For the last few days I've been using temporary netting (specially designed for chickens) to create a free range area between the chicken run and the house. I don't wanst to let the chickens roam completely free as (a) we have fox problems and (b) the chickens have already wrecked a flower bed and I can't risk them wrecking the veggie beds.
Anyway. Because it's been very cold I haven't wanted to stand outside while they range, so this temporary run seems ideal. The back door is open so I can keep an eye on them, and the fox would have to come right into the middle of the garden to get to the girls.
Wash has managed to get under the netting several times, and I keep finding him either in the Run or in the actual Coop. He can usually get himself out again though. Isabelle crawls under the netting and then gets stuck inside the area and cannot get out.
The Girls have been mostly OK, except for a couple of things. Lydia keeps trying to walk through one of the holes in the netting, but fortunately she's too big. Scarlett managed to get herself stuck completely, which was not funny.
And then today, Lydia managed to get over the netting and into the garden. Now, these chooks can't really fly, but they can sort of jump and flap their wings. Lydia tried to jump on top of one of the netting poles, she used her wings to prevent her from falling backwards and then she sort of threw herself forwards on to the other side.
She was very pleased with herself, and bokked all round the garden before I could catch her.
Anyway. Because it's been very cold I haven't wanted to stand outside while they range, so this temporary run seems ideal. The back door is open so I can keep an eye on them, and the fox would have to come right into the middle of the garden to get to the girls.
Wash has managed to get under the netting several times, and I keep finding him either in the Run or in the actual Coop. He can usually get himself out again though. Isabelle crawls under the netting and then gets stuck inside the area and cannot get out.
The Girls have been mostly OK, except for a couple of things. Lydia keeps trying to walk through one of the holes in the netting, but fortunately she's too big. Scarlett managed to get herself stuck completely, which was not funny.
And then today, Lydia managed to get over the netting and into the garden. Now, these chooks can't really fly, but they can sort of jump and flap their wings. Lydia tried to jump on top of one of the netting poles, she used her wings to prevent her from falling backwards and then she sort of threw herself forwards on to the other side.
She was very pleased with herself, and bokked all round the garden before I could catch her.
