Ian Wright

All that electric and wire mesh works it’s fine; it’s not free or passive though. If there’s a break in the circuit the fence doesn’t work.; the wire mesh down around outside must be moved by bending and picking up every side, my way is all internal, no bending checking or modifying, it just worked against coyotes, foxes, bobcats, black bears, coons, mountain lions in mid Missouri. If people took the time to read earlier threads they’d see the entire point of my way is to not add another layer of cost and equipment to maintain, but to protect my flock AND to make the daily moving process simple and duty free. I don’t check wires or panels or batteries or their charges, I don’t bend or stoop to move a skirt around the outside, I hook up a homemade dolly to the front move to fresh, set back down and do other chores.  It’s that simple; virtually free and I just had 100% survival rate where last year was 5-8 bird loss to predators. To answer your question Jay 35 this run, on 62sq feet, next run will be down at 30. 30 is expected/needed survival to get the amount we need, (30 per run butchered), didn’t know this thing would work so well lol got all 35 to the freezer!

Jay Angler wrote:I can't wait for a user test report Ian!

@ Andrew Vlcek: Poultry netting seems to work if you aren't trying to move the birds every day. If you are trying to get daily movement, the netting can be a pain if you don't have several people to help, from my experience. Also, some of us with summer drought and lots of rocks in the soil, find that having to hammer in a spike first - sometimes more than once, then pushing the fence post in the hole you made with the spike, just takes much more time than moving a well-designed shelter one square a day!

Jay, it worked 100%, I even put the birds in at 2 1/2 weeks added turned over totes for places to huddle. I had what appeared to be 2 attempts by predators to dig under but no injured birds no missing birds all came to slaughter and all were healthy! Didn’t have to mess with fence or bending and laying outside skirts it’s the easiest lowest maintenance solution, will be doing another run starting August.

Ian Wright wrote:Ive been havin the same issue. And i dont wanna pick up and secure my exterior skirt everyday like i have been. Ive been toying with the idea of an angled interior wall to the tractor. So even if they do dig under their paws will only be able to get to a dead space inaccessible by chickens with the inside edge being out of reach from predator's digging under from exterior.
           
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So like a 45 degree from outside wall to ground wall with corrugated metal inside so chickens cant enter the dead space? Idk what yall think?

Heres what i got... 9 months later...Almost done, got to clean up the inside corner a little more make sure its not too sharp. Used some old steel siding for the inside. I opted not to use any chicken wire or mesh on the slope so they dont slice up their feet. This is for broilers by the way.

Ive been havin the same issue. And i dont wanna pick up and secure my exterior skirt everyday like i have been. Ive been toying with the idea of an angled interior wall to the tractor. So even if they do dig under their paws will only be able to get to a dead space inaccessible by chickens with the inside edge being out of reach from predator's digging under from exterior.
           
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So like a 45 degree from outside wall to ground wall with corrugated metal inside so chickens cant enter the dead space? Idk what yall think?