Electric fence opinions

[45lk9p459gm-w]

I would. My main concern is stray dogs during the day while the crew are out in the run. I have hot wires at 6 inches, 12 inches, and 24 inches measured from the ground. Works great so far.

The chickens USED to stick their heads way out through the fence (2 x 4 inch WW) but they don't now. They only stick them out just a little and they all watch how close they are to the bottom hot wire. I witnessed two of them hit the wire with their comb with no ill effects. They just let out a squawk, did a little break-dance, and backed off with a confused look on their pretty little face. Then went on with what chickens do best.


Edit - I do have the hot wires on 5 inch standoff insulators so they aren't right up against the fence.

 

[ladyhand]

I would. My main concern is stray dogs during the day while the crew are out in the run. I have hot wires at 6 inches, 12 inches, and 24 inches measured from the ground. Works great so far.

The chickens USED to stick their heads way out through the fence (2 x 4 inch WW) but they don't now. They only stick them out just a little and they all watch how close they are to the bottom hot wire. I witnessed two of them hit the wire with their comb with no ill effects. They just let out a squawk, did a little break-dance, and backed off with a confused look on their pretty little face. Then went on with what chickens do best.


Edit - I do have the hot wires on 5 inch standoff insulators so they aren't right up against the fence.

Which wire do you use?

 

[45lk9p459gm-w]

Which wire do you use?

The poly rope that has, I think, 3 or four wire conductors woven into it. It is yellow and black in color. I got it at TSC. It is really easy to put up.

 

[bgmathteach]

Feathers protect chickens but if one jump on the wire or touches it with any part of their body that doesn't have feathers ( comb or wattles) thats a different story.A bears fur protects it much the same way .Once a bear touches the wire with its nose or mouth and gets zapped it won't be back.

How do you train chickens to electric fence so they 'respect' electric netting? If they jump onto the fencing, they won't complete the ground and get zapped (?correct?). I tried 48" electronet last fall to make a separate pasture pen for my roosters (all grew up together....unfortunately, hatching your own gives you 50/50) until they were old enough for processing. While it 'sort of' worked by creating a visual barrier, I had some charge through and work their way out underneath (try enough times and their head eventually got under the bottom wire) and a few,despite clipping 1 set of wing feathers, could fly up and over. They didn't 'respect' the fence at all - rather I think those 3 thought of it as a challenge to get out.

Any thoughts/suggestions would be welcome, as Free Ranging isn't possible here due to way too much predator pressure, and I have a mobile coop I made, but need an easily moveable fence to make it usable. IF I can get the chickens to respect the netting, it is a perfect solution!

 

[45lk9p459gm-w]

Are you making sure that the bottom wire on the netting is clear of anything to short the current to ground. If you have grass and weeds touching the bottom of the netting, the current maybe reduced to a point that the birds don't notice it. Also feathers do make a good insulator for them.

I haven't used netting, but have wondered about its usefulness. Most of my pasture areas are bahia and it's impossible to keep it off the netting so I never messed with it.

You might try two strands of hot wire on "step in post" around an area. Bottom wire a little above the top of the grass and the second wire maybe 8 or 9 inches above that. Won't stop a bird from flapping over, but most will respect it. Since it is hard to see they don't recognize it as a barrier, just a spot that hurts. If it is isn't a barrier to them, its nothing for them to fly over either. It will also keep most if not all of your four footed predictors away.

 

[McChooky]

They work best for meat birds because they're heavy and lazy. Even the best Poultry fences are vulnerable to aerial predators and won't stop a hungry and determined digger. Birds can be trained in a small contained area first will learn to respect the fence but even trained birds will fly over a fence if they're frightened. In my opinion poultry netting is suitable if you are willing to accept losses using minimal protection otherwise don't use them.

 

[McChooky]

That charger will probably keep most predators away but not a bear unless it touched the wires with it's nose, lips or tongue. It's only rated at 7000 volts.

Yes it needs to be kept baited.

 

[bgmathteach]

They work best for meat birds because they're heavy and lazy. Even the best Poultry fences are vulnerable to aerial predators and won't stop a hungry and determined digger. Birds can be trained in a small contained area first will learn to respect the fence but even trained birds will fly over a fence if they're frightened. In my opinion poultry netting is suitable if you are willing to accept losses using minimal protection otherwise don't use them.

Thanks for the advise!

 

[bgmathteach]

Are you making sure that the bottom wire on the netting is clear of anything to short the current to ground. If you have grass and weeds touching the bottom of the netting, the current maybe reduced to a point that the birds don't notice it. Also feathers do make a good insulator for them.

I haven't used netting, but have wondered about its usefulness. Most of my pasture areas are bahia and it's impossible to keep it off the netting so I never messed with it.

You might try two strands of hot wire on "step in post" around an area. Bottom wire a little above the top of the grass and the second wire maybe 8 or 9 inches above that. Won't stop a bird from flapping over, but most will respect it. Since it is hard to see they don't recognize it as a barrier, just a spot that hurts. If it is isn't a barrier to them, its nothing for them to fly over either. It will also keep most if not all of your four footed predictors away.

Maybe I'll try a strand of hot wire in addition to the polynet...put one on the inside for the birds, too?

I was thinking of running a shade tarp from mobile coop to just outside netting, on separate stakes...that might help the 'flyovers', plus deter arial predators.

 

[45lk9p459gm-w]

Maybe I'll try a strand of hot wire in addition to the polynet...put one on the inside for the birds, too?

A wire that comes to about mid chicken and just inside the perimeter of the enclosure would probably work better than the hot wires in the poly.