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[Seatrout00]

Work with the idea that just about everything likes a chicken dinner as much as we people do. Hardware cloth, even openings you think are too small need to be covered, and if your predator is big enough, you may just need to go electric (we have bears).

Bears! Holy cow! Now that would be a challenge!

 

[cmom]

Quote: I have electric around all of my pens. Since I have had the electric I have had few losses. I did have an owl kill some of my birds but have since covered all of my pens too and haven't had a loss. I have heard critters touch the wire and they don't come back to check it out again.

 

[cmom]

Quote:
I'm no expert either but do what works for me. I did try a sensor light but that didn't work for me. I use chicken wire as my fences. I have not had anything try to get through the chicken wire but do have electric all around my fences. If something touches the electric and the fence it will get a good shock. I have touched it when I have forgotten to turn off the electric and my heart has shipped a few beats when I have touched the wire. I weigh a lot more than the average critter that will touch it so they will get one heck of a shock. I have netting over all of my pens also. I have not lost any birds to predators since. I leave the coop pop doors open 24/7. I have not had a predator go into a coop either. I do encourage the crows to hang around and if a hawk shows up the crows will chase it off. I have lost my share of birds in the past from predators but not in a very long time. Now if I loose a bird which can happen but not very often, it will be from natural causes. Here are some pictures.


The white rope is electric wire

 

[LocalYokel]

I'm no expert either but do what works for me. I did try a sensor light but that didn't work for me. I use chicken wire as my fences. I have not had anything try to get through the chicken wire but do have electric all around my fences. If something touches the electric and the fence it will get a good shock. I have touched it when I have forgotten to turn off the electric and my heart has shipped a few beats when I have touched the wire. I weigh a lot more than the average critter that will touch it so they will get one heck of a shock. I have netting over all of my pens also. I have not lost any birds to predators since. I leave the coop pop doors open 24/7. I have not had a predator go into a coop either. I do encourage the crows to hang around and if a hawk shows up the crows will chase it off. I have lost my share of birds in the past from predators but not in a very long time. Now if I loose a bird which can happen but not very often, it will be from natural causes. Here are some pictures.


The white rope is electric wire

How?

 

[dolfi]

I'm no expert either but do what works for me. I did try a sensor light but that didn't work for me. I use chicken wire as my fences. I have not had anything try to get through the chicken wire but do have electric all around my fences. If something touches the electric and the fence it will get a good shock. I have touched it when I have forgotten to turn off the electric and my heart has shipped a few beats when I have touched the wire. I weigh a lot more than the average critter that will touch it so they will get one heck of a shock. I have netting over all of my pens also. I have not lost any birds to predators since. I leave the coop pop doors open 24/7. I have not had a predator go into a coop either. I do encourage the crows to hang around and if a hawk shows up the crows will chase it off. I have lost my share of birds in the past from predators but not in a very long time. Now if I loose a bird which can happen but not very often, it will be from natural causes. Here are some pictures. The white rope is electric wire

I looked into the electric fence, it's too expensive for me right now.

 

[DRGLENNON]

I looked into the electric fence, it's too expensive for me right now.

I've been considering it as well. the best price I have found locally is at tractor supply. I haven't had a loss to a predator since I ran chicken wire underground to stop digging under. I see hawks, owls and even a coyote on occasion but its been 3yrs with no further losses. Good Luck!

 

[getaclue]

For those with electric fences, I'd like a little input. There seems to be a lot of mixed, and negative reviews on the fence chargers. I'm considering a Parmak Horse Surround HS-100.

 

[cmom]

For those with electric fences, I'd like a little input. There seems to be a lot of mixed, and negative reviews on the fence chargers. I'm considering a Parmak Horse Surround HS-100.

I think electric is the way to go. I bought my first power supply on line but it did die so I replaced it with one I bought at TSC and it's still working fine for several years. I check the wire every evening when I go out to collect the eggs. I do have a meter. I put the electric up because I was tired of predators killing my birds. I had coyotes, bobcat, fox, possums, owls, hawks. I have seen raccoon's on my game camera but not near my birds. One morning many years ago I found 14 dead birds in my grow-out coop, that is when I looked into the electric.

 

[getaclue]

cmom, what brand is it?

 

[cmom]

cmom, what brand is it?

I have had one similar to this one for several years. It's still going strong. Mine is a little different shape but the same brand and 10 mile. My neighbor bought the 2 mile and hers works good.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/zareba-10-mile-ac-low-impedance-fence-charger?cm_vc=-10005