How far apart should posts be for 4 foot chicken wire (2 inch holes) fence? Do you have any recommendations for making the gate? What kind of poles work best for you? Metal stakes are more expensive ($7) but are they sturdier so can I put more space between them?

I am putting up a 200 foot fence for the duck yard, will go over the stream and up a short bank. What I am keeping out is dogs.

Thank you all for your input; this is such a helpful group of posters!

-- seraphima (djones@kodiak.alaska.edu), March 27, 2001

Answers

Hope you are keeping out small dogs. Texas dogs would tear 2 inch chicken wire fast. We have better luck with 2X4 welded wire (still not heavy enough for hungry varmints). Post spacing personally not more than ten feet apart. (dogs will crawl under) Metal posts reguire tying the wire to them. Wooden posts can be nailed to and around here can be cut from local small timber. Best of luck.

-- jd-tx. (inkina@cctc.net), March 27, 2001.

We are building a chicken pen this week! We are also using chicken wire, but considered the 2x4 welded wire because it would be better for predators. The only problem is, baby chicks could walk through it and get separated from their mama or get eaten when they wander outside. We are spacing our wooden 4x4's and landscape timbers 8 feet apart. It would be sturdier if they were about 6 feet apart, but a person can only spend so much on a chicken pen! Another thing that we are going to do is to bury some rough-cut slabs along the base of the pen to try to keep things from digging under. I agree with the previous poster about the metal posts; wooden was easier for us because it could be nailed to. Good luck.

-- Tracey in Alabama (trjlanier@cs.com), March 27, 2001.

If you need small wire at the bottom try useing 12 inch tall 1 inch mesh chicken or for bannties 1/2 inch mesh wire. I attach it with cage clips its faster than tying with wire. Baby ducks can get through 2X4 wire until about 1 month old are so.

-- jd-tx. (inkina@cctc.net), March 28, 2001.

Sorry forgot to add a note about gates. We are using some chain link fence gates that were damaged (bent pipe at top) and sold real cheap from local hardware store. If you are in a bind a wooden pallet works but is heavy. Rocks piled along bottom of fence on the outside helps slow down digging under.

-- jd-tx. (inkina@cctc.net), March 28, 2001.

Our run is actually a of dog run. My husband hooked them together. We bought it used for about $50.00. We had to put some chicken wire( which was free from someone) around the bottom, the little peepers just walk through the chain links wire. LOL!!! We dug down alittle when putting it around the bottom( this was only 3 ft tall wire) and buried it in about 3/4 ft. It works well and it has gates and all. We are planning on putting chicken wire on the top to keep out other birds and a neighborhood cat. Watch the local ads, we find just about everything we need, lots of times it's free. People throw away such good stuff, and much of it's multi purpose if you use your imagination. Good luck

-- Kelle in MT. (kvent1729@aol.com), March 28, 2001.

Hi, Seraph, First thought popped into my mind was eight feet. (standard cheapo stud-length.) for the escapees, just cut a 12" strip of what your using, and overlap the bottom with it. That'll reduce the hole size. Also, dont use the entire 48" height of the wire; you're not concerned with really macho chickens bustin' out as much as you are about stray dogs, or raccoons coming in. So wrap the wire accordingly, around the OUTSIDE of the pen posts. Allow 6 or 8 inches to scroll outward at the bottom and try to cover it with dirt so it'll foul up any digging predators. We,ve watched the raccoon climbing across the ceiling inside of our roof-wire. That was the only weak point where he could find access (a hole)in. (We had lost one chicken). A few nights later when we actually saw him in action, he didn't escape the .22. Make sure, therefore, that you wire-weave your roofing wire together. For the door, dig under the base of the doorway first and install two or three concrete blocks that the door will swing over, but critters can't get under. Use galvanized drywall screws to put it all together, then you can always take it apart to re-use the lumber. Oh, and use pressure treated lumber on the wood that touches the ground. 2x4 studs make a good door frame, especially if you can lap joint the frame. Makes a nice 2" width, that way, that won't stick out funny like butt'jointed construction. If your door is angle-braced, like a capital 'N' shape, remember that the hinges are on the 'right' side. (unless your N is backward), chuckle. That's all. God bless your day!

-- The Action Dude (theactiondude@yahoo.com), March 28, 2001.

seraphima, Have you considered making a chicken moat? Go to my website and take a look at the pictures I have of mind. You will note that there are wooded corner post and the rest of the post are "T" post. I spaced them about eight foot apart. I did not use chicken wire, as it is too flexible and animals can dig underneath it. I prefered the welded wire type fence or dog wire as it is called here. The chicken moat is basically two fences one inside the other. They are spaced about three feet apart from each other. The chickens can run completely around in it. The center of the chicken moat is where is grow my garden. The chickens will eat most of the bugs, slugs, etc that try to get into your garden if you do it this way. The practicality of the chicken moat is, 1) the three foot wide run area is too narrow to allow chicken hawks to swoop down and take your chickens, 2) the double fencing keeps deer from jumping over the fence and eating up your garden,and 3) it just looks real cool. The gate is interesting too. Since you want to go in and out of your garden and not worry about chickens escaping, you make the gate so that the fences end on both sides. The chickens travel through a tunnel made out of chimney cinder blocks that are underneath the walk way where your gate is to be located. I know this may not make too much sense as you read it so I suggest that you take a look at the pictures I have of it on my website. Just go to the left of my homepage and click on Ozark Lifestyle. You will be going to a phot album. Scroll down until you see the chicken moat pictures. If you have any questions about it I will gladly answer them through email. Sincerely, Ernest http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks

-- Ernest in the Ozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), March 29, 2001.

I read that if you leave a foot or so of chicken wire loose at the top, the raccoons that try to climb up will soon find themselves climbing upside down as the wire bends over with their weight. :-)

-- Laura Jensen (lrjensen@seedlaw.com), March 29, 2001.

i used wooden spruce post for my fence there pretty strudy and u can nail the fence to the post to secure them better

-- drew (ata1hunt@aol.com), August 22, 2001.