Electric fence wire around chicken coop

[Jbugner23]

Has anyone used an electric wire around their chicken coop?

We are building our coop and run now and we have many predators where we live. We live in northern Minnesota, and just recently we have had a 350-400lb black bear come to our front porch twice in search of bird seed. We take all our feeders in at night and we haven't seen him in a week. We also have tons of weasels and minks because we see their scat all over our property. We have gotten a wolf and coyote a few times on our trail cam as well. And we see foxes hunting in our tall grassed wetland area and see tracks all over our property too.

So in that case we have been told by our many family members to put an electric wire around the fence, especially for the bear because he will rip and crash into anything, the doors, wood, wire fence etc.

We are not free ranging our chickens and will have their run enclosed with hardware cloth, we plan on putting it into the ground as well. The coop is an old tac room attached to our barn and the walls, floor and ceiling is all plywood.

Just wondering if the electric wire would be safe for our chickens? Ive heard stories on where chickens get shocked from the fence and die.

Suggestions?

 

[Willowspirit]

Has anyone used an electric wire around their chicken coop?

We are building our coop and run now and we have many predators where we live. We live in northern Minnesota, and just recently we have had a 350-400lb black bear come to our front porch twice in search of bird seed. We take all our feeders in at night and we haven't seen him in a week. We also have tons of weasels and minks because we see their scat all over our property. We have gotten a wolf and coyote a few times on our trail cam as well. And we see foxes hunting in our tall grassed wetland area and see tracks all over our property too.

So in that case we have been told by our many family members to put an electric wire around the fence, especially for the bear because he will rip and crash into anything, the doors, wood, wire fence etc.

We are not free ranging our chickens and will have their run enclosed with hardware cloth, we plan on putting it into the ground as well. The coop is an old tac room attached to our barn and the walls, floor and ceiling is all plywood.

Just wondering if the electric wire would be safe for our chickens? Ive heard stories on where chickens get shocked from the fence and die.

Suggestions?

Or the bear will tear off your hardware cloth and snack on your birds. Yes you might risk a bird getting shocked but really electricity is the best way to keep bears out.

 

[jthornton]

Sounds like you live where there is a lot of bears, I'd contact the local conservation department and see if they have advice on keeping bears out of your chicken coop. I've read that for some bears no less than 240vac with lots of amps behind it will keep them out of a building.

As for the smaller predators I have a 5' chain link fence with 3 hot wires and the fence is also the ground so a very good ground.

If I lived where you do I think my chickens and me would have to live in a concrete bunker! or at least a log cabin with bear proof windows and doors.

You should put your location in your profile.

JT

 

[lutherpug]

Has anyone used an electric wire around their chicken coop?

We are building our coop and run now and we have many predators where we live. We live in northern Minnesota, and just recently we have had a 350-400lb black bear come to our front porch twice in search of bird seed. We take all our feeders in at night and we haven't seen him in a week. We also have tons of weasels and minks because we see their scat all over our property. We have gotten a wolf and coyote a few times on our trail cam as well. And we see foxes hunting in our tall grassed wetland area and see tracks all over our property too.

So in that case we have been told by our many family members to put an electric wire around the fence, especially for the bear because he will rip and crash into anything, the doors, wood, wire fence etc.

We are not free ranging our chickens and will have their run enclosed with hardware cloth, we plan on putting it into the ground as well. The coop is an old tac room attached to our barn and the walls, floor and ceiling is all plywood.

Just wondering if the electric wire would be safe for our chickens? Ive heard stories on where chickens get shocked from the fence and die.

Suggestions?

If you are not free ranging your chickens and have your run enclosed in HW cloth, how would the chickens come in contact with the fence? The electricity would be on the outside. FWIW, I've used poultry netting around my coop and run but am swapping out tomorrow for a 4 strand polywire fence. Just make sure you get an appropriately sized energizer if you're fending off bears.

 

[aart]

So in that case we have been told by our many family members to put an electric wire around the fence, especially for the bear because he will rip and crash into anything, the doors, wood, wire fence etc.

Yep, make sure it's hot!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/a-treatise-on-electric-fences-for-poultry.72229/