Electric Fence?

[teira]

Spring is coming, and that means predators are out and about looking for a bite to eat. We free range our chickens, and our property is huge and most of it is hilly. We've had a fox snatch all of our ducks one by one and watched one grab one of our Rhode Island Red pullets in broad daylight. Last year we managed to survive with no attacks but I have a gut feeling that something will come wandering its way over this year, so I was planning on buying an electric fence to set up when all the snow clears.

https://www.premier1supplies.com/p/permanet-plus-48-inch-starter-kit?cat_id=160
^ This one in particular, since I was worried about sagging and being placed on a slope.

Anyone have good experience with with this fence or electric fences in general, am I better off with their regular poultry fence or the perma one, or is there another brand that would more suitable? Any input would be great, thank you.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I consider Premiere1 an excellent company for this. I got the 164' mobile type and later got another 50' to make it bigger. I had zero land-based predator predator problems after I got mine but did lose on to a hawk an another to an owl. It works great for land-based animals.

There are issues though. If it gets shorted out it will not shock the predator. Grass and weeds can grow around it and short it out. With the lighter portable one it isn't too that hard to take it down and move it so yo can mow but it is a lot easier with two people. I don't know how hard that heavier one will be to move. You can't use a weed-eater, they would shred the netting. You can spray round-up around it to keep the weeds and grass down but those weeds and grass are a big problem.

If you get a heavy washing rain, dead leaves or other trash can pile up next to the netting. If it is wet, that will short it out. Whether that is a problem or not will depend on what you have for the rain to wash against it.

Depending on chicken density the chickens may keep all green stuff eaten down inside the netting but they may not. If your number of chickens is small enough they will eat the good stuff but not the stuff they do not like. I had to mow inside mine three or four times a year to knock back the bad stuff and let the good stuff go.

That netting does not work when snow is on the ground.

You can call Premiere1 and chat with them. I did and found them quite helpful.