Seeking Fence Ideas for Pasture

Hello! We have a new coop after we lost our previous one in a tornado last year. There is no existing fencing in the area we placed it, so we’re looking at creating a new pasture. We’d like to install over 300 feet of fencing. This gets quite expensive, so I’m trying to find the most cost-effective way of doing this. I’ve found a 330 foot roll of Red Brand Field Fence for $240 at TSC, but the spacing of the bottom openings are 3x6. I’m worried chickens will squeeze through that. Has anyone successfully use something like that? I’ve also found Non-Climb Horse Fencing that would probably work better, but that’s far more expensive. Any other suggestions?

Our chickens will free range our nearly 4-acre property most of the time, but I’d like the option to keep them pastured in the early summer weeks while I’m establishing flower beds or whenever I get sick of all the poop on our porches. Our previous pasture was small and they took it down to bare ground in no time, so I want their new space to be large enough that I don’t feel guilty keeping them contained if we need to.

Thank you!

FarmFamilyof4 said:

Hello! We have a new coop after we lost our previous one in a tornado last year. There is no existing fencing in the area we placed it, so we’re looking at creating a new pasture. We’d like to install over 300 feet of fencing.

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Have you considered electric poultry netting?

Premier 1 makes both the sort that is meant to be moved regularly and the sort that is meant to be installed permanently.

It’s crossed my mind, but we have small children and electric fencing worries me. Also, whatever we install needs to be really sturdy because we regularly have 50mph winds whipping through. Step-in posts have never lasted for us in the past.

FarmFamilyof4 said:

It’s crossed my mind, but we have small children and electric fencing worries me. Also, whatever we install needs to be really sturdy because we regularly have 50mph winds whipping through. Step-in posts have never lasted for us in the past.

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Farm kids quickly learn to respect the electric fence.

This is the product I was thinking about. https://www.premier1supplies.com/poultry/fencing.php?fence_id=93

Premier 1 has EXCELLENT customer service. You could ask them about the wind issue.

electric fencing has other bonuses as well, like keeping things out.
I can attest to the learning curve of farm kids vs electric fencing. they learn quickly that the fence bites. Not to mention it isn't a huge shock.

Have you considered doing a staggered design - coop with fully secured run, then the yard? That way if you have issues with aerial predators, weather, or escaping chickens you can still contain them safely.
The electric fencing sounds really good for anyone with the money to spend on it, and you're more likely to save the grass by moving them around than building even the biggest yard.

As to the first part, the 3x6 will totally let the typical chicken escape. You could come along with a finer material like that plastic mesh on the lower part of it, as we did on no-climb fence for juveniles because we had it on hand. But it's not likely to be cheaper and since you care about the grass I doubt you want your place to look as redneck as ours does

Honestly, if your budget can handle it get the good stuff to begin with.

This is what I used for the chicken pastures, with 7' T posts. We put wooden posts on the corners, but that's probably not necessary. But wow, since the last time I bought some the price has increased $50 a roll!

Chickens will go right through and over field fencing like it's not even there.

SourRoses said:

since you care about the grass I doubt you want your place to look as redneck as ours does

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Hahah…Well…we used snow fence to keep our meat birds penned last year. And we still have piles of destroyed buildings from the tornado on our property that haven’t been cleared out yet. So, we look a little redneck ourselves. The reason I want their pasture large enough to keep grass available is purely for the chickens’ health.

Anyway, thanks so much to everyone for their ideas! I’ll continue to look into electric fence possibilities. Will they work in the winter? Our temps can dip to -20 sometimes.

Geena, thanks for letting me know what has worked for you. Super helpful!

FarmFamilyof4 said:

Hahah…Well…we used snow fence to keep our meat birds penned last year. And we still have piles of destroyed buildings from the tornado on our property that haven’t been cleared out yet. So, we look a little redneck ourselves. The reason I want their pasture large enough to keep grass available is purely for the chickens’ health.

Anyway, thanks so much to everyone for their ideas! I’ll continue to look into electric fence possibilities. Will they work in the winter? Our temps can dip to -20 sometimes.

Geena, thanks for letting me know what has worked for you. Super helpful!

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My electric netting works in the winter. The output drops a little in the wet, but still puts out a good zap.

Premier1 is great! I have 2 sections of netting from them. I also have 2 from Starkline that I like, and another from Rent-a-Coop that is meh. Starkline has good customer service as well. I use the electric netting for both my flock of chickens and ducks and for my goats. Love it! Worth every penny.

You might want to look into 'pasture rotation' then.
I saw it somewhere in an old book: you put your coop in the center, add a run for everyday turnout. To that, you attach your roaming spaces on either side of the run.
If need be and location allows, you could then swap the run to the other side and the pasture pieces.

It was called the Balfour method.