Bears

[Tulips08]

Not sure if this should go here or in the coop design section...

Anyway, where I live, we have bears. Lots of bears. And they're hungry. My coop/run is right up against my deck and thus far we have not had a bear visitor (I think my large dog helps deter them), but my neighbors have had the bears knocking down their fences, taking bird feeders, walking on their decks, etc. I assume it's only a matter of time. I take in the chicken feed every night and it's stored inside my house. I'm thinking I need to add some electric fencing around my chicken area to keep the bears out. There is about a 3" space between the deck and the run fencing. The bottom of the deck is 3' off the ground. I can run an extension cord from my house easily, but most of what I'm seeing requires a boat battery. What should I buy? I basically need a shopping list and instructions because I have watched so many YouTube videos and read so many articles and I still can't figure it out. Also, I have kids so I need it to be SAFE. I have attached a picture.

 

[itsasmallfarm]

i camp and have some land up in bear country, just going to say that is not going to hold a black bear back.

we use a very hot solar fence. on our garden and camp. and i use at least 5 wire strands

 

[Folly's place]

Talk to the Premier1supplies people, and your local DNR, and make sure that it's legal to have electric fencing where you live.
Electric plug-in fence chargers are less expensive, and can be more powerful, than the solar or battery units, and you are right at your house for that. Toddlers could be a problem with a hot fence, but everyone else will try it once, and never again!
You can attach several strands of rope or wire through offset insulators on your steel posts, and then bait the fence to train predators (not only bears!) to respect it.
Nothing else will keep visiting bears away.
If you have yard fencing, adding electric out there would be another way to do it.
Mary