Electric fence with chicks

[JesseK]

I have the poultry netting from Premier. I have one hen who is living in the coop now and has been shocked but gotten used to the fence and stays away from it. I'll be moving some 6 week chicks into the area next week. Should I be concerned about them getting scared and running through the fence since they're so little? The first time the hen got shocked she got scared and tried to fit through the fence and kept getting shocked...I felt so bad! I'm also concerned about the chicks getting stuck in it. Obviously I will monitor them when they are moved...but can't watch them every day. Has anyone had experience with moving chicks into an electrified netting area?

 

[Big A Chickens]

Does you netting serve as your only mean of confinement. I have found it common for chicks to attempt sticking their heads through fences and sometimes getting stuck which would not be a good idea if the fence is always live.

I have my electrical fencing running on the outside perimeter of my non charged fence to deter predators and keeping the chicks from getting shocked.

 

[JackE]

I also have the poultry fence from Premier. I found that younger birds will hop right through the netting. They didn't get shocked because they weren't in contact with the ground as they hopped through. I had to keep them confined in the coop until they got bigger.
Jack

 

[JesseK]

Thanks guys. Yes, I only have the netting. Jack, any chance you remember the age or size you let them out with the netting? I'm thinking I should go with my gut and wait a while longer. I don't think they would fit through the smaller bottom holes, but I'm nervous they might try and get stuck and end up like all the little toads I find.

 

[JackE]

Thanks guys. Yes, I only have the netting. Jack, any chance you remember the age or size you let them out with the netting? I'm thinking I should go with my gut and wait a while longer. I don't think they would fit through the smaller bottom holes, but I'm nervous they might try and get stuck and end up like all the little toads I find.

I believe they were around 6-7 wks old when I first let them out into the yard. We were watching them, to see how they got along with the older birds. A couple of them, out of eight, came up to the fence and just hopped through. They didn't go through the bottom holes, but it was a short hop to get to the slightly bigger holes in the fence. I kept them in the coop a couple of weeks more, and the next time out, we didn't have any problems. The real good news is I haven't had any chickens get hung up in the fence.
Jack