Electrified Fence and Silkies and Call Ducks

[HBN]

Hi all, my goats are eroding my hillside so I need to find temporary way to limit their access to parts of it. it looks like an electric fence is a good option. However, I have silkies and call ducks that are free roam and I am concerned that an electric fence could kill them. Does anyone know if this is the case? I also thought of perhaps putting some non-electrified barrier just a few inches before electrified one so the small animals will be stopped before they get to the electrified one. However, I’m not sure if there is a danger if/when the larger animals push through and the two touch? Any ideas and suggestions would be great. Right now, everyone is penned up until I can find a solution

 

[sdm111]

It won't kill them, unless somehow they get caught up in it. Highly unlikely. They touch it once and remember not to touch it again

 

[HBN]

Thanks! Do you know if it is something about their feathers that protects them? Cause my call ducks have different feathers...

 

[DobieLover]

Thanks! Do you know if it is something about their feathers that protects them? Cause my call ducks have different feathers...

All feathers will insulate a bird from an electrical shock. Because ducks, with the exception of muscovies, don't have a lot of exposed skin on their faces they are much less likely to receive a shock than a chicken who can get it on their comb or wattles.
If you are only running hot wires, it is highly unlikely they're ever going to touch one. They're just going to go under the fence.

 

[Fallenone05]

I have the premier 1 poultry netting. The ducks learned as ducklings to stay out of it. Their baby down had them get shocked a few times, but otherwise after that they stay away from it. The chickens touch it a few times, sometimes just on accident (maybe more if they're not the brightest of the bunch), and they avoid it after getting zapped a couple times. They make a wide berth around the edge of the fencing.

 

[HBN]

I have the premier 1 poultry netting. The ducks learned as ducklings to stay out of it. Their baby down had them get shocked a few times, but otherwise after that they stay away from it. The chickens touch it a few times, sometimes just on accident (maybe more if they're not the brightest of the bunch), and they avoid it after getting zapped a couple times. They make a wide berth around the edge of the fencing.

It is great to hear that tiny ducklings were safe. It looks like poultry netting only as about half the voltage of normal electric fencing (~3k vs ~7-8k). Have you used regular electric fencing near them?

 

[HBN]

All feathers will insulate a bird from an electrical shock. Because ducks, with the exception of muscovies, don't have a lot of exposed skin on their faces they are much less likely to receive a shock than a chicken who can get it on their comb or wattles.
If you are only running hot wires, it is highly unlikely they're ever going to touch one. They're just going to go under the fence.

Thanks! Just checking because voltages for poultry netting is about half than that of electric fencing - is your answer for the former or latter?

 

[Penpal]

My chicks would just walk under the bottom wire. The adults hopped between the two lower wires. On poultry netting the bottom wire is not charged and chicks walk over it.

 

[HBN]

My chicks would just walk under the bottom wire. The adults hopped between the two lower wires. On poultry netting the bottom wire is not charged and chicks walk over it.

That is interesting! Maybe I can only electrify higher up so the electrical issue is moot. Thanks for the idea!

 

[sdm111]

You must remember too, there's a difference between pulsating jules and an electrocution lol. They'll be fine as long as I said earlier they don't get caught up in it. That did happen to a bird of prey with the electric fence I had about 15 years ago. It got caught up and burned itself into the ground. Also that was an old school red snapper module that was a straight 120 like a bare wire not whats made today