Dogs and Electric Fences

[Chullicken]

I've been doing a lot of research on the subject as I'm really interested in pasturing versus building enclosed runs. My issue is that along with my common breeds, I also have some Landraces..which a 10' electro anything will not keep the LR on the ground. Really the point of this fencing in my opinion for pasturing. Covering a considerable area with bird netting is neither convenient or easy as the idea itself is supposed to be minimal. My question is, has anyone addressed this issue with birds that are not your common feathered, egg laying bowling balls such as Icelandic's? Awesome artical and a lot of great insight so far in the post.

 

[Howard E]

Another I'd be curious about would be guinea hens.

My birds are the standard layers. The way mine were trained was with a single wire, which I then doubled. That was enough to keep the birds in, but I found I needed a third and later forth wire to keep our little escape artist house dog in. That also keeps the predators out. The birds generally stepped on it to get shocked. Once shocked they approach the wire line, but never cross it.

Not sure how well it would work for the more flighty birds. The protected area, however, would remain intact as a place for the birds to escape back to. Mine have not been outside the wire in over a year. However, when being trained, and they found themselves on the outside, it was no problem for them to raise up over, or punch back through. They would do it when pushed. Easy to get back in, but very reluctant to go out.

It also helps that I have lots of room for them to roam around inside the wire, so they are not forced out looking for something green to eat or dirt to scratch in.

Try it an let us know how it works.

 

[Abriana]

Check and make sure it is grounded good. I dont think I could shoot a dog, shock the crap out of him......yes.

I would probably use B.B. gun to just scare him off, but if he kept coming back...

 

[ocap]

I set up a nine wire system with the bottom five charged then a ground, positive, ground, positive.

I have had two birds killed in 18 months, I think it was a tiny predator, maybe skunk. I have watched a coyote run at the guineas and stop just before touching the fence.

Here is a web site where I got all my ideas:
http://www.zarebasystems.com/learning-center/animal-selector/coyotes-wolves

bottom wire about four inches from the dirt.

 

[alibabba]

As per BYC's worst predator survey, dogs are one of the most serious predators of chickens. We see posts on this topic almost daily. Most responses run towards the SSS (shoot, shovel and shut up) solution, with sentiments leaning towards killing the dogs. I can appreciate the sentiment, but my problem with that is it generally happens after the fact. My preference is to get ahead of the issue and do things to avoid the need to whack my neighbors dog in the first place. BTW, this is not a new issue. The phrase "a dog is a man's best friend" was coined during a civil case revolving around the shooting of a neighbor's dog. The case of "Old Drum". Circa 1869.

https://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/education/olddrum/StoryofBurdenvHornsby

I might be BYC's biggest advocate of using electric fences. My experience with them goes back decades, but only recently have I adapted them to use for protecting my birds. In my experience, they work and work well. My neighbor's dog made a play for the birds early on, hit the fence, let out a yelp and has never been back. That is my solution to dealing with the neighbor's dogs. No shooting, no shoveling and no shouting. Quite, peaceful enjoyment......and all my birds are still alive.

So here is how I did it. A four wire fence, bottom wire 5 inches or so off the deck. Remaining wires staggered about 5 inches or so off the deck. Top wire no more than 20 inches or so high. Most adults can simply step over it.

View attachment 1202918

Dogs (and other predators like foxes and coyotes) encounter this and try to crawl under or through it and get themselves zapped in the process. As in serious, high voltage pain. 7,000 volts plus. That will deter almost any of them.

Reaction is like this:

There are many variations on this theme, from using wire or the white poly tape fence or rope.....or electric poultry netting. I have found my wire to be easiest to maintain, but all will work.

Again, my experience is this is a safe and effective way to open up yard space to allow the birds freedom to roam about, yet lift the burden and worry of the predator threat. I've lost track of the number of dogs I've seen running loose in the yard, yet to date, I've never lost any birds to them. I chalk up nearly 100% of that success to the fence shown above.

What I would like to see with this thread is testimonials from other growers. Those using also using fences to protect your birds. How you have them setup (pictures please!), and success or failures using them.

Nope... I am byc's biggest electric fence fan. Lol.
I sleep well... As do you!
Honestly, sorry folks, Get very frustrated with the same day in, day out, "What killed my chickens?" and "What should I do?"
It doesn't matter what it was, and I have told ya 10 times.

Sorry. Tough subject.

I do 2 strands. 4 in and about 18 in. Have not lost a bird in electrified pen. Nor has anyone I know that uses electric.
Cheap, easy, no brainier.
Glad YOU posted this!

 

[alibabba]

Check and make sure it is grounded good. I dont think I could shoot a dog, shock the crap out of him......yes.

Do you have a tester?
My dumb chickens knock connectors off all the time, sounds it out. If wire is touching pen, tree, leaves, weeds, etc, grounds it out.
Always get low readings in the rain, but my local preds are trained... Those chickens bite!

 

[alibabba]

• On Hawks... Couple strands of string, yarn, fishing line zig zagged across the pen keeps them out. Doesn't have to be a tight weave or anything.
• A few inches of 1 inch net at the bottom will keep persistent Hawks on the ground (and weasels) out. The green plastic stuff.

 

[texsuze]

We're fortunate enough to be on acreage. One of my 3 acre horse pastures comes off the north side of my barn. No-climb horse fence (5') with hot tape along the top. My "barnyard" is an extension of that pasture--same fencing, same hot tape, with a second strand of tape attached to the fence about 7-8" up from the ground on the outside. I use a charger that plugs into an outlet in the barn.

Chooks have free range of barn pasture, barnyard, and barn itself during the day and are secured in two smaller runs w/coops at night. I've attached a field fence ("2x4") apron around the bottom of the entire barnyard, which averages maybe 16" wide, laying on the ground and usually held in place with big rocks On the bottom edge of my pasture and barnyard gates, as well as on the automatic driveway gate I attached a field fence 'sweep' to keep critters from scooting underneath. It requires diligence to keep the bunny and armadillo holes either filled in or closed with additional field fence on both fenced spaces, since the barn pasture is probably only 20% "apron-ized" so far--on my "to do" list this weekend. So far so good for about 3 years now.

The no-climb fence was expensive to have installed. The line poles, gate posts, and corner braces are metal poles. The remainder are t-posts, all of which required a compressor thingy to set into our unforgiving soils. The gates are square tube frames with 2x4 cattle panel overlays (probably overkill). But the barnyard fence not only keeps my chooks in and provides a big space for them, but it keeps cattle out of the barn area when they're on the property, and actually keeps the deer out, too. We've got good perimeter fencing around the ranch, but if ever a stray dog were to get on the place, I doubt he'd make it over the fence, what with height and hot tape combined.

 

[Folly's place]

My farm fencing is all 2"x4" woven wire, with hot rope or tape on top, from 4.5' to 5.5' high overall. It's great for horses and cattle, but deer hop over it easily!
Yours is fantastic!
Mary

 

[flappychicken]

lol my farm has two chicken house...

Yeah we used to free range but then 50% of our hens were killed and 100% of our roosters were killed all by one dog. So we stopped free ranging and now... our chickening is going down hill. This helped a lot I will look into using all of this info!

TAKE THAT DOGS!!!