I'm gonna jump in and say I loved my electric fence netting. I lastly used it to keep the big girls away from the young ones. The grass is always greener and the baby food is so much better than what they have. I first got it when we lived in town and had a small flock kept there (before we were ready to build our home on the farm). It wasn't to keep the chickens in though. I NEEDED it to keep the neighbors dogs out. I also used it for my parrots when they were out on the deck as those same dogs were really insistent about getting a bird. The neighbors didn't quite understand that it was not OK for their dogs to be roaming where they pleased. One of our chicken neighbors had her whole flock killed in just a few minutes. The dogs were covered in blood and feathers and yet they claimed the dogs had never left their yard. We both bought electric netting and I swear I can still hear the yipping. Stupid dog got all tangled up in it somehow. After that both our fences got cut to shreds over night. Gee let me guess. Anyway we bought new ones and just had to move them in every night. That's when I developed a problem. They get really tangled up if you are constantly moving them. If you don't have to move them often they are wonderful! If you are moving them everyday they are just more trouble then they are worth. I moved the chickens out to the farm, got the house sold, got our home built and now I can once again watch their silly little antics while sipping my coffee in the house. Some of those old girls will come all the way up to the house just to see if I will toss them something. What's funny is when they sit outside the back door and I'm behind them in the gardens.
I've seen livestock guard dogs be just awesome with their charges, and if you choose to go that route it does work. The only thing to keep in mind is that NO situation is perfect, and NO housing or fencing is predator proof. We lost one young chicken to a cat that someone dropped off thinking we needed one. It eventually made it's way up to my neighbors house and has not come back out. Losses do happen and over time you learn what works for you and what doesn't. We put up a sign every spring that reads PLEASE KEEP YOU PETS LEASHED AS OUR BIRDS WILL AND DO KILL AND EAT THEM. I'm sure it upsets some people, but we haven't had a no longer wanted animal dumped off here since we first posted it. Neither has my neighbor down the road that also used to have them dumped there all the time. Of course our chickens have made their way down in that direction, and the sign is halfway between us for that purpose. We had one person stop and ask us about it. I showed her Carmelita, a Dark Cornish. Dark Cornishes are mean looking birds and are always walking around as if they are stalking prey. They look so fierce that I think it put the fear of God into her. She stopped walking her dog down the railroad tracks by my neighbor. My neighbor and I sit and giggle about that sometimes while we pet Carmelita or one of her sisters. They are some of the gentlest chickens we have.
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I've seen livestock guard dogs be just awesome with their charges, and if you choose to go that route it does work. The only thing to keep in mind is that NO situation is perfect, and NO housing or fencing is predator proof. We lost one young chicken to a cat that someone dropped off thinking we needed one. It eventually made it's way up to my neighbors house and has not come back out. Losses do happen and over time you learn what works for you and what doesn't. We put up a sign every spring that reads PLEASE KEEP YOU PETS LEASHED AS OUR BIRDS WILL AND DO KILL AND EAT THEM. I'm sure it upsets some people, but we haven't had a no longer wanted animal dumped off here since we first posted it. Neither has my neighbor down the road that also used to have them dumped there all the time. Of course our chickens have made their way down in that direction, and the sign is halfway between us for that purpose. We had one person stop and ask us about it. I showed her Carmelita, a Dark Cornish. Dark Cornishes are mean looking birds and are always walking around as if they are stalking prey. They look so fierce that I think it put the fear of God into her. She stopped walking her dog down the railroad tracks by my neighbor. My neighbor and I sit and giggle about that sometimes while we pet Carmelita or one of her sisters. They are some of the gentlest chickens we have.
edited by staff
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