- Jun 14, 2009
- 1,735
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- 161
I use electric wire to protect my chickens.
30'X20' run, 1" chicken wire, chicken wire by itself is not heavey enough to stop a determined predator. I use a weed burning fence charger and I keep 3 wires charged. 4", 9" and 1 around the top. Living in S. La I would find it hard to believe anywhere else has more of a weed problem, but I keep my fence clean with minimal problem. Herbicide and hoe they take their turns. Chickens don't/can't eat the herbicide treated growth if it's outside the wire, spray carefully, on a day when the wind isn't blowing. Once you get a good kill and the ground is clean, it only takes a few minutes per week to keep it that way with the hoe. When the grass startes growing thick again, I hit it with the herbicide again.
Digging predators? It has been my experience that before they try digging in and expending work energy, they will nose up to the wire, to give it a try. You got to figure the predator is looking for the easy way in, a digger just don't see the wire, and start digging, he follows the wire around. Noses along the perimeter looking for a gap, no gap, he digs. Well my strategy works, because while he is nosing around that wire, checking and exploring for a way in, it is impossible for him to not touch the hot wire. And believe me, when he touches that wire, he will only touch it once. He will not stick around to figure out how to dig in. It hurts, he will haul boogie.
Same way with jumping predators. Coyotes can jump over a 5'- 6' fence. But they don't walk up there and figure jump in, jumping expends energy, why jump if you might be able to walk in. So he will nose around the perimeter. Nose say hello to hot wire!
The fence is never off, always on 24/7/365, always on guard. I check it daily with a tester, when I feed the chickens. I have checked it without a tester, all I can say is you do not want to hit that hot wire, when wearing a damp pair of tennis shoes. Maybe a very large heavily haired predator like a bear or a sasquatch could take a hit from the wire, thier hair protecting them. But a dog, cat, bobcat, possum, coon, or mink ain't going to make it in.
Grass fire. Never had my weed burner start a grass fire, but here in S. La. with the moisture and humidity, grass fires would only be a hazard maybe 2 days a year.
By the way. I also protect the chickens in the tractor with the same fence charger. I have a 500' spool of insulated 14ga. wire, alligator clamps on each end. Hook one end to the + on the charger and the other end to hot wire installed on the tractor. I can move the tractor anywhere within a 500' radius of the fence charger on the run and it keeps the "force field". I have actually seen a stray dog hit the wire on the tractor, it is not an understatement to say he left a whole lot faster than he showed up.
I also have a solar powered pulsing fence charger to use if the electricty goes out, but it is not nearly as strong as the weed burner.
30'X20' run, 1" chicken wire, chicken wire by itself is not heavey enough to stop a determined predator. I use a weed burning fence charger and I keep 3 wires charged. 4", 9" and 1 around the top. Living in S. La I would find it hard to believe anywhere else has more of a weed problem, but I keep my fence clean with minimal problem. Herbicide and hoe they take their turns. Chickens don't/can't eat the herbicide treated growth if it's outside the wire, spray carefully, on a day when the wind isn't blowing. Once you get a good kill and the ground is clean, it only takes a few minutes per week to keep it that way with the hoe. When the grass startes growing thick again, I hit it with the herbicide again.
Digging predators? It has been my experience that before they try digging in and expending work energy, they will nose up to the wire, to give it a try. You got to figure the predator is looking for the easy way in, a digger just don't see the wire, and start digging, he follows the wire around. Noses along the perimeter looking for a gap, no gap, he digs. Well my strategy works, because while he is nosing around that wire, checking and exploring for a way in, it is impossible for him to not touch the hot wire. And believe me, when he touches that wire, he will only touch it once. He will not stick around to figure out how to dig in. It hurts, he will haul boogie.
Same way with jumping predators. Coyotes can jump over a 5'- 6' fence. But they don't walk up there and figure jump in, jumping expends energy, why jump if you might be able to walk in. So he will nose around the perimeter. Nose say hello to hot wire!
The fence is never off, always on 24/7/365, always on guard. I check it daily with a tester, when I feed the chickens. I have checked it without a tester, all I can say is you do not want to hit that hot wire, when wearing a damp pair of tennis shoes. Maybe a very large heavily haired predator like a bear or a sasquatch could take a hit from the wire, thier hair protecting them. But a dog, cat, bobcat, possum, coon, or mink ain't going to make it in.
Grass fire. Never had my weed burner start a grass fire, but here in S. La. with the moisture and humidity, grass fires would only be a hazard maybe 2 days a year.
By the way. I also protect the chickens in the tractor with the same fence charger. I have a 500' spool of insulated 14ga. wire, alligator clamps on each end. Hook one end to the + on the charger and the other end to hot wire installed on the tractor. I can move the tractor anywhere within a 500' radius of the fence charger on the run and it keeps the "force field". I have actually seen a stray dog hit the wire on the tractor, it is not an understatement to say he left a whole lot faster than he showed up.
I also have a solar powered pulsing fence charger to use if the electricty goes out, but it is not nearly as strong as the weed burner.
