How to Use a Poultry Fence
Providing a means for free-range poultry to graze on insects and fresh greens is important to raising healthy birds. Poultry fencing allows the birds to roam and graze while barring their access to a garden or child's play area. A poultry fence can be anything from plastic netting held by rods hammered into the ground, to chicken wire stapled on treated fence posts, to electric fencing for protection from predators. A portable poultry fence is another great option. This lightweight fence, usually with wheels for ease of moving and a door for access, allows you to change the feeding ground area as needed.
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Instructions
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Place the movable fence where you want it and open the door.
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Get the birds into the habit of following you by shaking a container of feed and sprinkling it on the ground inside the portable fence. Use the same trick
to return them to the main coop.
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Allow the fowl temporary access to a portable poultry fence. The location should be changed daily to leave the manure soiled area and give access to fresh greens.
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Ensure that the poultry have water, additional feed and shade at all times and that laying hens have nesting boxes for laying eggs.
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Have roosts available, but do not use a portable fence as a permanent coop arrangement. Return the birds to the main coop nightly.
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Tips & Warnings
Fowl raised for meat, or broilers, are typically confined to a smaller area compared to fowl raised for egg laying. This restricted confinement allows the poultry to plump-up and become larger faster, but it is a personal preference option decided upon by each individual farmer.
A net covered poultry fence will keep hawks and eagles out and chickens with unclipped flight feathers in.
If fowl begin fighting within the fenced structure, they likely need more space.
References
- Photo Credit Chicken image by Jouke from Fotolia.com
