No trees in pen

[Jarv]

The only ground we have for a pen has no trees in it does it matter? We have dragged a few felled trees into the pen and it has plenty of cover but no full trees for roosting.

[rich1985]

Will be fine, make sure you have dragged lots of hiding places and branches in for them to roost in, make teepee type things for them to get under and on.

[Alycidon]

Any shrubs in the pen?. dont need to be tall. You can always create perches from rails nailed to the tops of the surrounding fence posts.

 

A

[Jarv]

Thanks lads iv pilled up a few teepee already and the trees we dragged in give a bit of hight. I might build a few perches as well. Is there a chance they'll use perches as a launch pad for getting over the fence if there to close to the edge.

[Jarv]

While I'm hear I'm worried about foxes using my IBC water tank to jump in the pen how far away from the fence is ok. I have limited space on the outside of the pen that has best access.

[scotslad]

If ur worried i'd move it, sod's law 1 will get in and u will kick urself, seen foxes get into all sorts of pens some built like fort knox, amazing the ways they find to get in. Could u not move the ibc tank inside the pen and put ur filling hose throu/over the wire.

 

The birds could use ur perches to fly over the wire, but they can fly over the wire from the ground anyway and will often drop of the roost outside the pen too if u have high trees so makes no odds really.

I would just have the rails 3ish ft high just to get the birds used to geting of the deck for roosting, possibly trying to give them some sort of overhead cover on the rails too (dunno how u would do it, possibly bit of wire/rail to lean thin brash on??) so u don't encourage tawny's and birds will feel safer if some cover overhead

[Jarv]

Want to keep the IBC outside then use it to fill a as barrel as a header tank. That way I can move the IBC back on a forklift and refill in the yard. Just being tight with hose to be honest I'll move the IBC back a good bit further. Thanks for the advice on perching. Not decided on getting the birds clipped or not yet.

[Kes]

You could always add height in the pen fence opposite the tank. Just wire 2/3 poles to your existing posts and add wire between them - foxes will avoid then.

[malantone]

Clip your birds, It gives them time to get used to home and can`t fly out in panic if a Buzzard or some other hook bill swoops.

Want to keep the IBC outside then use it to fill a as barrel as a header tank. That way I can move the IBC back on a forklift and refill in the yard. Just being tight with hose to be honest I'll move the IBC back a good bit further. Thanks for the advice on perching. Not decided on getting the birds clipped or not yet.

Get another Ibc , put one in the pen as a header, and the other on the forklift. Edited July 27, 2014 by malantone