Chicken Yard Fencing & Protecting Chickens - The FHC Show, ep 26

Pa Mac explains a few secrets he's learned over the years for keeping chickens and poultry safe from predators in this installment (episode 26) of The Farm Hand's Companion Show. He also shows how he built his chicken yard (or chicken "run") that's connected to his new log chicken house with simple methods for poultry fencing.
Be sure and subscribe to the Farm Hand's Companion channel to keep up with the progress as Pa Mac takes an undeveloped piece of property and turns it into a small subsistence farm. Watch for new episodes as often as Pa Mac can crank 'em out and still run a small farm. (As long as he's alive and kicking, he's most assuredly farming and filming!)
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[@oldironsfury]

The mainstream world lost its mind, FHC brings you back to reality . Thank God for Pa Mac

[@cassianyhvh7220]

The best cure in the world for the political angst threatening the USA is watching a new FHC, and what a good one it is. Thank you Pa Mac for the moment of brief sanity you give us.

[@splatbabylon]

Yeeeeees!! Best show on KZbin. And you refined the music some? Well no one is perfect. Pa Mac and fan, you have the real deal. Thanks for sharing!!

[@TheBereangirl]

Love the coop, Pa Mac! Nice predator pic, too! About 5 yrs ago I went out to the coop to let the girls out for the day and I noticed their feeder was smashed to smithereens, and the girls didn't come out. I flung open the coop's big door and they were all huddled together in the farthest corner of the coop. I went back inside and asked my sleepy husband what happened. He said our oldest son heard a racket in the coop about midnight. They went outside and the small coop door was open, I thought my husband shut it, he thought I did🙄, so a possum got in (of course, the one time we left it open). My husband started beating the possum with a shovel and it laid down "dead." Our son said, "Dad, it's playing possum!" 😂It ran out of the coop and when my husband tried to get it out of the run he beat up the feeder with the shovel. Unfortunately, a frantic chicken was hurt in the kerfuffle...I can't believe I didn't hear anything...lol. I tied up the Buff Orpington's wing and it was fine in a couple of days...the feeder didn't make it. I have NOT forgotten to shut the coop door since that encounter with a possum. Even though we live in town, we still have small predictors!

[@ghostridergale]

Yea remembering to shut those coop doors can be a problem from time to time! LOL I have left mine open too a few times! Luckily my coop is 4ft off the ground and so far nothing made it into the coop yet! Knock on wood they won’t! I’m working on making my doors open and close automatically on a timer so I won’t have to worry about forgetting to close them!

[@renaissancewomanfarm9175]

I just love your videos! We are now expanding our chicken run. We also used the 2x4 wire and have now spent far too many evenings when it was time to close up the girls, chasing out raccoon and possum. I didn't believe my eyes first time I saw a possum go right through that 2x4 wire. They have to wiggle their hips a bit to get it done but they can go right through the stuff. Young coons can do likewise and they can climb it as easily as going up a stair. The predators have figured out that I am always around at mornings and evenings and have started arriving during the day and I am currently getting no eggs as a result. I think the next step to the chicken Fort Knox will be getting lathe and doing a picket style fence around the bottom four feet of the 2x4 fencing. I made my run in a narrow long pattern to discourage hawks and so far that strategy has worked though the plan is to add flight wire to be on the safe side. It's kind of crazy the lengths we go to for our chickens!

[@PatrickKQ4HBD]

I used those J-clips to add a second layer of wire, offset from the first. Fort Knox approved.

[@ghostridergale]

You should use hardware cloth to keep out the critters, I’ve not had any critters break thru my defenses yet in over 2 years and counting!

[@marcelosalgueiro3137]

Your show is superb, sir! Thanks for all the teaching! Greetings from Brazil!!

[@georgerobertsonjr5384]

Great video as always! Best channel on KZbin in my opinion.

[@happilyretiredmark2964]

I came in from the garden, check for an email I'm expecting and it's not there so I'm a little disappointed. Then I see Pa Mac came to visit! Not disappointed any more! Thanks !!!!

[@manicdonkey]

Thanks for the upload Pa Mac! Your chicken setup is looking awesome! I've been building my first chicken house & run this summer and the tips from your videos have a been a big help - much appreciated.

[@Shaker_Hill_Sugarworks]

Hi Pa Mac - wondering how long your posts are here and how tall your welded wire is. Thanks.

[@ncooty]

Thanks as always. FYI: @812: That diagonal brace would be much more functional if the ends were to butt against the vertical framing rather than terminating against nothing.

