Electric fence?

[Spitzboyz]

Hello, I am re-entering the chicken world and in discovery of how I want to build my run I found some suggestions to use electric fence around the perimeter of my run. Does anyone have any experience with a similar setup? Has anyone seen the effectiveness or lack of it in effect? Does the electric fence really deter common predators like dogs, foxes, racoons, possums and others? Will it harm or kill my chickens? Thank you for any help! I appreciate it.

 

[azelgin]

I've had good luck using electric fence to protect my run, as have others.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/867134/is-a-50mile-2-joule-output-fence-controller-too-much

I ran three strands around my runs, at 6", 18" and 36" above the ground. I know it works on dogs. My wiener dog was thinking about checking out the chickens, got nailed and didn't stop until he got to Mexico (well, almost).
I run a charger, with an digital volt meter. Voltage is somewhere between 15000~20000 volts. The reading depends on the weather. High humidity and the voltage drops, as the charge is dissipated into the air. At the same time, the more humid the air, the better charge the predator (or, wiener dog) receives.

 

[JackE]

I use electrified poultry net, from Premier. I have over 600' of it surrounding my "Run". And yes, it works. Any predator noses into that fence, they forget all about chicken dinner. Check out the link below.

http://www.premier1supplies.com/fencing.php?mode=detail&fence_id=93

 

[Ridgerunner]

Fencing and netting are different systems and you can have a few variations of each of them. The basics are about the same though.

Does electricity work? Yes, against any predator that comes into contact with it. It does not help with flying predators but it does help with about anything else. Still, snakes and some things can get through.

Will it harm your chickens? No. Their feathers insulate them, but if they touch it with their wattles or comb, they will get hit. You can tell when that happens. They jump back, fly up, and squawk.

If set up right you have very high voltage but low amperage. The current is not steady but it pulses. That way the animal can turn loose and get away without getting killed. If it were a steady current instead of a pulse it would fry the animal.

I have had things get stuck in contact with my electric netting, a snapping turtle and a possum. They were tangled in the fence and would jerk at every pulse. It paralyzed them. I managed to get the snapping turtle free and left it. When I came back it had crawled off. With the possum, well the current is not what killed it directly.

Baby chicks can walk through the netting. Their down protects them. Adult chickens can get through fencing. Don’t count on the electric fencing keeping the chickens in. It’s designed to keep things out, not chickens in. The netting has its flaws with baby chicks. That’s part of why I keep my chicks in a grow-out pen until they are about 8 weeks old. After that, they’re too big to get through the electric netting.

Many things could jump the electric netting or fencing if they wished. That doesn’t really happen very often. Most predators will come up and touch the fence before jumping. When they get shocked, they leave. Someone even spreads peanut butter on the fencing to encourage predators to lick it. Once something gets shocked they generally stay away.

One issue you have with this type of system is that grass and weeds can and will grow up and short the fence out, especially if it is wet from dew or rain. Weed eaters and lawn mowers are death to electric netting. I don’t have fence so I’m not sure how that works with weed eaters but I suspect it is a real pain. I use Round-up around my netting to stop the grass and weeds from growing up. Otherwise I have to move it often and mow to keep it from shorting out.

Before I got the electric netting people would abandon dogs out here. I lost several chickens a few times. I’d probably lose on average less than one a year to a fox, but dogs were the problem. I’ve had netting for 2-1/2 years. People still drop dogs off but I haven’t lost any chickens since to dogs or a fox. An owl did get one this past winter.

 

[patnbrandi]

What abt animals crawling underneath the fencing? I am trying to decide run vs electric netting and need some feedback..

 

[Ridgerunner]

I use netting, not wire. Azelgin can give you an answer from experience, but that is the purpose of having the lower wire 6" off the ground. That will stop most things from crawling under.

A common method is to build a woven wire fence to keep the chickens in and create an additional barrier to slow things down. When they stop to examine that barrier they mess with the fence and get shocked. If they try to climb over...ZAP! If they try to dig under ...ZAP! While many things could just jump over the fence it they wanted to, they tend to stop and examine that barrier. When they do they get zapped and just leave rather quickly.

It's such a joy when you hear that stray dog yelp and leave, never to return. it's not hurt but it is gone.

 

[azelgin]

I use netting, not wire. Azelgin can give you an answer from experience, but that is the purpose of having the lower wire 6" off the ground. That will stop most things from crawling under.

It's such a joy when you hear that stray dog yelp and leave, never to return. it's not hurt but it is gone.

Our soil (loose use of the term) Is as hard as concrete. Should something decide to try and dig under (they better bring a backhoe), they will contact the lower hotwire. Most predators use scent, to locate their food. All the dogs, that have been zapped by the fence, have sniffed the wire as they were checking out the tempting chicken smells.. I would guess the coyotes have done the same. My reasoning behind the wires placed at 18" and 36", is that should something decide to climb the run fencing, there's no way to avoid getting past the upper wires, without contacting both the hotwire, and grounded run wire.
I have personally seen a bobcat checking out the chicken run. Cats locate prey by sight and sound. A cat might not hit the low wire, as it would not necessarily be sniffing, and would have it's target locked in it's visual senses. I know this cat must have experienced the shock of the electric wire. Whether it was from the low wire, or, it decided to climb the run and found the upper wires, I'll never know, as it never got in and the run wire was not damaged.
Skunks get nailed regularly. Easy to tell when a skunk has meet something that it doesn't like.
We have skunks, foxes, raccoons, coatimundi, ringtail cats, coyotes, bears and mountain lions around here. I've seen all of them within 200 yards of my home.

 

[patnbrandi]

My main problem are coyote, raccoon and oppossum. But it sounds like the electrified netting would be worth a try! Thank you!

 

[johnderosa1]

My main problem are coyote, raccoon and oppossum. But it sounds like the electrified netting would be worth a try! Thank you!

a properly installed electric fence will keep all potential predators and other critters away. I have two strands attached to my deer fence and nothing gets through it not even squirrels. My charger is predator rated and it really hurts if its fully charged . There is nothing more satisfying watching an animal "find" the fence . I 've been woken from a dead sleep by a coyote that hit the wire... I could hear it yelping as it ran off in the opposite direction. I 've heard a raccoon hit it and by the found of the reaction it wasnt ever going to test it again. I watched a squirrel learn how to "fly " after hitting one of the strands... I think the real proof is how the local squirrels react around my bird feeder. They just hop around the perimeter of the fence without even looking at the feeders at all. Its like the feeders arent even there . Its amazing. They stay about 15-20 ft away from the fence and never get closer. I have the fence around the perimeter of my yard not around the run.

 

[bugflipper]

On the question of will it kill poultry? Yes it will if they bite it. I have never lost a chicken but did lose a goose. He was mean anyways. I assume he got zapped and it made him mad so he bit it. He was stuck to it when found. I have seen banties shocked and they run away so it is safe in that regard.

An electric fence is highly effective against predation. It can deter virtually any animal up to bear. Doesn't work on owls or hawks though.