Electric fencing, do you really need it vs non electric fencing

[MHALL1379]

The best way you can keep predators out other than a dog is to enclose an area. YOU can make the area as big as you want, but we dug a trench a few inches deep anywhere we were going to sink the chicken wire into the ground. Then, we put rocks of good size (6" or larger) around the whole perimeter inside AND outside. That made it really difficult for predators who like to dig. We built a 1 x 2 frame that was quite wide and quite long, and on the top we double-layered chicken wire fencing, which we clipped sections of in various places all over the top pieces and twisted together to form our own "barbed wire" effect. Hawks and owls grabbed it and lost feathers but were not seriously injured, but severely deterred from trying again to get into the pen from the top. We never lost a single chicken, in fact, the man who sold us ours, (we were supposed to get 18 instead of twelve, but he decided to keep the rest) said he should have just given us all the chickens we were supposed to have gotten, because his were killed by predators, and our coop and run/play areas were like Fort Knox. LOL. Plus, the people who have spoken above are right, chickens once they are used to their coop area, generally come to it at night with no issues, providing you have kept them there long enough at the beginning. And it is good to let them free range for a while during the day, you will notice a HUGE drop in any bug issues, including ticks and mosquitoes!

 

[MikThundercloud]

In East TN.... Not sure if this is helpful, but I am trying to keep feral cats and a few loose dogs clear of my yard, both for the wife's birds and also the wild birds. Regular wire fencing seems good for dogs and most larger predators, but cats and hawks don't really care. I use Cayenne Pepper for the cats, they HATE it, and the trees and scrub should minimize the hawks and crows.

Not a fan of the electric fencing. It seems too expensive and prone to failures. If you need to move the fencing often then It might be helpful...

 

[trainman]

I live in a very rural area in NW Arkansas. I have a fenced in chicken pen to keep them close at times when I need that but generally they free range on my 20 acre place. They rarely go more than 250-200 feet from the coop and pen though and always come home for feed and laying eggs. I have lost a few over the years from raccoons, eagles, hawks, owls and neighbor dogs but I just consider that my price for having these great tasting, healthy, happy birds.

I bought an electric fence from one of the larger companies to keep the girls out of the garden. It was a total disappointment for me. First it was advertised as a poultry fence and mentioned chickens and all the photos showed chickens. Then when I opened the box a small pamphlet dropped out and stated it wasn't recommended for chickens! HUH? Well, it wasn't very good at keeping them out of the garden and wasn't very reliable. One thing not mentioned was all grass and weeds need to be removed constantly from around the base of the fence or it shorts out.

Personally I will not buy another electric fence for anything.

 

[candlearo12]

I want my chickens to free range behind their coop which is wooded. I've been thinking about this for years and this is the year Im going to do something about it. So, do you all think regular fencing like the Premiere one No Shock Hen pen fence will work good enough if I only let my chickens out during the day and they are cooped in a secure run and coop at night? I would go for it and spend the big bucks to get the regular premiere one electric poultry netting but my area is rocky and full of trees, stumps and sapling. So my concern is it would constantly short out from the bottom part of the fence coming into contact with saplings and ferns etc. Also, I must admit Im a bit intimidated by the set up and use of the electric fence. Also its pretty heavily wooded so I don't think a solar powered energizer would work. Do they have other options? I do have electricity in my coop and I want to run the fence right off the coop. Ill upload a pic of my property so all you experts can let me know which option would work for me. Help me get this project done, its been on my mind for at least two years! Thanks so much.

Threats will not only come from the ground with fox, coyotes, etc... but in Woodland area you need to think of hawks and others predatory birds. They have netting you can buy to cover areas and they would need other covered safety to run to. I live in the southern Rockies in New Mexico and I have my dog who is a great Pyrenees/lab/shepherd mix and she watches over my girls but they also have covered areas. They free range on my property but the wide open pasture only when im out there. Hawks circle over, ive had them land in my backyard multiple times and get run off by myself or my dog. Take as many precautions as possible. Get a dog like a Pyrenees raised around livestock and chickens. They are an amazing and protective breed.

