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How to Build a Safe Daytime Enclosure for Poultry

Whether you want to raise poultry for eggs or meat, building a safe daytime enclosure for your flock is a critical first step. The list of mammals that want to eat your birds is long: weasels, foxes, raccoons, skunks, coyotes, owls -- even the neighbor's dog. You can construct a basic enclosure to keep them safe during the day, but follow this up with a more secure nighttime space.

Things You'll Need

Metal fence posts with clips
Hammer
Heavy wire mesh, ½-inch square or smaller
Carabiners (or similar clips)
Bird netting
Small-gauge wire
Wire cutter

Instructions

- 1
  Determine the area of your enclosure, based on the number and size of your poultry. Any of the smaller bantam-type chickens need 1- to 4-square-feet of space per bird; large chickens need 2- to 10-square-feet each; ducks require 3- to 15-square-feet, and geese need 6- to 18-square-feet per bird.
- 2
  Select a well-drained area for your enclosure; poultry that regularly range in standing water or mud are more prone to illness and disease.
- 3
  Pound metal fence posts into the perimeter of the enclosure site, spacing them no more than 6 feet apart.
- 4
  Create an entrance by situating two of the posts roughly 3 feet apart. Make it wide enough to provide easy access for you, your flock and any necessary equipment (e.g. wheelbarrow) or tools.
- 5
  Beginning at one of the entrance posts, clip the heavy wire mesh to all the poles, ending where you started and leaving a 1-foot (or longer) overlap.
- 6
  Finish your gate by outfitting the edge of the overlapping section with a series of carabiners, spaced at roughly 1-foot intervals. Snugly fasten the carabiners to the fence when you want to secure the gate.
- 7
  Stretch the bird netting over the top of the enclosure and fasten with clips. This protects your flock from air-borne predators like hawks and owls.

Animals & Science