Electric net fence injured chicken!!!

[ecogirl2206]

Hi everyone. After a long day of hard work I was excited to have moved the coop to my orchard/ apiary and install premiers electric "perma net" which is advertised for chickens. It is not yet electrified, but I wanted to see how the 8 chickens liked their 500 SQ feet of grass one chicken flew/ jumped over the net, one under it ..but no harm and they jumped back in so after a couple hours watching i went inside. Yes, i realize now that was stupid, i should have realized the danger. I come out no more 15 mins later find one hanging lifeless halfway down net caught by foot. I released her and she's alive...limping so I need to see tomorrow if it was just sore or broken.... Long story short, i read a lot of rave reviews about this fence here and elsewhere but I don't see how it will work/ be safe. Especially if electrified she would be getting shocked while caught in net!!! Now I feel like i should take it all down, just too dangerous. Thoughts? Experiences? It was not cheap and now I'm just feeling terrible I did this to my bird....

 

[Folly's place]

Talk to Premier tomorrow for advice, and to express your concerns.
It's best to have electric fencing 'hot' all the time, so everyone respects it rather than trying it out.
They don't respect it because it's not on.
Talk to Premier!
Mary

 

[azygous]

Don't beat yourself up over this. The learning curve with chickens is pretty much an ongoing education for us all.

I don't have electric netting, but I do have electric hot wire surrounding my coops and run. When a chicken touches the hot wire, they get a shock and they don't ever touch it again.

I doubt your chicken would have gotten tangled up in the netting had the charge been activated. Probably a lot of us would have made the same mistake. These poultry electric net fences are designed as much to keep chickens in as they are to keep predators out. In order for them to do what they're designed to do, the current must be turned on.

I think you'll find that this was a single freak accident. Tomorrow turn the current on and stick around to watch your chickens. You will probably see one or two peck at the netting and turn around very quickly and go the opposite way.

 

[Fishkeeper]

Better an injury from a net than a death from a predator that could have been thwarted by it.

 

[Folly's place]

Horses are notorious for finding creative ways to injure/ kill themselves. Chickens can do the same things sometimes, at least mine can.
Mary

 

[Redhead Rae]

Horses are notorious for finding creative ways to injure/ kill themselves. Chickens can do the same things sometimes, at least mine can.
Mary

I've had a plastic dish pan kill a half grown chick.

 

[lazy gardener]

Electronet is more dangerous when it's not charged. And it must be kept tight. If it sags, there is a real risk to the animals.

 

[ecogirl2206]

Ok thanks for advice everyone. I'll need to wait until next weekend when i can be out watching them to try it again, with it ON, and see what happens. I just hope another doesn't test it while it's on and I'm not watching! Im thinking maybe i could leave it on just at night for predator protection and build another fence inside the electric net for the hens...

Also, i was supposed to have all pullets, but half look like roosters...and they're just starting to do the fly/ jump at each other thing so that's not helping I think ! ( Abt 10 wks old)

 

[ecogirl2206]

Regarding sagging...oddly I noted the bottom of the net seemed saggy while the top was pretty tight....I read reinforcing posts needed at corners but non conductive...what do u guys use? I had metal t posts but I guess that's out bc will conduct.....?

Also directions didn't say how far from house to put grounding rod. Is 5 feet ok or does it need to be far away?

 

[Folly's place]

Have your fence on 24/7! There's really no 'safe' time when your birds can be out there. Dogs and foxes come around during the day, and that's what that electronet is for.
Mary