Electric Poultry Mesh?

[hcammack]

My PVC movable runs are not very secure and their have been allot of foxes and dogs running loose in my area lately. I have worked with electric mesh before for hens and it worked fairly well but that was in a large system with 100 layers. Does anyone have any experiance with it in a smaller system say 15 layers? I have a coop and will be installing wheels next week. Where would I buys poultry mesh? I need my run to be movable. Does this type of netting keep the hens in as well?

Thanks,
Henry

 

[patandchickens]

I prefer www.premier1supplies.com ; www.kencove.com also sells an electric poultry mesh. No matter where you get it, it ain't cheap.

If you are charging just 1 run of the fence it may be cheaper to use a charger bought elsewhere but CONSULT THE ELECTRONET MANUFACTURER for advice on what charger will suit. They require a *lot* stronger charger than an equivalent length of 'normal' electric fence.

Like any fence, it keeps in all the hens that don't feel like flying over it, and won't do a thing about any that do take a whim to fly over. Not much you can do about that. Also obviously it does not help vs hawks. I think you would still want to keep the hens in their moveable PVC runs, just put the electromesh around the outside of that (at some distance, ideally) to keep dogs/foxes/coyotes off the pvc runs.

The grass needs to be kept REALLY REALLY short under the fence, and you cannot really use it effectively in snow (it just grounds out).

Good luck,

Pat

 

[hcammack]

Quote:
Thanks for the review. Do you have any advice about how to make a movable wooden run for 15 birds? I have the materials for a stationary run with posts but I would very much prefer to keep my set up movable.

Henry

 

[patandchickens]

You'd have to go broiler-tractor-style, either flat like Salatin's or hoop style. But that's still not highly predator proof. There is a real conflict between having something light enough to move and strong enough to resist a concerted attack by dogs etc. Best you could do would probably be something with a very shrewdly-braced-and-reinforced 2x4 frame, with 1x1" welded wire mesh, and a 2' apron that folded down from each side and was weighted down by cinderblocks. It would be rather expensive, hard work to move, and annoying to keep shifting all them cinderblocks.

otherwise, you're left with what you'd proposed -- a flimsy tractor/run surrounded by electronet for predatorproofing -- or start collecting four-leafed clovers.

Or of course put dog-proof fence around the whole yard.

Unfortunately I don't think there is a free lunch on this one.

Good luck,

Pat

 

[hcammack]

Quote:
Thanks I am ready to exept the effects of having a free range or movable system. My chickens are not pets although I do like them I don't get attached to them like other people. I do see them as animals that I am responsible for the care of. I don't think I am ready to sacrifice their free range/ pastured lifestyle to avoide 1 or 2 attacks a year that would probably happen any way. I will look at the materials I have and see what I can do. I may just reinforce my PVC runs or rebuild them completly.

Thanks,
Henry

 

[hcammack]

Any other thoughts about this?