Electric welded wire fence

[Ridgerunner]

Yes, their feathers or down in chicks do insulate them. I use electric netting. Until they get too big to fit through the holes chicks walk through with no shocks. If their beaks or feet touch the hot wire and the ground both at the same time they will get a shock but generally they don't. The adults get a shock when they peck at grass growing in the electric netting and their beaks, combs, or wattles touch a hot wire. They jump back, squawk. and go about their business. They do learn to not peck at that grass so maybe yours have learned to duck down and go under the hot wire.

An acre probably means about 800 feet of fencing. Your best solution may be to put wire mesh around the bottom of the fence to stop them from going under that bottom hot wire but that's a lot of fence. With goats I don't think I'd try plastic netting.

Yeah, I was overthinking the rain thing. I have experienced dead leaves and trash building up against the netting and shorting it out. Sometimes it is wind but the worst is when I get a heavy rain and water causes that. I use a rake to clear it.

 

[Gary Kenyon]

Using electrified poultry netting, like Premier1 or FarmTek sells, would be MUCH easier.

Traditional welded wire is not meant to be electrified. You would have to figure out how to mount it so that it is insulated from the posts AND not touching the ground anywhere. Also, it has too many wires and too much "resistance". A successful electric fence is a lot like a river... the power needs to "flow" uninterrupted. Mesh has too many intersections to allow the power to flow.

I kept my chickens out of my flower beds using 2 strands of smooth wire, one at 3" and a second above it at 5". This was mounted on 18" rebar driven into the ground, spaced about every 8'. The chickens had to step over it, and every single one of them contacted it trying to step over, and never ever tried again. Your solution may be to change the spacing of your current fencing so they cannot step thru easily, ensuring they make contact on a leg or comb.

Thank you for your response. I have looked at the chicken netting you are talking about and I am worried about longevity. All of the netting I have been able to find is advertised at "temporary" and I am looking to fence in my entire farm (a little over 80 acres) then separate it into sections for rotational grazing. I am concerned that using temporary fencing will result in me rebuilding the same section over and over instead of gradually working my way around the entire farm.

As far as the resistance issue goes. I agree that what you said makes sense, however; based on the information I received at a fencing seminar I recently attended it doesn't work that way. Please bear with me while I try to explain. According to the speaker, if you run a single wire 1 mile, your fence charger "sees" that as one mile it needs to charge. If you run 4 wires that same mile and connect them all at one end, your charger "sees" 4 miles. That all makes sense mathematically and is what I have always understood to be true. However; if you run those 4 wires for a mile and attach them to each other at BOTH ends, the fence charger "sees" 1/4 mile. That blew my mind. His explanation makes sense though. He said that electricity runs in the surface of the wire, not the inside. That is why bigger wire has less resistance (more surface area). He said that because of that, when all of the wires are connected on BOTH ends, there is 4 times as much surface area, thus 1/4 the amount of resistance.

That being said, one would think that welded wire fencing would have significantly more surface area, thus creating less resistance. It seems to make sense, but I am unsure of how all those vertical wires will impact the overall scheme of things.

 

[Gary Kenyon]

Yes, their feathers or down in chicks do insulate them. I use electric netting. Until they get too big to fit through the holes chicks walk through with no shocks. If their beaks or feet touch the hot wire and the ground both at the same time they will get a shock but generally they don't. The adults get a shock when they peck at grass growing in the electric netting and their beaks, combs, or wattles touch a hot wire. They jump back, squawk. and go about their business. They do learn to not peck at that grass so maybe yours have learned to duck down and go under the hot wire.

An acre probably means about 800 feet of fencing. Your best solution may be to put wire mesh around the bottom of the fence to stop them from going under that bottom hot wire but that's a lot of fence. With goats I don't think I'd try plastic netting.

Yeah, I was overthinking the rain thing. I have experienced dead leaves and trash building up against the netting and shorting it out. Sometimes it is wind but the worst is when I get a heavy rain and water causes that. I use a rake to clear it.

I don't have any delusions of keeping my chickens flawlessly contained. These ladies have learned what their wings do and often fly up to perch on the automatic deer feeder I use for feeding them throughout the day (about 8 feet off the ground). I could clip their wings, but would prefer to allow them the freedom to roost in trees and such as they see fit, if possible. I am hoping that by making it a bit less convenient for them to wander out of their home they will only do it when there is an urgent reason (like a predator breaching my defense somehow).

I have seen the netting advertised for goats and chickens, but am concerned about how long they will last.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I agree netting doesn't make sense for your situation.

 

[123RedBeard]

While a lot of work ... get a roll or two of 2"X4" 4'-5' tall welded wire fencing, cut into about 12" tall "strips" ... secure to current fence posts, on opposite side that electric wire is on, pin to ground between posts ... this will stop chickens, and other critters from going under bottom wire.

Here is an article about electicfing (sp?) welded cattle panels ... https://kencove.com/fence/76_Bear+Fence_resource.php

 

[Gary Kenyon]

While a lot of work ... get a roll or two of 2"X4" 4'-5' tall welded wire fencing, cut into about 12" tall "strips" ... secure to current fence posts, on opposite side that electric wire is on, pin to ground between posts ... this will stop chickens, and other critters from going under bottom wire.

Here is an article about electicfing (sp?) welded cattle panels ... https://kencove.com/fence/76_Bear+Fence_resource.php

Thank you. That article was very informative. Kinda makes me think I am not crazy for thinking this should work. I agree that adding a small section of paneling around the bottom would help, however, I currently only have a little over an acre fenced in. I intend to fence in the entire 80+ acres, then fence it off until I to sections. If I can find a solution that covers all aspects of my needs and only requires one type of fence, that would be optimal.