First Pen Project...

[Tim.243]

Given the go ahead for a pen, cover strips and some birds for this season, I managed to track down some harris fencing panels which will have an angled top around 18" bolted to it for extra height and 2 runs of wire.

Pulled a 9" deep trench and back filled the panels, also cut the bottom legs off so it sits flat in the trench....

Lots more to do but coming along well...

Tim.243

 

[badbob]

Hope it turns out ok.
Wheres all your helpers?
Is that a deer fence next to it?
be interesting if these panels have been used by others,
to be aware of any potential problems.

 

[Tim.243]

Hope it turns out ok.
Wheres all your helpers?
Is that a deer fence next to it?
be interesting if these panels have been used by others,
to be aware of any potential problems.

Thank you...
Small family shoot so not much help, the other son (not mine) has 1 month at Uni then free until September.
Not a deer fence...
A lot of people are using it according to the pout supplier but it does need a bit on the top which for me is easy as I have the clips that you join them with and the 5" of leg I cut off so I will weld a bit of angle to the off cut with holes for the top wires and bolt them on....

Tied the top into the trees with braces and 7mm cable ties. At 3.5 mtr a panel you can make a bit of head way with just two people, that way you can keep an eye on the work..

Tim.243

 

[Wingy]

Used these fence panels around my allotment plot. 3" x 3" wooden posts then drilled and screwed panels to the posts. Covered with scaffold netting to break the wind and all doing well 18 months down the line.
Wingy

 

[Pedro]

Seems like a good idea. Potential problems could include cutting holes for pop holes and when the poults start to fly, they are generally pretty rubbish at first and often fly into pen fences and this wouldn't be so forgiving. I also wonder if these more stable sections would make it easier for predators to scramble up compared to floppy wire fences.

But I guess all of these "features" can be pretty easily overcome. If, as you say, you are putting a bit of fencing on top of these (six foot give or take is the general height recommended) make sure that it angles outwards pretty sharpish I'd say.

Interested in how you get on. If you remember, please post your experiences. Thanks.

 

[Tim.243]

Seems like a good idea. Potential problems could include cutting holes for pop holes and when the poults start to fly, they are generally pretty rubbish at first and often fly into pen fences and this wouldn't be so forgiving. I also wonder if these more stable sections would make it easier for predators to scramble up compared to floppy wire fences.

But I guess all of these "features" can be pretty easily overcome. If, as you say, you are putting a bit of fencing on top of these (six foot give or take is the general height recommended) make sure that it angles outwards pretty sharpish I'd say.

Interested in how you get on. If you remember, please post your experiences. Thanks.

Thank you, fabrication is what I do so cutting pop holes is the easy bit....The plan is to make the top rail wires floppy also I can take out the braces so it will move more....

The digger hire guy was stressed at it only had 1 hour on the clock lol.....It went back with out a scratch!


Tim.243

 

[Highlandsjohn]

Well done Tim,good luck on the prototype. Did you get a job lot on those panels lol

 

[Tim.243]

Well done Tim,good luck on the prototype. Did you get a job lot on those panels lol

Very pleased with them as things need to be right from the get go....


Tim.243

 

[norma 308]

well done but where I'm situated the pens need to blend in to the surroundings I find the plastic net and bottom chicken mesh very quick cheap and discreet .I put the last pen I built almost single handed up for £2.50/m exc posts .I would consider the panels for a quick partridge pen but I'd still have to mesh them .good job though
regards Norma

 

[countrryboy]

Must admit i'm with norma and prefer the more traditional build pens, sometime it can be surprisingly quick to build them.

Esp if ur spacing ur posts out 4-5m spaceings and using that new plastic net.
Be a lot of work man handling thoose pannels throu a wood and while not heavy can be ackward throu tight spaces/undergrowth.

Must admit i have always just turned the mesh out at bottom and pegged it, i've never ever buried it.


Ps If u turned the harris panells upside down could u not leave the feet on as extra hieght for ur top wire? Or even batter piecies of timber into the hollow holes/feet if u needed more hieght?

 

[Tim.243]

Must admit i'm with norma and prefer the more traditional build pens, sometime it can be surprisingly quick to build them.

Esp if ur spacing ur posts out 4-5m spaceings and using that new plastic net.
Be a lot of work man handling thoose pannels throu a wood and while not heavy can be ackward throu tight spaces/undergrowth.

Must admit i have always just turned the mesh out at bottom and pegged it, i've never ever buried it.


Ps If u turned the harris panells upside down could u not leave the feet on as extra hieght for ur top wire? Or even batter piecies of timber into the hollow holes/feet if u needed more hieght?

