What Fencing Type Can Give Protection to My Chickens?
Regarding security for your chickens, fencing is the best solution to ward off predators. When you buy fencing materials, you must take them seriously to serve their purpose for a long time and give you peace of mind. Many fencing types are available today, but how long will the fence last? That’s the question farmers and breeders often ask. But many questions may help you find the best fencing for your chickens:
- Will it help drive predators permanently?
- Does the fence keep my fowl inside?
- Is there a way that the chickens can escape from my yard?
- Is the fencing material long-lasting?
- Can I remove the fence if someday I move to another place?
- How does the fencing blend into my chicken coop structure?
- How much is the estimated price for the fencing materials?
Factors that Influence Fencing Choice
Fencing is crucial in farming, whether you are into homesteading, hobby farming, or farm steading. It protects your chickens from the ground and aerial predators, ensuring the quality of their life and giving them the freedom to explore within their run. Some factors that you must consider when installing chicken fencing, such as:
Location
Your location will determine the type of materials suitable for your fencing. If you live in a busy neighborhood, there is a greater chance that your chickens’ lives are in danger. They might cross the street and be hit by moving vehicles by escaping from the fence.
Type of Predators
Depending on where your farm is located, chicken predators vary. Aside from bullying your chickens, these predators feast on the meat of your chicken if the need arises. Try to assess the predators and their population to determine the fencing type you need to install on your farm.
Here is a list of chicken predators that you must be aware of.
- Domestic or wild dogs
- Domestic or wild cats
- Foxes
- Coyotes
- Raccoons
- Minks
- Owls
- Hawks
- Snakes
- Rats
- Possums
- Wolves
- Weasels
- Fisher cats
- Skunks
Don’t you know that domestic dogs and raccoons are the number one killers of chickens in the urban and countryside? Snakes, rats, and weasels are egg snatchers, devouring everything they see in the nest.
Assessing the characteristics of these predators will determine the type of fencing you need for your farm.
- Are they docile?
- Do they attack at night or during the daytime?
- Are they adventurous or calm, or rebellious?
- Are they capable of snatching your chickens from aerial?
Even critters may also eat the baby chicks and eggs of your hens. So beware of these unique creatures! If you are new to the place, you must research the types of predators lurking nearby.
The best line of defense against predators is to build a sturdy fence to discourage their entry to your farm.
The Behavior of Your Flock
Another factor determining your farm’s fencing type is your flock’s behavior. Chickens possess different personalities and behavior. Some are energetic, active, flighty, and some are meek, mean, or well-behaved. Observing their behavior will help you find the best fencing to guard them against predators.
- Do your hens stay away from the nest or coop during the daytime?
- Do the roosters forage away from the yard?
- Do they pry on your neighbor’s garden?
- Do your chickens fly a few meters from your yard?
If your chickens are pecking at your neighbor’s chickens and leave their feathers in the garden, then it is about time to fence your farm, which is at least six feet in height.
Types of Fencing Suitable for Your Chickens
Customized chicken fencing using different materials also protects from predators. Such fencing styles include chain link fencing, welded wire fencing, privacy fencing, or stockade fencing.
The chicken fence does not have to be physically appealing, but it should be of solid materials and installed correctly by a professional.
Investing in sturdy fences means saving much money in the long run. Keeping the chicken in a sturdy fence or corral is an investment that you will never regret because of tons of benefits to your stead.
1) Pallet Fence
A pallet fence is less costly if you already have some unused pallets in your yard. They are sturdy and do not break easily with heavy pressure on them. They are available as pre-assembled pallets, which are easy to install into a fence. You can move and replace the pallets if rotten, but it requires a lot of work. Recycle them for fencing the chicken farm.
2) Hardware Cloth
Surround your chicken coops, chicken runs, and coop windows with hardware cloth, including the perimeters close to their enclosures, to discourage digging predators. The high price tag of hardware cloth is worth its high quality and durability.
It is a sturdy fencing material for securing your chickens. The cloth consists of a galvanized steel wire mesh, bare steel, or stainless steel. The square opening ranges from 1/4 to 1/2 inches.
The coop windows should have a half-inch layer of cloth mesh to line the pane. It also helps secure the gaps that are more than one inch in diameter so that the chickens can experience sound sleep at night and enjoy roaming during the day.
3) Electric Net Fencing
This type of fencing consists of various sizes, shapes, and price tags. Of all the electric fencing types, the best style is the electric net fencing. It is a handy and electrifiable prefabricated material that is less expensive. It is easy to install, transfer and store.
