A couple brief questions about electric fencing

[cupman]

I posted this similar topic the other day but I think this may be a more appropriate section for this kind of question...

I am building a large run, maybe 800 square feet and above that run we have some trees, they drop a ton of leaves every year and covering the run could present a problem. We looked at the trees and we are pretty certain a raccoon would have a near impossible time crawling over the meshed branches to drop into the run. So our main problem is raccoons, coyotes and hawks are not a real issue for us. So my questions:

1) How effective is electric fencing against raccoons?

2) What part of the fence should I run the electric fencing along.. top, middle, bottom? top and bottom? etc.

3) Is there a certain level of volts I need in the electric fencing or will pretty much any electric fencing work?

4) Any suggestions on which fencing to buy?

Thanks

 

[harveyhorses]

So you are not planning on covering your run? No owls? Hawks are always a threat and can fly very very fast through tiny places. I have to clean my top off twice a year.

I have three strands, about 4 or five inches out from the side of my run, first strand about 3-4 inches high, second about two feet up and then one around the perimter of the top, where my 'roof' starts. I am using an old battery powered charger that says good up to 3 miles.

 

[Clay Valley Farmer]

Properly installed an electric fence can be very effective against racoons.

To do it though you will need wires down to about 4" and up a couple feet plus on anthing they can access for climbing. Best set up use alternating strands of hot and grounded wire every few inches.

Fencers are sold with all sorts or ratings, some are very missleading, example 800 sqr feet is a very small area to protect as electric fencers go and logic would say a 1 acre unit would be plenty. However, such units are lacking in terms of the power needed to deter preditors. A 1 joule fencer rated in the several miles/20-30 acre range having 5000 volts plus on the wire is more what you will want to deter preditors.

plug in units are only good when the hydro is on, many small battery and lower cost solar units fall short in the zap department. A good sized 12 volt unit with car battery and trickel charger gives you 24/7 protection but there is a cost factor.

 

[7L Farm]

I have hot wire on one of my coops. Its OK but not 100% . You have to be worried about something falling on the wire grounding it out. My other coops are predator proof I use half inch hardware cloth only. I also put a two ft hardware cloth apron around the whole coop & run. I feel 100 % safe when I close the door every night.

 

[harveyhorses]

Quote:
Just curious, is your run covered?

 

[spiritdance]

As long as you keep it in good repair, it's great! On my large layer flock run, I have two wires down low, at 6" and 12", and one wire at the top of the run. I haven't had a problem with digging/climbing predators since. Of course, aerial attacks are still a risk, but I have lots of hidey holes out for the chickens to duck into. I just cut a hole in the side of a rubbermaid bin, a cat litter box, or the bottom of a 55 gallon drum and place them upside down in the run. When a chicken sings out the "incoming" song, chickens run from everywhere and scoot under these structures if they're too far from the coop. Over the last year I haven't lost any birds to hawks (knock on wood).

 

[MadChickensVT]

How do folks deal with low to the ground electric fencing and snow?

 

[7L Farm]

Quote:
Just curious, is your run covered?

Yes!!

 

[super rooster]

Nothing you cand do. You still need something else burriend in the ground like hardware cloth. The elec fence is just a extra backup. I wouldnt go with just electric by itself

 

[Clay Valley Farmer]

For snow you can have the lower wire disconectable so that it can be unhooked. Though it would leave you open to something going under the snow. As mentioned you do need some sort of other barrier so slow the preditor down enough it has to hit the hot wires, but that second fence does not need to be bomb proof. light gauge chicken wire with electric infront is pretty darn good on anything bigger than a weesle right up to a dog or bear.

As far as digging if the lower wire is held out 6 inches from some sort of other fence roughly 4" from the ground digging preditors get a zap before they get as close as they would want before digging.