Can I electrify a welded wire fence?

[Dwayne Bard Rock Johnson]

Hi, so last year I had a weasel that devastated my flock. I'm looking to up the protection for the survivors, and the next generation.

I already have a welded wire fence (2" x 4") that runs the length of my run. It goes 2' down and 6' above ground, and above that going to ~14' is plastic deer netting. I'm wondering if it's possible to electrify the welded wire fence, and then install a switch on the outside that I can turn on and off when I want to enter. I figure it will zap the birds, but they'll learn quick to stay away. I'm just hoping it will deter any weasels that want to come in.

Power isn't a problem, I already have my run electrified. I just don't see this sort of setup describe much, so I'm assuming that there are reasons why it's not practical. Please share if I'm missing something. Thanks.

 

[Ridgerunner]

For electricity to deter a predator, that predator has to close the circuit between the positive and negative charges. If the positive and negative touch it is shorted out and will not work. That's why you often see the hot wires on insulators. It is fairly common for the welded wire fence and the soil itself to be the ground with hot wires on insulators strategically positioned.

The problem with weasels is that they are so small and can get through really small openings. I do not know how to position a hot wire where they would be sure to touch the hot wire and a ground at the same time. If the hot wire is close enough to the ground to stop a weasel it is likely to be shorted out. Grass or weeds growing up will short it out if they are wet.

I have not tried this but one thought is to put a small wire mesh apron the weasel cannot get through around the run. Bend that apron so it also goes up the welded wire fence a foot or more. Firmly attach that apron to the welded wire fence so it is also grounded. Then put a hot wire at the top of the apron so close a weasel cannot get through without touching both.

Good luck with it.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Ditto on what Ridgerunner posted. You already have the welded wire grounded out so current fed into a barrier would have to be insulated from the existing welded wire.

What you could do, not saying you should do, is to mount six feet of welded wire say 2" away from the existing welded wire using plastic stand offs/insulators like PVC pipe. it would have to be held up off the ground as well. Make that wire your hot side and when the weasel tried to crawl through it would ground out on the original fence.

Wouldn't you be better off, cheaper, safer and more effective if you just wrapped the entire run in hardware cloth? Even electric fences can fail during dry spells, hardware cloth would be cheaper, no power needed, and far more likely to protect your flock.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Hi, so last year I had a weasel that devastated my flock. I'm looking to up the protection for the survivors, and the next generation.

I already have a welded wire fence (2" x 4") that runs the length of my run. It goes 2' down and 6' above ground, and above that going to ~14' is plastic deer netting. I'm wondering if it's possible to electrify the welded wire fence, and then install a switch on the outside that I can turn on and off when I want to enter. I figure it will zap the birds, but they'll learn quick to stay away. I'm just hoping it will deter any weasels that want to come in.

Power isn't a problem, I already have my run electrified. I just don't see this sort of setup describe much, so I'm assuming that there are reasons why it's not practical. Please share if I'm missing something. Thanks.

Short answer: no.

You can't electrify something that's in the ground. Look up at the wires going across telephone piles. See those big glass globes holding the wires up? Those are insulators. They keep the electric wires from touching the wooden poles, right? Why? Because if the wires touched the poles, the electricity wouldn't keep traveling through the wires to their destination - namely, to your tv, computer, fridge or toaster. The electricity would go straight down the pole into the ground. Can't have that. The insulators keep that from happening, and sending the power on its merry way.

So if you hook up an electric fencer to your welded wire fence, the electricity will go straight down into the ground instead of where you want it to go - into Brer Fox or Brer Coyote, when he touches the fence, right?

So what you need is an electric wire and a whole bunch of little plastic insulators. Those insulators have to keep the electric wire, or electric fence, from touching your welded wire fence. You need at least (IMO) three strands of electric fencing along your welded wire fencing. One at Brer Fox's chest height, one at his nose height, and one at his paw height if he was to stand up and put his paws up on the fence. The welded wire can SUPPORT the electric wire, but your electric fence can't actually touch it. Just like the power line is supported by the power poles, but can't touch them. Make sense?

Okay, now what some people do is actually tempt the carnivore to sniff, taste or touch the fence. This teaches said predator that the fence bites and will get 'em if they get too close to the chickens. So they may put little gobs of peanut butter on the fence. Or tiny bits of bacon. But be careful with the bacon, be sure it doesn't touch your welded wire fence - or it will short out your electric fence, rendering it worthless.

