The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Cjnewton82 on February 13, 2014, 11:06:03 pm
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I'm thinking of doing some meat birds only about 20 or so me and some friends.
My land is 5m from my house which I visit twice a day to check the sheep. I can't deside weather to use haras fence panels or a electric netting,would the sheep just trash electric netting and would the chickens just fly out over the top??Also my place can be very windy so the electric nets might be a pain in the bum???If I used haras I would run a line of electric around the bottom to stop a fox digging and lock the birds up at around 6ish (I only keep animals in the summer months so still light at 6-7ish
Any ideas most welcome thank you in advance also would any one recommend a good supplier or either?
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Can't help on the netting vs. haras - I've got permanent pens - but just on the timing, I'm not sure how you'll convince the chickens to go in at 6 to 7 in the summer. Maybe they can be trained but it'll take a lot of doing - normally you'd wait until they were in of their own accord before shutting the door. You might be able to get an automatic door opener/closer if you have the right style of pop hole which will help.
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We've been using heras panels with an electric wire round the bottom for a few years with no problems. The whole set up can be easily moved to fresh ground if needed and it's fairly cheap and quick to set up. Forget the heras type feet. If you've got the square panels just turn them upside down or the round tops cut the tube shorter so they sit flush with the floor. Also forget the clips that come with them we just tie the panels together top and bottom with bale twine. Our pigs occasionally get out of their electric fenced pens and the heras set up stops them getting at the chicken houses which they will cheerfully destroy given half a chance.
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I like the idea of heras panels for doing batches of cockerels or pullets. Plus, you can always sell them on if you don't get on with them.
I struggle with netting although we still use it. This time of year it's getting blown about and with the ground so soggy, you have to keep moving the spikes. In the summer it's a bit of a nightmare to keep the grass from shorting it. Plus on uneven ground like ours is, it's really difficult to keep the net upright and the lower strands off the floor.
What I am considering for our older flock of mungrels is making up a big pen, maybe 50m x 50m with a combination of wooden posts at corners and maybe a few on the sides and then those plastic fencing stakes in between. Then use all 8 of the wire clips so that you get a close fence. I'm sure this would keep a fox out, it wouldn't need as much power as a net and would be easy to strim around if need be. Plus it would probably be cheaper than a net.
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I'd choose Heras with electric strand definitely. Chicken netting is just a pain in the butt and will take up much time to maintain it!
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Problem is finding some down here in the South West. All the sellers on eBay seem to be way up country.
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Try your local scaffolding suppliers etc. They often have piles of used ones for sale cheapish.
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Thanks, I will.