[@PatrickKQ4HBD]

HOW do you not have a million subscribers already??? I need to add a nice run to our Fort Knox coop. Thanks for the inspiration. For anyone who doesn't have a few laying hens yet, they're SUPER easy to get started in. You can do it too.

[@farmhandscompanion]

Thanks for the compliment, Patrick!

[@JamesJohnson-yh1oh]

Elizabeth said, Because he hardly gets videos out at all or he'd have more admirers. I enjoy his videos very much. Just not many of them around.

[@danielcorbett5403]

I am surprised you didn't find a way to attach the J clips with a wooden implement. Love the videos Pa Mac. Keep up the Great work

[@johnsonr9]

Another great video. We need more farmers and less politicians. Thanks.

[@hootnannyhomestead8338]

I tried to sniff my phone screen when you were cutten that cedar. Smells so good. Thanks for the tip on using the tamp to help pull wire. I always seem to be alone when a fence needs to go up and could never figure out how to pull it tight. I’ve used my four wheeler and straps before. Lol. Great yard. ~Nanny~

[@Faithful_Tribe]

Love your work, friend.

[@scottscafe4862]

I sure look forward to your videos.

[@brianphilbrook5262]

Good idea on the latch. The whole thing came out great.

[@dee_gee_bee6072]

Grandson of John Daniel (Ruth Ann Daniel, Billingsley). I still need to bring my family up to see you all. Love the videos.

[@farmhandscompanion]

Please bring em all. Make sure you let us know in advance when you're comin' so I can be there to greet you, D.B.!

[@LanceSheppard]

Hey Pa, the chickens are gonna be right happy with the coop and yard. I just recently built a chicken tractor for our small homestead. We have coyotes bad here. And this year a bear and her Cubs has settled in near by.

[@willmegehee]

Mighty fine chicken digs you got going on there Pa Mac! The chicken look like they know just how to roam the new palace :-)

[@SilverLining650]

Your videos are so helpful.

[@olddawgdreaming5715]

Thanks for sharing with us, your channel is awesome and we appreciate your work.👍👍👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@gretafields4706]

Did you cover the crack along the bottom of the walls of the house? More slabs?

[@bayareasparky9180]

Well worth the wait... thank you!

[@LittleCountryCabin]

I love ALL your videos! This is another great one. Would love to see one on a hand dug well some day😀. Thanks so much for sharing and God bless y’all!❤️

[@autiemuse]

I joined on Patreon -- well worth it!

[@peterslegers6121]

Great one-take hammering scene from 8:21 on 😎

[@ewing21139]

Annie and the banjo took front stage .lol

[@MyBackyardGarden]

Great Video! Thanks for sharing your excellent tips!

[@glockholliday7490]

Fantastic video. Thank you, I’m needing to make a chicken house and run.

[@Khamomil]

So simple yet so effective! PS: Boy that possum looks vicious!

[@johnespe9916]

I’m sure glad you are back to making videos, maybe consider posting them on Rumble too. Thanks

[@Rawwwdoggg]

excellent

[@kenthorsen4558]

I let my chickens free range but they have a pen that I use when the chicken hawk comes around. I even hang a pair of coveralls on the clothes line. Great video as usual!

[@tropifiori]

I built a similar set up around our duck pond (Quackatorium Maximus). I electrified the fence. I think a hawk killed a couple of ducks as I couldn’t practically net it over. I think every egg I get costs me about$20 after I spent all that money and labor on the project.

[@FortnersFrontierLeather]

Wooohooo, another video!

[@cirleneluz4486]

I like your movies. very cool.😜🇧🇷👍🏻

[@ronmckenzie2890]

I see a lot of daylight at the bottom of the log house, looks like anything can still get in to me .

[@nitberla]

U back!

[@makena70danielmascas]

Daaaa Super! Direct like 👍 from România 😉

[@hankdoughty4375]

How are the apple trees doing?

[@jeremyploteau5694]

First😉, good job. To France🙋‍♂️

[@Mikedenton541]

Hi Mr. companion! How does building fence and rustic outdoor structures go with green wood? I’ve been wanting to mill the wood on our property myself, but can I actually use it right away?

[@patrickcleburneuczjsxpmp9558]

Sure. There will be some wood shrinkage, but that mostly shouldn't cause any problems, particularly not with rough outdoor structures. If you're using wider boards for something like siding, you just need to allow for shrinkage, fasten the boards down so that you leave room for shrinkage and leave extra overlap so that you still have sufficient overlap after the boards shrink a little.

