It is not nessary to put up an electric fence to keep samll predators out of you chicken yard. Bear and mountain loin sure. Bobcat maybe, smaller there is no need. All of my chickens are free ranged with an electric fence (I have a bear problem) as well as a chicken wire fence. The chicken wire fence if put up right will keep 95% ++ of all the predators out. The trick is when you first pit up the chicken wire, leave about a foot of it on the ground forming a L shape to the outside. Cover this with dirt and you have it. Most predators will get in under a fence, but using this medthod it will dig until it reaches the wire then stop. They won't back up the foot to dig under. I go as far as tripling the lower section of fence because a weasle can crawl though the holes of chicken wire. My fences are 6 to 8 feet high. Now my main predator problem is from above. I give my chickens plenty of shade areas and things to hide under if aa eagle, owl or hawk comes around. yep, I live out in the woods. Actually the Sierra Foothills. I can't see a neighbor's house without binolulars. But I can watch the eagles fly over head and the bear cubs play on the mountain side. Don't spend the money for an electric fence unless you have a real problem (bear or mountain lion). Not only is it costly to put up, your electric bill will go out the roof.
