Backyard Poultry Forum

Thanks for the info!! Much appreciated. My wire came from an ex council compound so I don't know what strength it is,not strong enough obviously!I will investigate the mesh thanks so much

Just wanted to pass on some interesting advice I read in an old rural journal from mid 1800's regarding how to prevent goannas raiding the hen house.
It seems it is a very old problem indeed!

The journal writer gives dimensions for a good sized hen house as being 4yards square & 2 yards high with walls constructed of hardwood fence palings spaced not more than 3/8th inch apart & 'well screwed' to the framing. So I assume that means 2 screws across the width of each paling instead of just 1 nail at each fixing point.
The hen house frame should be constructed of round hardwood fence posts in the corners with sawn hardwood wall framing clad with the fence palings. Because the goanna can warp the palings he says to have at least 2 rows of noggins between the top & bottom plates. The concrete strip footing would be set in the ground a minimum of 20inches deep & protruding above ground 12 inches for the palings to sit firmly on which will also hold the hen house litter. (Here I have to comment & say I have seen similar concrete footings that also had an extra ridge cast into the shape of the top of the strip footing that the wall cladding butted hard against so it couldn't be pushed inwards.)
The door to the hen house should also be made of the same paling construction with the strip footing passing across the opening so that the door closes tightly onto the concrete strip. I assume he means you would have to step over that footing the enter & leave the hen house.
The palings should go right to the corrugated iron roofing.
Regarding daily management of the hens, he suggests not letting them out until all have laid, then collecting the eggs when the hens are let out.
He says if possible not to bother too much with a run for them unless it is not possible to allow them free ranging as in if dingoes were about. He says brushwood is good for an extended fence to contain the hens. This is easy to repair when goannas get through it.
He talks about the management being key to whether the goannas have success or not.
Not letting the hens out until after lunch & collecting the eggs at that time, then bringing the hens in well before roosting time with an evening meal that they will completely consume so as not to leave any residue for vermin or goannas during the night.
He advises to give a 'hearty' early morning feed that will also be completely consumed before they are let out again so there is nothing to attract the goanna.
He says "the beast will give up once it realizes there is no longer any food for it".
Regarding the raising of chickens (because everyone had to raise their own chickens in those days, he says to build a new run completely enclosed with palings around the sides & over the roof of the run with the same house construction as for the laying hens. This chicken run should be 2yards wide x 6yards long with one end of 2yards being the enclosed house part again with a fully closable door.
The clucky hen is kept permanently in this run until the chickens are of age. I guess that means old enough to go in with the flock. Having the whole run encased in fence palings including over the roof means the hen & chicks can have some run space but the goanna can't get to that section at all. I've seen runs of this construction & the roof palings were placed on the diagonal rather than running straight across the top of the run. That would create some strength & bracing I assume.
It would have been rather a large investment to fully enclose a run with fence palings for the raising of chicks so that run is much smaller.

Anyway honkcheep I hope this might give you more ideas as to how to deal with your visitor.

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ClissaT

going through the process of getting organic certification for my property but horse & chook worming throwing a big spanner in the works

Favourite saying: Madness is doing the same thing over & over, but expecting a different result! -Einstein

Thank you!I will definitely look into this info or just give up my chooks........never!

An ongoing problem here. To date I've countered it by capturing & locating them far away.
I use an old Sulo bin into which I dump a small rotting carcase & lean the bin against a tree near the henhouse for easy access by the goanna. They climb in but can't get back out. Them simply close & secure the lid before taking it for a long drive.

I wish I'd thought of that.
We had a problem 2m goanna recently that we had to move. We used a sulo bin, but wrestled it in there using a lasso made out of a 3m length of polypipe and some 8mm rope, a shame we didn't have a 3rd person to video it, it was quite a battle.
Your method sounds way easier

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John