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In the Dirt

Willow Chicken Run

by admin May 22, 2014
written by admin May 22, 2014
Willow Chicken Run

Trying to dissuade my guilt for not letting my chickens out as much as they would like, I wanted to add a chicken run to my coop.  So in true Ivie fashion, I put the cart before the horse and cut a hole into my coop, and built a run out of cattle panels and t-posts.

*

The ultimate goal was to create a living fence with willows woven through the cattle panels, but I didn’t have the time immediately so I put orange construction mesh around until I did.  For the next two months, I chased three of my chickens (leghorns of course!) out of my uncovered garden.  I replanted several times as they decimated my seedlings!

*Finally, we took the whole family on a willow cutting adventure and I was ready to create my fence.  Two months of thinking about the effort it would take to contain and maintain a living willow fence, changed my mind about the living part.  Instead I wove the willows sideways only, not placing any of the ends into the dirt.  Willows have a natural rooting hormone (indolebutyric acid IBA).  You can cut them down and place them in damp dirt, and they will sprout new roots and start to grow. There is even a method of extracting this rooting hormone for use on other plants.   There are many fun pictures of living fences people have taken the time to cultivate.  I love the look, but, having many children, endless projects, and little time, I cheated.

*

I started with the cattle panels, and wove willow branches through the wire to hide it.  I was quite pleased with the results, and it only took an afternoon.  Willows are quite easy to work with, and even though mine sat for a month before I took time to weave them, they still worked fine.

*

I was however, furious the next morning at 8:00 to find that two chickens had made their way out!  How had they done that?  I thought I had made it tall enough, but I watched in disbelief as one flew right over the fence!

*

So…until I find something that looks a little more “earthy” to match the look of the willow, I took chicken wire and wired it on top.  It isn’t my favorite solution, but the chickens have been successfully contained for nearly a week!

 

ChickensFarmingSelf Sufficiency
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Jayme

A mom and wife living my life and sharing it with you.

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