Feather Fence/Electric poultry Fence

[TDM]

Quote:
I use four foot high electric poultry netting with pastured poultry operation. It will not stop a hungry or determined wolf, though. It is easy for them to jump right over the fence. What we had to do was add our Great Pyrenees LGD 24/7 inside the fence, and now all is right.

In winter we corral the wagons, and use 6' 2" x 4" welded wire fence around the coops. The LGD is present during the day. At night the birds are locked up, and the LGD spends nights around the wood stove. The electric poultry netting is worthless in the winter, and subject to damage in deep snow and ice.

 

[RoosterGeek]

My wife and I have been very pleased with Premier's electric netting products. We have one for the goats and one for the ducks and chickens. It keeps them safe. We both feel that it was an excellent investment. We also bought a few extra poles to prop up the corners.

 

[7&8]

'yotes...not good...they are here, too. But I believe they are too shy to come anywhere near the yard when a human is about. Unless they become some wicked desperate.

Once the electric fence becomes a fence minus electricity, my birds will be locked up tight in their coops. When I am home, paying close attention, and the long, pointy metal thing is loaded and on safety at the door, they will be free to come outside.

Added: TDM, that is a very nice mobile coop & pasturing arrangement you have! Your birds & "LGD" have the life o' Riley!

 

[tellynpeep]

7&8 :

'yotes...not good...they are here, too. But I believe they are too shy to come anywhere near the yard when a human is about. Unless they become some wicked desperate.

Not here! I have seen it (or them....not sure if it is a repeat offender) standing at the edge of the woods just behind the coop. And it doesn't run off till I go towards it or send the dog after it. A friend a few miles from here has watched a coyote take chickens from her pasture while she is outside watching. Middle of the day!

My older girls are in a secure 6' tall fenced run, but the pullets are in the electric fence. I'm not sure what I'll do for the winter, especially since a couple of them insist on flying over it at will. Clipping their wings will leave them completely defenseless if the power should go down, so I haven't done that yet.​

 

[baadkyfarmers]

Thats another question why don't the chickens fly out of it? Will they just be happy staying inside the fence?

 

[TDM]

Quote:
Even with my 200' x 200' poultry netting, a chicken now and then will make it outside the fence. I imagine the smaller the area, the greater the likelihood of the chickens being tempted to range outside the fence.

 

[7&8]

I only have one panel - 164' length, so whatever the math is to arrive at the diameter. Seventeen birds use this area as their daytime hangout. They have access to two 6X6-ish coops; two other shelters; etc. They know what goodness exists on the far side of the fence. When I come home after work, I take chances - huge chances - and let them out so they can destroy my yard & garden & tempt every predator within two miles (I do not do this unless I will be within sight of and paying attention to the flock - a friend says that even that isn't enough). They are always up by the gate squealing to come out when I get home. That said, I have yet to come home to find one of the little rascals has popped over the 4' fence on their own. When I first put it up, a bantam Leghorn had a brood of new chicks. The chicks floated in & out through the squares of the net until they were too big to do so. This drove mummy nuts, and she popped over the fence once. I was there to see it. I lifted the bottom up, and she came back in. That was that. So far. Never say never with chickens.

And, I should add...when I am home and the 6' gate is open to their fenced yard, they cruise outside, yet often return to their fenced area. If I open the gate on the weekends, and it's before the routine time I arrive home during the week, the chickens won't come out. They choose to maintain their ritual and honor their internal clocks. There are plenty of things in their fenced yard that they like and are comfortable with.