the daydream fund challenge thread

Rummer

Always lovely to have a new member, what is your set up at the moment?

choille

Hello Hollysmum.

lostinrates

hollysmum22 wrote: »

hi i,ve only just stumbled across your thread, me and my husband are planning a big move to paignton in a few years with the dream of owning chickens, veggie patch and being self-sufficient sorry for gatecrashing your convo

You are not gatecrashing,welcome.


Choille, you are so right...and it was a charming time we had.

downshifter

Can anyone recommend a pheasant proof roof for my hen run? Although I don't really object to the pheasants scoffing my hen's food - I can top up during the day - I do object them to flying in over the top of their fence and corralling them into a corner, before raiding whatever they can get. My poor little silkies are having a hard time of it. The fence is about 5ft high and the pen about 12ft by 12ft.

I would put something like fishing/bean net over the top but am concerned they will fly over and get themselves caught in the net. Is that likely? I thought maybe a net with large holes so the little birds can get through but not the pheasants. I certainly don't want to harm the pheasants and get them tangled.

I'll still feed them (I have a resident mum, dad and teenage tribe), I just don't want them getting in with the chickens. What would anyone recommend? Thanks

DS

stitching_witch

downshifter - I am about to put a "roof" on my chicken enclosure too. We had some chicken wire left over from doing the sides so we've got to rig up some sort of tensioning wires across the top then roll out the mesh and cable tie it all together.

We needed something a bit stronger than the plastic bean mesh as we're not trying to keep out pheasants, which are big enough round here, but the beautiful buzzard which swoops over eyeing up my girls :eek:

Davesnave

I'd think pheasants are more likely to get caught in middling size mesh and I'm not sure that very wide is the way to go either! Something like shade netting would be safest, but that's going to reduce light levels for the hens. It could be a no-win situation.:(

Stitchy, our hens are largish and we have buzzards which overlook/fly, but so far, no problems. We couldn't cover the top of our hen orchard anyway, as it's too large and the trees would be in the way.

Frankly, I'd welcome any pheasants that want to come into our run, as that's what DD1 wants for Christmas dinner!

rhiwfield

stitching_witch wrote: »

downshifter - I am about to put a "roof" on my chicken enclosure too. We had some chicken wire left over from doing the sides so we've got to rig up some sort of tensioning wires across the top then roll out the mesh and cable tie it all together.

We needed something a bit stronger than the plastic bean mesh as we're not trying to keep out pheasants, which are big enough round here, but the beautiful buzzard which swoops over eyeing up my girls :eek:

Thats what I did at my last house, the only problem was grating the top of the head as you walk in the run .

Not sure but I thought pheasants were a transmitter of gapeworm.

downshifter

rhiwfield wrote: »

Thats what I did at my last house, the only problem was grating the top of the head as you walk in the run .

Not sure but I thought pheasants were a transmitter of gapeworm.

Ok so that's even more reason to keep them out. However the hens go out into the garden when I'm there to watch over them, and the pheasants go there too. Not sure how I can always protect them. What about other birds? If bird flu came back I'd keep then hens locked in but wouldn't want to normally.

Still not sure about the roof - maybe a mesh sheet such as you use over plants would be ok.

Thanks

DS

stitching_witch

rhiwfield wrote: »

Thats what I did at my last house, the only problem was grating the top of the head as you walk in the run .

Our pen is about six feet tall, but even if less I don't mind - I'm only 5ft 2!!

lostinrates

Davesnave wrote: »

I'd think pheasants are more likely to get caught in middling size mesh and I'm not sure that very wide is the way to go either! Something like shade netting would be safest, but that's going to reduce light levels for the hens. It could be a no-win situation.:(

Stitchy, our hens are largish and we have buzzards which overlook/fly, but so far, no problems. We couldn't cover the top of our hen orchard anyway, as it's too large and the trees would be in the way.

Frankly, I'd welcome any pheasants that want to come into our run, as that's what DD1 wants for Christmas dinner!

I've had a buzzard fully grown maran, be warned! Garden eyes balloons are very effective. As are cds. You have to move these sort of deterrents often though to keep them effective. This year i'll put the cds on hangers to make this easier I think.