Garden fences~keeping chickens out

[ducks4you]

You can build fences with pretty much any sapling width vegetation. The trick is to weave them right after cutting, when they have moisture and are very bendable. If you wait too long they split. Just FYI.

 

[Beekissed]

Yep! But my garden is pretty big, so I was counting on those long, long bamboo poles to cover a lot of ground. The saplings I can get that are thin enough to weave,even while green, are about a third of the length of the bamboo and not all in one stand, but would have to be hunted down throughout the woods and removed by the twos and threes in that manner.

The bamboo could be cut all in one sitting, loaded in the back of the truck and then we'd be in business. It's one of those work smarter, not harder kinda prospects.

Of course, if I were really going to work smarter, I'd just scrap the idea of weaving bamboo wattle altogether and go with a more simple and easily done fence~albeit not quite as attractive and rustic looking. Just trying to find the balance, as always.

 

[catjac1975]

I love all of these ideas especially the hen nest.

 

[majorcatfish]

really like those fence ideas...

 

[Beekissed]

And I just THINK my garden space is large....LOOK at the work that went into this fence!!!!

And this one...

Here's a vid of how to make the wattle panels, called hurdles. It would be hard for someone who didn't have the right setup, but it's still interesting to watch.

 

[buckabucka]

You'll definitely need to post photos if you build a fence. It would be a very cool project.

 

[lesa]

I have cheated and covered up portions of my "ugly" fence with a willow fence that can be purchased at Home Depot. Last a couple of years- but not very sturdy. The other thing I do is plant all kinds of climbing things, so I don't have to look at my ugly fence. We rarely eat pole beans- but they do a great job decorating my fence!

 

[ducks4you]

TOO much work splitting the wood! I wouldn't bother. I have a LOT of Tree of Paradise saplings that need removal this spring. I will be cutting them and using them whole for any woven fences. I figure that you have to start somewhere, so it might as well be with free materials. After all, after one season in the garden they can be pulled up and burned if I don't like them.

 

[Beekissed]

I LOVE this one!!! Wouldn't keep a chicken out, but I love how it looks.

 

[Beekissed]

I think I've decided to build a fence incorporating deer netting at first as a stop gap for the chickens until I can work into the wattle, but it will have wooden fence posts and pine logs at the bottom to contain my wood chips in the garden. Then, as time goes along and I have free time, I think I'll start some twigs/wattle in interesting ways, while leaving that deer netting in place as a safeguard against the chickens.

It's just too good an opportunity to do something different. I definitely want to do some wattle for my smaller gate and the arch over it sooner than the rest of the fence, as I'd like to plant some vines there.