# Fence



## jamesBlackAustralorp (Feb 2, 2017)

My mom gave me 50 bucks so imma get welded wire or whatever the strongest they have plus Rhode island red pullets may be bantams


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

Shop around for the best price.In my experience,field fence is about $1 a foot at the feed store/hardware store.I bought a hundred foot roll of deer netting for $17.87 including shipping.I saw the exact same thing for $34.99 in a seed catalogue.I bought it last night and it's suppose to be here in a week.I'm tired of all the poop on my porch and it's going around the front porch and side walk.It's 7' tall,they won't be able to clear that.I just wonder if I can make it look nice and not tacky...


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## jamesBlackAustralorp (Feb 2, 2017)

Yeah but I've lost 40 chick/chickens.too a mink and I need small strong wire


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

jamesBlackAustralorp said:


> Yeah but I've lost 40 chick/chickens.too a mink and I need small strong wire


Hardware cloth is the way to go, but it's expensive. It comes in 3' rolls. Roll it around over the existing chicken wire from the base up, tie it in with wire. No predator will be able to reach through it and grab a chicken like a **** or cat.
Field fence would be good for laying an apron on the ground around the base of your pens, coming out about 15 inches. It needs to be tied in to the chicken wire or hardware cloth at the base to be effective. Grass will grow through it making it almost impossible to pull up. Nothing can dig through it, not even a dog or mink...except maybe a bear lol.
Ensure the top of your pens are covered using chicken wire. The sun weakens and deteriorates netting.


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## jamesBlackAustralorp (Feb 2, 2017)

How thin is it they cut chicken wire with its teeth and 2×4 inch fencing


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## jamesBlackAustralorp (Feb 2, 2017)

And you want me to use hardware cloth


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

Do you have any traps or can you borrow some?If you have mink,you need to get rid of them.Trap and /or shoot them.Their furs are worth quite a bit of money.A can of tuna or cat food works really good for bait.If you get enough furs that's quite a bit of money to spend on your chickens.Check w/ your state's laws first.You may have to wait until next fall to sell them,I'm not sure when the cut-off limit is.Try getting rid of them now before breeding season starts and you have a whole family of mink dining on your chickens.Good luck!!!


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Lock the chickens in the coop so the mink can't get inside and kill them.. a sturdy coop door and lock should work. I lock mine in every night to prevent predators from walking in the coop door ans killing mine


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## jamesBlackAustralorp (Feb 2, 2017)

They dig and climb


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## jamesBlackAustralorp (Feb 2, 2017)

Plus I have dogs and a cat and chicken loose


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

If you shut the coop door at dusk nothing can get in the coop at night if you lock the coop door.. the fenced in run is another story. I have 2 runs abd both coops get locked up at night so the chickens are in the coop. If something gets in the runs it can't get to the chickens locked in the coop. Traps will catch and kill anything in the run.
I have dogs ans wildlife too and my coops are locked up tight at night. The runs however are chain link dog kennels so anything can squeeze thru the links if small enough. The top is netted and secured. If you lock up the chickens inside the coop nothing will get them . If you leave the coop door open then yes something will crawl in the coop door an kill them


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## jamesBlackAustralorp (Feb 2, 2017)

I have a wood building remember this was like 6 months ago


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

jamesBlackAustralorp said:


> And you want me to use hardware cloth


James. Hardware cloth is not cloth. I dont know why they call it cloth when it's actually small diameter wire mesh. If you go to Lowe's or Home depot to buy it; it is called "hardware cloth."
Here's some pics for you to show you what I was talking about in my previous post:
The first pic is hardware cloth layered and tied in over the chicken wire and it's nailed to the bottom board on the ground. Then the pics with field fencing layered over with chicken wire on the ground to prevent predators from digging under the fence. Note the grass growing through it, you'd never know it's there.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

James,we all hate to hear chickens are being killed by predators.We are just trying to give suggestions on how you can protect your flock better.I lock my chickens up at night,like many others on this forum.I have a baby monitor(don't laugh) out in the coop so I can hear if something is out there and bothering the chickens.If I were you,I would be trying to trap those minks and selling those furs.Or you may be able to get someone to come to your property and trap them for you and they keep the furs.Either way you need to dispose the minks.Spring will be here soon and they will be more active and breeding and you will have even more mink dining on your chickens.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

You can put a door on the building so the chickens have a safe place where you can shut the door. I lock mine up every night so nothing gets in the coop and they stay safe. We are just trying to help


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## jamesBlackAustralorp (Feb 2, 2017)

I keep mine in the building they never come back


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## jamesBlackAustralorp (Feb 2, 2017)

It's rabbit wire,1×1 and chicken wire


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## jamesBlackAustralorp (Feb 2, 2017)

1×1 welded wire


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