anti-dig, hot wires, or both?

[DickMidnight]

just set all the fence posts for a 50’x50’ enclosure behind my current coop and totally enclosed run.

the chickens will have access to the 2500sqft area from late morning until dusk via a door that i’m gonna frame out from their current run.

the fencing is 1” hex wiring and is 8ft tall. i’m planning on either surrounding the enclosure in hot wiring, putting a 2ft anti dig apron around it plus 2ft up the walls, or doing both.

will both be overkill? will either be enough on its own?

thanks.

 

[DobieLover]

I enclosed 1/3 acre in electrified poultry netting. It does not have an apron as the majority of the diggers are going to do that at night. I have an apron on the coop/run combo.
I would just add the hot wires around the fence.

 

[DickMidnight]

I enclosed 1/3 acre in electrified poultry netting. It does not have an apron as the majority of the diggers are going to do that at night. I have an apron on the coop/run combo.
I would just add the hot wires around the fence.

from your description it sounds like you use your 1/3 acre the same way i’m gonna use this enclosure. we plan on letting the birds out late morning, after we collect eggs, and closing the run door at dusk.

the coop/run is surrounded by hardware cloth buried 3ft deep in a trench

 

[Aunt Angus]

I enclosed 1/3 acre in electrified poultry netting. It does not have an apron as the majority of the diggers are going to do that at night. I have an apron on the coop/run combo.
I would just add the hot wires around the fence.

This is what I was thinking of doing. Have you had any issues with predators, @DobieLover? Electric netting would be a lot easier than setting posts here because my land is rather uneven/hilly. We use netting for both our birds and our goats.

 

[Aunt Angus]

just set all the fence posts for a 50’x50’ enclosure behind my current coop and totally enclosed run.

the chickens will have access to the 2500sqft area from late morning until dusk via a door that i’m gonna frame out from their current run.

the fencing is 1” hex wiring and is 8ft tall. i’m planning on either surrounding the enclosure in hot wiring, putting a 2ft anti dig apron around it plus 2ft up the walls, or doing both.

will both be overkill? will either be enough on its own?

thanks.

50' x50' is fantastic!!! I'm jealous! What kinds of predators do you have?

 

[DickMidnight]

@Aunt Angus @DobieLover is there a difference between poultry netting and hot wires?

my yard is really uneven as well, with rocky soil. driving the 3’ ground sleeves in for my fence posts was an absolute nightmare

 

[DickMidnight]

50' x50' is fantastic!!! I'm jealous! What kinds of predators do you have?

coyotes, foxes, raccoons, and hawks.

i’m not too worried about the hawks. the enclosure is too heavily treed to allow them to swoop (we have red tails here)

im more interested in keeping the four-legged critters out

 

[Aunt Angus]

Netting is a literal net that has electrified wires woven through it. It has step in posts - so much easier than digging post holes!

 

[DickMidnight]

Netting is a literal net that has electrified wires woven through it. It has step in posts - so much easier than digging post holes!

can it deliver the same punch as hot wires? if a coyote comes around i want it to never come back.

 

[DobieLover]

can it deliver the same punch as hot wires? if a coyote comes around i want it to never come back.

Mine keeps away the local black bear momma. And the neighbors rotten German Shepherd dogs. I power it with a 10,000 volt charger with a 1.2 Joule output.