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CHICKEN & DUCK PENS
Many of the points already covered in our Aviaries section also apply to our Chicken & Duck Pens and Runs. Your first decision will be whether to use wooden frames with a life expectancy of around 10 years or to spend a little extra and use aluminium frames lasting more than 20 years.
Wood frames are more forgiving and can easily be painted to fit into your surroundings, whereas aluminium is more “in your face” and shiny, and speaking frankly it does mark easily but it will outlive a wood version many times over and if you feel inclined you can always paint it with Hammerite if that suits you. Over the years I have leaned towards aluminum versions for one simple reason – they are low maintenance and rodent proof.
Your second decision will then be to choose the type of wire you want to use – ½” x ½” mesh made from 19 gauge galvanized wire will be your preferred choice to deter mice, rats and weasels or you could use
1” x ½” galvanized mesh again 19 gauge but keep in mind this will only keep out rats, and finally you may prefer 1” x 1” mesh but this does not give any protection from rodents. However if your floor is not wired and your pen does not have a roof then rodents will burrow in so 1” wire is probably the way to go.
Also the chicken run door needs some thought as it is the “weak link in the chain” if rodents are going to get in anywhere it is here! They can often squeeze through the gaps in door frames so I always build a “rat run panel” into the bottom of my door frames to make it harder for them.
I always try to fit a 1 metre x 600mm door in my aviaries and pens irrespective of the enclosure height in order to alleviate these issues, but that is only my personal choice and you may feel you want something different and it is your design and you are the customer!
Don’t forget that our pens also work well for keeping ducks and even aviaries work well for the small teal species.
We offer a series of standard size panels and doors made from wood or aluminium and these can be seen on our “Standard panels” page but bear in mind every aviary is hand made so if you want special sizes feel free to discuss this with us.
A WORLD OF POSSIBILITIES
When we open our minds to what is possible we can often get encouragement from the aviaries of other fanciers and collections and here we can see where an aviary is being used to house waterfowl and ducks in an environment as close to nature as the designers could produce. We are only limited by our imagination.
OPEN OR ENCLOSED THE CHOICE IS YOURS.
ADD A SPLASH OF COLOUR
Our pens can easily be painted to enhance your environment.
USING OUR STANDARD FRAMES AND DOORS YOU CAN DESIGN YOUR OWN ENCLOSURES
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