Any questions?

Get a fencer that pulses, not one with a steady current. If bears are a problem, get one designed to knock the socks off a horse. Otherwise you probably don't need one that strong.

Follow the instructions that come with the fencer. You'll probably need a ground rod. A length of rebar will do. And you'll probably need a plastic bucket for housing the fencing unit so it isn't exposed to the elements. Screw it to a fencepost and install the unit inside it.

Good luck and have fun.

 

[Dwayne Bard Rock Johnson]

Ditto on what Ridgerunner posted. You already have the welded wire grounded out so current fed into a barrier would have to be insulated from the existing welded wire.

What you could do, not saying you should do, is to mount six feet of welded wire say 2" away from the existing welded wire using plastic stand offs/insulators like PVC pipe. it would have to be held up off the ground as well. Make that wire your hot side and when the weasel tried to crawl through it would ground out on the original fence.

Wouldn't you be better off, cheaper, safer and more effective if you just wrapped the entire run in hardware cloth? Even electric fences can fail during dry spells, hardware cloth would be cheaper, no power needed, and far more likely to protect your flock.

Thanks. But, wouldn't the weasel be able to climb over the hardware cloth unless I stretched it up the full height of the fence? I had thought about this, but it seemed like it could just go over.

 

[Dwayne Bard Rock Johnson]

Short answer: no.

You can't electrify something that's in the ground. Look up at the wires going across telephone piles. See those big glass globes holding the wires up? Those are insulators. They keep the electric wires from touching the wooden poles, right? Why? Because if the wires touched the poles, the electricity wouldn't keep traveling through the wires to their destination - namely, to your tv, computer, fridge or toaster. The electricity would go straight down the pole into the ground. Can't have that. The insulators keep that from happening, and sending the power on its merry way.

So if you hook up an electric fencer to your welded wire fence, the electricity will go straight down into the ground instead of where you want it to go - into Brer Fox or Brer Coyote, when he touches the fence, right?

So what you need is an electric wire and a whole bunch of little plastic insulators. Those insulators have to keep the electric wire, or electric fence, from touching your welded wire fence. You need at least (IMO) three strands of electric fencing along your welded wire fencing. One at Brer Fox's chest height, one at his nose height, and one at his paw height if he was to stand up and put his paws up on the fence. The welded wire can SUPPORT the electric wire, but your electric fence can't actually touch it. Just like the power line is supported by the power poles, but can't touch them. Make sense?

Okay, now what some people do is actually tempt the carnivore to sniff, taste or touch the fence. This teaches said predator that the fence bites and will get 'em if they get too close to the chickens. So they may put little gobs of peanut butter on the fence. Or tiny bits of bacon. But be careful with the bacon, be sure it doesn't touch your welded wire fence - or it will short out your electric fence, rendering it worthless.

Any questions?

Get a fencer that pulses, not one with a steady current. If bears are a problem, get one designed to knock the socks off a horse. Otherwise you probably don't need one that strong.

Follow the instructions that come with the fencer. You'll probably need a ground rod. A length of rebar will do. And you'll probably need a plastic bucket for housing the fencing unit so it isn't exposed to the elements. Screw it to a fencepost and install the unit inside it.

Good luck and have fun.

Thanks. Yeah, I guess I didn't really understand how the electric fence worked.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Thanks. But, wouldn't the weasel be able to climb over the hardware cloth unless I stretched it up the full height of the fence? I had thought about this, but it seemed like it could just go over.

It can climb over the hardware cloth and get through if there is even a small hole. What I was talking about was using the hardware cloth to stop it from going under the fence and get the hot wire high enough above the soil, bedding, or anything else so the hot wire does not get accidentally grounded. Then install an insulated hot wire positioned so any weasel trying to climb over has to touch the hot wire and ground at the same time, completing the circuit and getting shocked.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Thanks. But, wouldn't the weasel be able to climb over the hardware cloth unless I stretched it up the full height of the fence? I had thought about this, but it seemed like it could just go over.

Yes, you would need complete coverage. I'd say no opening less than the diameter of a quarter. You could run an electric wire at the top to stop climbing. Any trees nearby that it could use to jump into the run?