I guess the next question is how small a gap can they go through? - I suppose I should chicken-wire over the gaps between panels & I bury the bottom of the fence - though I'm not sure what to do about the gate...

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Any ideas what can get into a herris fence run to attack the hens?
« Reply #3 on: August 26, 2016, 09:35:57 pm »
In my experience they can get through really small holes... we lost two batches of hens inside their house at night.... door was shut (indeed the stoat shot out when I opened up 1st thing in the morning and all hens inside were dead, could have only got in either during the day/evening and then waiting for the hens or through small holes from knots in the wood)... and unless you have a good hunting cat there is not much you can do about it. Touch wood, we have not seen one for a while, we used to have one mooching round the house and garden...

mab

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • carmarthenshire
Re: Any ideas what can get into a herris fence run to attack the hens?
« Reply #4 on: August 26, 2016, 09:57:25 pm »
Huh - so there's not much I can do? The neighbours semi-feral cats are marauding the area already. Can you catch 'em with a rat trap I wonder?

Dave C

  • Joined Aug 2014
  • Teesdale, Co Durham
Re: Any ideas what can get into a herris fence run to attack the hens?
« Reply #5 on: August 26, 2016, 10:41:11 pm »
I use Harris fencing on my pheasant pens but don't use the foot blocks to attach them together just cable tie them, I also fasten a roll of chicken mesh round the bottom and half way into the ground, also a string of electric wire round the perimeter.

Keeps most out.

Womble

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Stirlingshire, Central Scotland
Re: Any ideas what can get into a herris fence run to attack the hens?
« Reply #6 on: August 27, 2016, 08:50:51 am »
I think a stoat would be able to get through the mesh on standard Herras fencing - they really can squeeze through the tiniest of gaps.


Mink are another possibility of course.
"All fungi are edible. Some fungi are only edible once." -Terry Pratchett

Marches Farmer

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Herefordshire
Re: Any ideas what can get into a herris fence run to attack the hens?
« Reply #7 on: August 27, 2016, 09:09:51 am »
Stoat sounds the most likely candidate.  I lost four turkey poults to one last year - it got through a 6cm gap.  I think the turkey hen must have sat tight on the poults while the stoat scrabbled at her back to get her to move, because she was bare of feathers from neck to tail along her back when we found her (terribly distressed) in the morning. 

harmony

  • Joined Feb 2012
Re: Any ideas what can get into a herris fence run to attack the hens?
« Reply #8 on: August 27, 2016, 09:12:43 am »
Yep stoat. Mink likely to kill everything but it could be a young one. Both very difficult to keep out as can squeeze through the tiniest of gaps. Herras fencing is actually not that strong. The wire bends quite easily,

mab

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • carmarthenshire
Re: Any ideas what can get into a herris fence run to attack the hens?
« Reply #9 on: August 27, 2016, 10:02:18 am »
Ok, I've got some 1" mesh chicken wire I could run aroud the outside and bury. I didn't stand the fence in blocks either but stamped the poles into the ground so that the horizontals are on the ground - except where the ground is uneven, using the regular bolt on clamps higher up which leaves gaps between the verticals.

Oh well,  Mr Fox defeated, Mr stoat now; I wonder who's next.

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Any ideas what can get into a herris fence run to attack the hens?
« Reply #10 on: August 27, 2016, 10:30:15 am »
Could you have a small secure house inside the wire fence, so at night they are completely shut away?
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

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Eve

  • Joined Jul 2010
Re: Any ideas what can get into a herris fence run to attack the hens?
« Reply #11 on: August 27, 2016, 12:18:09 pm »
Stoat, we had the same with our heras panels, hadn't thought of a stoat as we're next to housing. 


A few birds of ours sleep on top of their coop in summer so an automatic door opener would not have kept them safe, but if yours always sleep inside that would be the best option. I spent weeks and lots of money adding 1/2 inch welded mesh on the floor and sides with slightly lighter mesh on top (it weighed a ton). Was worth it as even a mouse can't get in.

mab

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • carmarthenshire
Re: Any ideas what can get into a herris fence run to attack the hens?
« Reply #12 on: August 27, 2016, 03:48:53 pm »
Could you have a small secure house inside the wire fence, so at night they are completely shut away?
They have a house with a pophole opener on it which they go into at night (though probably not that secure as a rat chewed a hole into it last year) but both attacks have occured in broad daylight when I'm away working. whatever it is, it seems to leave them alone unless I've been away for several hours.

Eve

  • Joined Jul 2010
Re: Any ideas what can get into a herris fence run to attack the hens?
« Reply #13 on: August 28, 2016, 06:16:39 am »
Add a scarecrow?

mab

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • carmarthenshire
Re: Any ideas what can get into a herris fence run to attack the hens?
« Reply #14 on: August 28, 2016, 07:46:35 pm »
 ;D  if only it were that simple. I suspect I'll end up following your example Eve and turning it into fort knox.


For the moment I'm somewhat randomly leaving the remaining birds out during the day - at lease they can run if they're free - but if I leave them out all the time Mr Fox will cotton on sooner or later.


Now, where's a good place to buy lots of 1/2" weldmesh cheaply...


thanks for the ideas folks  :)

 

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