Being a homeowner gives you plenty of opportunities that are unique to those who own a home, such as owning chickens. One thing you want to do before you think about getting chickens is to make sure you can get them in your area. Finding out if you can with the laws in your city is essential, and you will also gain valuable information such as chicken limitations and required distance from your neighbors. After getting the details you need, you can start turning it into a reality by building a fence for them.

Create an Area to Better Control Manure

If you want to start growing fruits, vegetables, and herbs, or you have already started, you can greatly benefit by incorporating chicken manure into your gardening. But, you do not want to use only chicken manure due to its high level of nitrogen, so an easy solution is to add it to your compost mixture.

With the toxicity of chicken manure, you will appreciate having a fence that prevents them from poisoning grass and plants throughout your entire yard. Putting your chickens in an enclosed area will also make it easier for you to collect the manure and put it into your composting bin on a regular basis.

Get Sturdy, Long-Lasting Material

Although you can save money by getting polyethylene netting, your fence will not last as long with this material. It is better to get a strong, long-lasting, and rust-resistant material with galvanized wire. Since you will want to protect your chickens from a variety of predators, you will want to cover the top. You can use the galvanized wire that you get for the fence to get reliable protection for the top side. This will prevent flying predators such as hawks from being able to swoop in and take a chicken. Most city ordinances do not allow roosters, which would protect your hens, so this is an excellent alternative.

Extend the Fence into the Ground

Some other predators that you have to watch out for are coyotes and foxes. Enclosing the area at the top will keep them from being able to get inside by climbing over. But, adding coyote rollers will prevent them from actually jumping on top of the fence and threatening your chickens from the outside. These animals are also known to dig, so it is best to have the fence installed under the ground to prevent digging.

Building a protective fence will help you have a positive experience with owning backyard chickens. For more information and ideas, talk with a fence contractor in your area, such as those at Absolute Fencing LLC.