Electric fence questions

[MsCannaBass]

What's the easiest, cheapest way to make an electric fence to go around a chicken coop?
How effective are electric fences?
I have a bunch of free roaming peafowl will they be in danger if theres an electric fence around a coop that they walk around & sometimes sit on top of?
I'm attempting to ward off bobcats, mountain lions, foxes & raccoons.

 

[gtaus]

Are you sure you even need an electric fence? Do the bobcats and mountain lions hunt during the day? The predators I am concerned about are nocturnal, so I built a Fort Knox chicken coop and lock up my chickens every evening before it gets dark. In the daytime, I have my chickens in a 2X4 welded wire fenced in chicken run with bird netting on top. So far, the neighbors' cats and dogs have not gotten into the run during the daytime, and my night time predators have not been able to break into the locked coop.

Having said that, I doubt anything I could put up in the coop would stop a hungry mountain lion or bear from tearing it all apart.

 

[hayley3]

Electric fences are great if set up effectively. How big is the coop? Are you just protecting the coop or are you making them a yard around the coop?

 

[BDutch]

Foxes and hawks are a danger during the day. But happy and healthy fowl also need space.

For me its a balancing between space and safe confinement.

Dont know about electric fencing. I put strong netting on top. This works for me in combination with free ranging when at home. No casualties in 5 years.

 

[centrarchid]

The pea fowl and predators will quickly learn not to mess with the fence. For me, electric fencing prices out a lot less that alternative fencing types that alone will not stop any body except a lazy fox.

Follow this link and see fence for weaning. The weaning setup has three strands of hot wire where bottom is too high to zap raccoons. I would make so you have five or six strands with lowest about 6" above ground.

http://extension.missouri.edu/ozark/documents/2014_Grazing_School/FencingForGrazingSystems.pdf
Another link doing a better job of detailing a fence.
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs144p2_010636.pdf
Pea fowl are prone to fly up and beyond a typical fencing setup rendering them useless. You can either keep them in by wing clipping or use a heavy duty aviary netting to cover the run. See an example of aviary netting with this link.

http://www.westcoastnetting.com/netting-products/commercial/bird-netting.html

 

[Building Bridges]

What's the easiest, cheapest way to make an electric fence to go around a chicken coop?
How effective are electric fences?
I have a bunch of free roaming peafowl will they be in danger if theres an electric fence around a coop that they walk around & sometimes sit on top of?
I'm attempting to ward off bobcats, mountain lions, foxes & raccoons.

Thanks for posting this....I'm looking forward to reading the responses.

 

[hayley3]

I have a new setup and would like to set up a run using electric fence that will keep out a fox/coyote/dog but not sure that's possible. If I put the strands low, then they can just jump up over it. How many strands are effective is my worry?

 

[centrarchid]

I have a new setup and would like to set up a run using electric fence that will keep out a fox/coyote/dog but not sure that's possible. If I put the strands low, then they can just jump up over it. How many strands are effective is my worry?

In my setting with three strands / wires at 9" intervals with lowest at about 6", Red Foxes are not jumping, nor are dogs that are not mine. Coyotes and Bobcats surely capable but not trying because repelled by other means.

 

[hayley3]

Good to know! What other means are the coyotes repelled by.
I'm more worried about foxes and dogs since they are daytime predators. My chickens are locked up tight at night.

 

[NHMountainMan]

Electric fence is the most cost effective way to secure a large area. They aren't fool proof - but they are highly effective. Do read the links posted above by @centrarchid .

While many of the larger predators are dusk to dawn hunters, they are also a threat during the day - particularly in suburban areas that have encroached into rural / wilderness areas. Predators sole goal is to take in the most calories as possible, with the lowest caloric burn - they learn to go for he easiest meal. But they also learn to avoid risk and / injury. Bears, wolves, Mt Lions and packs of coyotes could easily kill most any dog - but not without risk of injury and alerting others. So it's rare that you hear of it happening.

Electric fences are psychological barriers - not physical barriers. In order to work, the predator needs to learn pain (and in some cases, the animal within the fence needs to learn the same.

I know nothing about peafowl - so can't really help with how to keep them in - hopefully someone else will jump in. But I am in a constant battle with black bear - not for my chickens, but for my beehives. In order for me to win this battle - I needed to train the bear to touch the fence. I use bacon, some use peanut butter. The goal is to get the bear to touch the fence with his nose, lips or tongue. Bear are very smart - smart enough to know to avoid the pain once inflicted. It also worked on my own dogs - who couldn't resist the bacon either. I imagine it wold work on other dogs too- but as I have no neighbors, it's not been a problem.

We don't have Mt Lion, so no advice there. We do have bobcat - and I do know that a neighboring farm lost chickens to a cat that learned to jump their fence during broad daylight. Maybe someone has an idea about how to ward off big cats.

If you have any pictures of your coop and run area, someone with more technical skills than I will likely offer very specific ideas on how to best guard your flocks.

Good luck.