# Fencing Woes



## WeeLittleChicken (Aug 31, 2012)

So turning a paddock/barn that was formally used for mini horses and alpacas into a chicken paradise was.... challenging. I feel like we've been really late for everything... late to get them out of the brood boxes and into the barn (which needed to be more or less cocooned in hardware cloth because it doesn't have any doors) and late getting them from the barn to their run/pasture but we made it! And it was HARD work!

Step One: Wait for the 300 feet of snow to melt. This too FOREVER.

Step Two: Attach poles to fencing properly (the former owners used one zip tie per post....!?)

Step Three: Install some new posts where absolutely needed (they also did this incredibly... can I say half-assed here? Because that's absolutely the word to use...) This proved insanely difficult with all the New England rocks. Our fence post digger tool was near useless, we broke the spade... ended up digging the last foot with our bare hands! This would be our broken shovel and the hole...










Step Four: Install gates (previous owners took the ones that were there originally and the ones they left were horse gates.... little use to a chicken.)









Step Five: Gather rocks from the way other side of the yard, drag them via lawn tractor to the fence, and use them to fill in HUGE gaps under fence like so...









Step Six: Fill in the gap underneath the gate with soil and/or gravel. 









Step Seven: Capture all the Brabanters and clip their wings because you know they're going to be a total jerk and try to fly over the 4 foot fence even though they now have the space of a football feild... (I did this alone... there was a lot of screaming on their part and a lot of cursing on mine, it was an interesting morning.)

Step Eight: Open the stall doors and let them out..










Step Nine: Spend all day outside watching the Cornish and Dorkings delighting in their freedom while the Brabanters and Welsummers sit in their stall pouting!! I refrained from going in there, waving my arms and yelling, "OUT OUT OUT OR THE MONSTER'S GOING TO EAT YOU!!" As satisfying as that would have been I realize it wouldn't have been helpful. There's always tomorrow.... in the meanwhile two of the Dorkings thought it'd be hilarious to wander into the Brabanter and Welsummer stall unannounced and just have a cuddle fest in a corner they took a shining too. This caused mass confusion.

Also there was this incidence when a Dorking found a cigarette butt (wheeere?!? No one smokes here!) and thought he struck gold. He was being so loud and making such a fuss I went to investigate and he dashed into this cage to keep his prize away from me. I was a bad chicken mom and took a second to snap this photo before taking it away from him... Just proves the Dorkings are a-dork-able.... (sorry!)










Step ten remains to be done: hot-wiring the top of the fence because we have sooo many predators it's ridiculous!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Poo, we don't have an appropriate smiley for how hard I'm laughing right now. You know, the little guy rolling on the floor pounding it with his fist laughing? This needed five or six of him.

I know, at the time you just wanted to shoot something but the telling is hilarious.


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## WeeLittleChicken (Aug 31, 2012)

Hey, I am always happy to put a smile on someone's face! It has been an adventure, might as well get a good laugh out of it!


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

Seems you and I do things about the same way, complete with cursing!


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

is the dirt below the gate in order to stop the birds from getting out, or things getting in? If its for predators coming in, I would suggest burrying down some cement blocks.. its easier then pouring cement, fairly easy to get straight, and at 1 or 2 bucks a piece at HD not too expensive for that project..
I will also be putting in a hot wire... still working out the logistics of it all right now.. coop placement is a key factor here... I am finally getting things where I want them.. Oh how I wish I had some land of my own.. consider me jealous


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## WeeLittleChicken (Aug 31, 2012)

The dirt is just for the chickens getting out. They're actually in a fence within a fence which I will be hotwiring the perimeter of. At night they sleep in Fort Knox so I am not too concerned. Plus I am on the look out for a good farm dog... so you know. 

Land is amazing. When we moved I was like, "I don't care about the house - I want land!" We were thrilled to come by this place all set up and cleared... It was an a-ha moment.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I did that with the last place we bought. The land was almost 100% usable and the home was enough to live in. This place, at this stage of our lives, has some land but a house in much better condition.


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## Jabberwocky (Oct 7, 2013)

I read the post to my wife and mother... We were all rolling.. Thanks..


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## WeeLittleChicken (Aug 31, 2012)

No problem.


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