Coyotes and foxes will stay away from the yard if you install this fencing type. However, weasels can still penetrate the yard due to their small size that can fit in the apertures.
The downside of electric net fencing is that they are not exactly low maintenance. It tends to create gaps and sag if it is not adequately secured. You have to weed around the perimeter to prevent shorting out.
Large predators can leap over the fence. Electric net fencing is suitable for urban farmers and homesteaders who want to fertilize their garden soil or rotate their free-range areas.
4) Chain-Link Fencing
Chain-link fencing is suitable in close neighborhoods and suburban areas to secure your flock from domesticated dogs, cats, and foxes. You can avoid conflict with your neighbor if you surround your yard with a chain-link fence, as the chickens may have difficulty creeping into the neighborhood’s garden.
The disadvantage of chain-link fencing is its high price, but in the end, it can be a cost-effective method of securing your chickens.
5) Hawk Netting
Hawk netting comes in different types and sizes. It effectively keeps the flock from roaming around your neighbor’s yard and protects them from aerial attackers, such as owls, eagles, hawks, falcons, and wild birds.
The hawk netting covers the top of the chicken run so that the aerial predators cannot see the chickens on the ground. Birds have formidable eyesight, which they use to find their victims from afar.
Hawks use their long sharp talons to pull their victim and kill them even if they miss them. Hawk netting fence discourages the raptors from catching your chickens.
6) Rabbit Wire Fencing
Rabbit wire fencing is a portable and effective way to drive predators away. The fencing material comprises heavy gauge welded wire with three to four inches rectangular openings.
For ample protection, attach the wire to the ground or floor of the chicken coop. It gives your flock the freedom to graze during daylight and sleep well at night. You can install the fence with smaller or narrower openings at its bottom with a broader opener above it.
7) Chicken Wire
Chicken wire mesh comes in different lengths and sizes. But for your chickens, use a small opening to deter the baby chicks from going out of the yard. This material is affordable, available, and easy to use.
It has multiple purposes in your homestead by deterring crickets from preying on the baby chicks and eating the eggs. If you assemble it yourself, buy metal posts to brace the chicken wire, so you don’t need tools to install it.
Hang the mesh on the small hooks of the pillars, and poke it into the soil using a rubber mallet. We recommend a four feet wide chicken wire to safeguard your chickens.
8) Hog Fencing
Hog fencing not only looks appealing but also deters intruders from entering your chicken farm. It consists of large and square openings of four inches in diameter. It has intersecting metal rods welded together, reinforcing the fence.
It is unsuitable for the poultry farm with young chicks as the small predators find their way into the coop. In fact, It’s is perfect for adult chickens. It is expensive compared to chicken wire and uses lots of work when moving.
9) Fish Net Chicken Fence
A fish net is not only used to catch fish but is effective in confining your birds. This material is easy to install and does not require heavy lifting; easy to move to another location. The downside is that it sags if not correctly installed and cannot deter big predators. You have to secure it with metal posts to serve its purpose of forming a netting wall fence.
10) Garden Fencing
You can use garden fencing to add aesthetic value to your chicken farm. Today, garden fencing comprises composite, plywood, metal, recycled plastic, and many more. It comes in various designs, patterns, colors, sizes, and materials.
Although they are less costly, they cannot serve their purpose in securing your flock. Usually, the height is low, and those taller fences have wide openings.
If you want to use a garden fence, you have to use it alongside another fencing type. For example, you can install it outside your chicken wire fence or chain link fence, but it could be costly.
11) Tall Fence
Flighty chickens are confined to the chicken run if you have tall fencing. If you think putting up a tall fence is costly, it is still inexpensive because it is effective in containing your chickens.
The downside of tall fences is that snakes and other predators can penetrate the yard. If you want a tall fence, use a welded wire with small openings and attach it to the bottom or extend the chicken wire to the lower half of the fence.
12) Wood Fence
Wood fencing enhances the curb appeal of your garden, but it depends on the wood type you are using. It protects your chickens, but it needs an expert to handle the project, which can be costly on your part.
Wood needs regular maintenance by staining, pressure washing, or repainting. The wood fence should not have a flat top to discourage uninvited guests from perching on top and make it their jump-off point to enter your yard.
My Final Thoughts
The choice of materials for fencing your fowl depends on the different factors. If you want long-lasting protection for your chickens, opt for a fence that can withstand the test of time and discourage predators from aerial or ground attacks. What you invest in your property will yield positive results. If you think of its long-term benefits, spending extra dollars does not break the bank.