 

[Cheery]

I want my chickens to free range behind their coop which is wooded. I've been thinking about this for years and this is the year Im going to do something about it. So, do you all think regular fencing like the Premiere one No Shock Hen pen fence will work good enough if I only let my chickens out during the day and they are cooped in a secure run and coop at night? I would go for it and spend the big bucks to get the regular premiere one electric poultry netting but my area is rocky and full of trees, stumps and sapling. So my concern is it would constantly short out from the bottom part of the fence coming into contact with saplings and ferns etc. Also, I must admit Im a bit intimidated by the set up and use of the electric fence. Also its pretty heavily wooded so I don't think a solar powered energizer would work. Do they have other options? I do have electricity in my coop and I want to run the fence right off the coop. Ill upload a pic of my property so all you experts can let me know which option would work for me. Help me get this project done, its been on my mind for at least two years! Thanks so much.

 

[marylou442]

My adult birds free range through woods and fields with no barriers whatsoever snd they put themselves to bed each night in a secure coop. I then just shut the door and release them again in the morning. In 3years of this practice, i have only lost 1 bird (adult 12lb rooster) in broad daylight, middle of the day. We have plenty of predators from fox and coyote to Bobcats and bears, so lack of predators is not the cause of my success.
I give credit to my dog. He has no clue he's doing it but his presence alone and scent has kept the predators from roaming through our yard until after sunset when the chickens are safe in their coop. We did not have him when the rooster was taken.

That being said, its a risk. Are you willing to take it and accept the possibility of losing a bird or two or all of them?
If you choose to electrify or not, if you are building a large open top enclosure, search some other threads here. Some great responses to this question were provided.
To me, its not worth the expense of the fence. The dog and myself are around during the day and they are secured at night. So despite the high variety and population of predators, I am not concerned. Your lifestyle may be different and allow for more isolation and opportunity for predation.

 

[marylou442]

My adult birds free range through woods and fields with no barriers whatsoever snd they put themselves to bed each night in a secure coop. I then just shut the door and release them again in the morning. In 3years of this practice, i have only lost 1 bird (adult 12lb rooster) in broad daylight, middle of the day. We have plenty of predators from fox and coyote to Bobcats and bears, so lack of predators is not the cause of my success.
I give credit to my dog. He has no clue he's doing it but his presence alone and scent has kept the predators from roaming through our yard until after sunset when the chickens are safe in their coop. We did not have him when the rooster was taken.

 

[marylou442]

My adult birds free range through woods and fields with no barriers whatsoever snd they put themselves to bed each night in a secure coop. I then just shut the door and release them again in the morning. In 3years of this practice, i have only lost 1 bird (adult 12lb rooster) in broad daylight, middle of the day. We have plenty of predators from fox and coyote to Bobcats and bears, so lack of predators is not the cause of my success.
I give credit to my dog. He has no clue he's doing it but his presence alone and scent has kept the predators from roaming through our yard until after sunset when the chickens are safe in their coop. We did not have him when the rooster was taken.

I live on a mountain at 8500 feet. We have bobcats, mountain lions, bears, etc. I too would like to free range. Could you please tell me what breed of dog you have to protect your flock? My husband just bought an Australian Shepard/ American Shepard mix. Would she be a good dog to protect my flock and how would I train her to do that? I also have a 4 year old Rooster and a 1 year old Rooster that is currently in a separate cage because he attacks my older Rooster and is very hard on my 23 hens. Thank you. Mount Lemmon Mary Lou

 

[Lynn Woehrle]

Fences are great but if they do not have a covered top you may have problems with hawks, eagles or owls. We have them all here and they've taken three of our hens. We bring them out of the chicken house and long covered run when we are outside with them. Our first Border Collie protected our chickens (also our Anatolians) but I haven't been successful in teaching our five other dogs to look up and see the hawks.

 

[Lynn Woehrle]

I live on a mountain at 8500 feet. We have bobcats, mountain lions, bears, etc. I too would like to free range. Could you please tell me what breed of dog you have to protect your flock? My husband just bought an Australian Shepard/ American Shepard mix. Would she be a good dog to protect my flock and how would I train her to do that? I also have a 4 year old Rooster and a 1 year old Rooster that is currently in a separate cage because he attacks my older Rooster and is very hard on my 23 hens. Thank you. Mount Lemmon Mary Lou

Anatolian Shepherds, Great Pyrenees, Akbash Dog , Tibetan Mastiff and other guard dogs usually instinctively know how to guard your critters. You do need to be an alpha owner. Your Aussie mix should also be a good guard. Just have him/her around the chickens all the time and show your love for the chickens and most dogs who grow up with the chickens won't hurt them. Don't let the dog playfully chase them or do other things that can turn into a chase.