Distance necessary between trees and run?

[juliect]

I am expanding my chickens' run and there are two pecan trees at the back of the property near the new fence's end. I have heard of raccoons being able to "jump" from tree trunks in order to gain height necessary to make it over high fences. How far should I keep the fence from the trees to prevent any possums or raccoons from using the trees to gain access into the run?

It will be 72" high welded wire with poultry netting on top, there will be three strands of electric wire at bottom, middle, and top on the outside to provide some tingle to any potential predators...so I am mostly concerned with raccoons leaping onto poultry netting and it not supporting their weight.

 

[Bizzybirdy]

I put sheet metal or aluminum roofing sheets sideways around the lower trunks of trees that I think a racoon will climb to get chickens roosting in them or that they will try to climb to get access to my pens. Works great. You can attach the ends to each other with small bolts so you don't have to nail them into the trees.

Seems like you have it pretty predator proof already. Neat!

 

[gsim]

Most important is to have no low limbs convenient to help what you described. Also as suggested, a sheet metal barrier. Also important is to bond the fence to the ground lead of the charger output even tho you have it grounded via a ground rod. Will make for a stronger jolt to climbers even after their feet have left the ground. Will be just as hot to them as if they were standing on the ground, even tho they are entirely on the fence.

 

[juliect]

Ohhhh...good idea! I have some extra sheet metal laying around that I almost threw out last week. Yay, for my pack-rat ways!

And the tweaking of the electrc fence is great idea too. "Will make for a stronger jolt to climbers even after their feet have left the ground. Will be just as hot to them as if they were standing on the ground, even tho they are entirely on the fence." gives me a Wiley Coyote mental image