[@hikerx9366]

After securing it aren't you worried a predator can dig under the wire fence? I noticed the gate has a large gap as well where smaller predators can squeeze through. I thought I read somewhere a person should dig and bury the fence wire about 8inches to a foot below the surface of the ground. Love your place... And the chicken house.

[@patrickcleburneuczjsxpmp9558]

Most digging predators would be pretty shy during the day.

[@antoniobeltran3674]

Traducción para español, saludos desde Montevideo Uruguay

[@patrickcleburneuczjsxpmp9558]

I'd love to hear your thoughts (or those of anyone else reading this) on sizing an area like this and its potential purposes as I'm considering what to build myself. I'm guessing it wouldn't take very many chickens to scratch the area within a 100' perimeter to bare dirt in relatively short time, at which point I wonder what purposes it serves. If the run is just going to be bare dirt anyway, I'm thinking I might rather have my chickens under a solid roof (but with a section with 2x4 or similar wire fencing on the sides for fresh air and sun) so the manure doesn't get washed away by rain and I can gather more and put it to good use. But maybe there are other advantages to a bare dirt run I'm not considering. Alternatively, I'm wondering how many square feet per bird I'd need in a permanent run for grass to survive in most of the area. I'm pretty sure, at least in my case, that that would very probably make the overhead protection from hawks completely impractical, but that if I see hawks or if my count goes down that I could temporarily shut off that larger area until the hawks move on.

[@farmhandscompanion]

Sounds like a good bunch of questions for a Q&A show, Patrick!

[@bretdavisdmd]

How’d you attach the roof netting to the gates?

[@farmhandscompanion]

Good question, Bret. There's a cedar post that's nailed as a header over the gate posts. The roof netting is attached to it. (The video didn't show that part I don't believe.)

[@hillismicheal2878]

install a security camera around the chicken shack yard.for catchinh the varmints.

[@bigal7454]

The last time I cut off a top beam like that, it was still too short to use. 😉

[@Yeshuaschosen]

The possum told the story! This coop ain't predator proof but its cute as heck!

[@farmhandscompanion]

That was my old chicken house in Tennessee. He got in before I shut the door one evenin'

[@steveholbrook4729]

Good vidio

[@awldune]

9:23 what instrument makes this low drone? Is it an upright bass? I always enjoy the music in your videos.

[@chrisroberts314]

I believe he made the instruments, too

[@stevenolan7972]

You need to further protect the chickens by dig proofing your pen, by laying chicken wire flat on the ground on the outside of the pen and covering with dirt.

[@HCheatNcool]

I love it but at the same time it stresses me out that you nail everything. I love the traditional way but I ain’t giving up my drill until I have to

[@steveww1507]

keep um come"n

[@HomesteadAppalachia]

come baaaaaack

[@lesbetts5694]

can you still get hand drills like that? i want one grandfather said i cant have his :).... well tell he dies but the dudes like 100 so thats never gonna happen :)

[@farmhandscompanion]

Yes, les, you can still find those old braces (and the bits) pretty handily. Grandfather can live long and prosper.

[@bobbynash282]

Cant see in a week ?

[@WilliamTMusil]

Hiya

[@wolflahti412]

My dog would be under that fence in less than 2 minutes.

[@ghostridergale]

Yep and most any coyote or wolf would be too! Probably a raccoon as well I’m guessing

[@southernboyprepper3252]

I made gardens and got stopped for fall because we got hit by the hurricanes in Louisiana. Check out our videos

[@MikeL-vu7jo]

Have you ever had rat snake eating the eggs ?

[@farmhandscompanion]

Yes, every year. Usually a male and female pair.

[@kevincasady8992]

Worse thing is possums will kill a whole flock, yet only nibble a bit off each victim.

[@pby1000]

What about snakes?

[@farmhandscompanion]

We have other ways of dealin with them.

[@pby1000]

@@farmhandscompanion I bet. It is probably the best way. Great videos. What music is that? I really like it.

[@bobbynash282]

I just had eye surgery an l cant see to comment sorry

[@xw6968]

You shouldnt give them a key, they let him in ;)

[@budmccaff550]

You talk too much lol. Thanks for sharing !

[@alzathoth]

can't the nasty "chicken predators" get under the fencing?

[@transplantedhomestead2432]

do you ever talk and explain things

[@farmhandscompanion]

Yes I do, Transplanted Homestead! At workshops, homestead conferences, and if you support the show on Patreon (www.patreon.com/farmhandscompanion), you can hear me there. Thanks for askin'!