If I turned it upside down it would have needed a lot of bungs (90) for the open tops, any water which ran down will rot it from the inside out, this way I will use the off cut to make the top wire rail for the extra height needed...


I guess it will work out even at some point just how different people work it out...


Tim.243

 

[landkeeper]

Good job , just watch with those panels though the mesh is too big for vermin and as the 'welds' on the mesh fail and birds can just push through ,as can bigger beasties coming from outside , 2 strands of electric around the peremiter will help that though . i'd be old school too though with pen construction chicken wire and posts

 

[countrryboy]

If I turned it upside down it would have needed a lot of bungs (90) for the open tops, any water which ran down will rot it from the inside out, this way I will use the off cut to make the top wire rail for the extra height needed...


I guess it will work out even at some point just how different people work it out...


Tim.243

Good point, i never thought of that it was just the 1st thing that came to my mind to save u cutting all the bottoms off and rejoining them on the top.

Wot hieght are they standing now 5ft ish?
U might just about get away with just clipping some net down the wire and letting if 'flop' over and every now and again u could bend some fencing wire to hold the flop stand out a bit.

I used to build really quite tidy pens, (tight wire/net etc) nowadays they tend to be more practical and looking for savings and making life easy if possible but still secure and net tends to be a bit baggier which doesn't look as nice but i think it makes it harder to climb.
Even on some off the really big commercial estates sometimes the pens are shocking yet the birds still seem to do ok.

 

[Tim.243]

Good job , just watch with those panels though the mesh is too big for vermin and as the 'welds' on the mesh fail and birds can just push through ,as can bigger beasties coming from outside , 2 strands of electric around the peremiter will help that though . i'd be old school too though with pen construction chicken wire and posts

Thank you, going to use 1/2" x 3ft mesh on the bottom so that should keep the poults heads attached to there neck....

Good point, i never thought of that it was just the 1st thing that came to my mind to save u cutting all the bottoms off and rejoining them on the top.

Wot hieght are they standing now 5ft ish?
U might just about get away with just clipping some net down the wire and letting if 'flop' over and every now and again u could bend some fencing wire to hold the flop stand out a bit.

I used to build really quite tidy pens, (tight wire/net etc) nowadays they tend to be more practical and looking for savings and making life easy if possible but still secure and net tends to be a bit baggier which doesn't look as nice but i think it makes it harder to climb.
Even on some off the really big commercial estates sometimes the pens are shocking yet the birds still seem to do ok.

I thought you had typed that bit quick lol, standing @ 5ft with a 16-18" double wire top sitting out wards at a angle that looks right....

Had a helper today lol

Tim.243

 

[finnbear270]

Looks a great effort Tim, just don't lean on your laurels regards the nine inch trench, (regular patrols), looks much nicer than our first effort back in the early seventies fe**i'n chain link was a bugger to work with!.

 

[Tim.243]

Looks a great effort Tim, just don't lean on your laurels regards the nine inch trench, (regular patrols), looks much nicer than our first effort back in the early seventies fe**i'n chain link was a bugger to work with!.

Thank you, not a lot of room as you can see, after a bit of a CHAT! my banks man put his hi-vis back on and wore it for the rest of the day....

Tim.243

 

[User00025]

As the panels are rigid Tim and possible for Varmints to climb, I would suggest electric at bottom,middle and top. It should be easy enough to put on with a few brackets tacked on and insulators, and won't cost much.

 

[Tim.243]

As the panels are rigid Tim and possible for Varmints to climb, I would suggest electric at bottom,middle and top. It should be easy enough to put on with a few brackets tacked on and insulators, and won't cost much.

Thank you, it will have an electric wire on the bottom and a 16 inch angled top with a double wire on the top...
The angle bracket bolts on using the clips which are used to join them when they are not being used as pheasant pens....

Also 3 ft of 1/2 inch wire mesh on the bottom....

Knocked up the pen gate this afternoon, opens inwards with a step over. Just needs weld mesh and wide enough to get through with crates or sack of food...

Tim.243

 

[landkeeper]

1" mesh is perfectly fine, 1/2" is overkill unless your getting it handy lol , if it were me i'd get 1" x4ft if you can and fold it out 1 ft at the bottom and drive your electric fence posts down through it as well as peg it down , 2 strands of electric one at 4" and the other at about 14" will keep everything away especially when they are standing on nice wire mesh when they get the shock .

 

[Tim.243]

Made a start on the top wire brackets, using the off cut from the bottom I buzzed a 20x20x3mm length of angle with 2 6mm holes.

2.5mm wire which I strung behind the truck and gave it a little pull to " un set the coils"

Floppy is the general opinion for the wire...

It intern is fixed using the clamps that came with the fencing.....

waste not want not lol

Tim.243