Help choosing best electric fence for predator protection

[BlackBart]

Yah, like Pat said

 

[Ivyblaze]

Hello everyone! I have to admit curiousity on this topic. I have lost 30 chickens a year to either racoons or bobcats for the last 3 years. I am buying a completely new flock and am trying desperately to predator proof....but I have tried this for the last three years and still have problems. Whatever it is either pulls them through the wire or digs under and has a slaughter fest. So I am thinking of installing the electric fence. Do I also need to put wire under the ground? Any help would be appreciated.
Thank you
Ivy

 

[nvmycj]

Do any of you have the solar powered electrified fencing? I was reading the package and said something about weeds affecting the wire & circuit... Any experience with this from anyone?

 

[Opa]

Ivy, the ground is an intregal part of the circuit. Ideally you will have 2 or 3 ground rods driven into the earth with a heavy copper wire connecting them to the negative post on the charger. The positive wire is the one that is installed above ground and around the perimeter of you coop and run. When an animal comes in contact with the positive wire its body completes the circuit causing the shock.

 

[ottodog]

Quote:
Thanks Pat!

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
It sounds like you need two things:

1) much smaller-mesh wire, at least at "chicken level". This means, the bottom 2-3' of the run fence, plus anywhere within several feet of a roost or other object they can get up on. Basically, anywhere a predator arm reaching thru the mesh could POSSIBLY contact a chicken, EVER. 1/2" hardwarecloth is probably your best bet for those purposes, especially since you have a longstanding problem.

and also

2) digproofing. Some people would bury the base of the fencing in the ground, but you really need to go at least 18" for good security and that is a LOT of work (and the buried mesh will rust out, yes even if it's galvanized, and you won't necessarily know it's got too weak til a predator finds it out FOR you). COnsequently my preference is for an apron of wire mesh laid on the ground on the outside of the run fence, securely attached to the base of the run fence along that edge and pinned WELL down to the ground on the other edge. You can shovel earth or mulch or gravel over it, or cover with rocks or pavers or concrete rubble, or just pin it down very well and let the grass grow up through. But for good protection it should be 2-4' wide -- given your history I would suggest closer to 4 than to 2 feet! For most situations, realistically you get about as much benefit from a good heavy-gauge galvanized 2x4" mesh wire as you do from anything smaller. I don't personally see any point in using anything smaller than 1x2" unless you are trying to keep out weasels and rats, but that is SUCH a difficult project that they will probably find a weak place elsewhere, so if weasels and rats are around it is really just better to lock the chickens in a very secure chickenhouse at night, IMHO.

(Note that both of the above things apply to the the building as well as the run!!)

You cannot bury an electric fence wire -- well I mean, you can, sufficiently-insulated, but then it is not ACTING as an electric wire, it will not zap digging creatures or anything like that.

In your situation, you might choose to add one or two hotwires to your run fencing, but honestly it sounds like you have significant fixes to make ON that run fencing first -- it is really not a good idea to try to compensate for a grossly-insecure run fence by adding electric, because all electric fails sometimes, and predators notice real quick, especially when you've unfortunately been feeding them for the past three years and they KNOW it's worth gettin' in there. Honestly I'd suggest you not worry about electric and just get the PHYSICAL ffence to where it needs to be, to be reasonably predatorproof.

Good luck,

Pat

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
That has nothing whatsoever to do with solar fencers in particular.

Weeds will ground out ANY electric fence. It is maybe a bit more apt to be a serious problem with solar chargers because they are generally pretty weak to start with and, being fundamentally battery-powered units, excessive loss to ground will drain the battery dead. At which point a) your fence is dead as a doornail and b) you need to fork over another $50 or whatever for a replacement battery, as they have no sense of humor about being drawn THAT far down.

The same is true of battery-powered units, though. And even iwth a plug-in charger, excessive weed contact (or any other grounding out, e.g. an ice storm, or a branch falls on your fence, or the wire touches an uninsulated post) will render the fence's charge weak or nonexistant, because the path to ground can be stronger than the charger's charge. Er, electricians please do not be picky about that last phrasing, but, you know what I mean

For a good primer on how electric fences work, how to install, and how to maintain them (the latter two are what you mostly need to know!), go to www.premier1supplies.com . (YOu don't have to buy anything from them, although their stuff is generally excellent quality and some thingsyou just can't get elsewhere -- I am recommending the site because their free tutorial materials are among the best I've seen)

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Ivyblaze]

Thanks Pat! That was incredibly helpful. I tried digging down around the pen 18 inches to put the mesh under the ground and cover over it with dirt but like you said it was a problem due to tree roots etc. So I think I will try your idea of laying the mesh around the outside perimeter a good distance well attached at both ends. I fixed the problem last year with them being pulled through the fence by putting hardware mesh up the sides of the welded wire 4 feet high. But the digging in problem has been very frustrating. So until I move my run and pens down to the new property and build one with concrete around the edges etc...I will try your suggestions. I do think though for added protection I will still install the hotwire in addition to putting the wire mesh around the outside. I live in Oklahoma and weasels really are not a problem here. My main threats are coyotes, bobcats and raccoons. I have never had an owl or hawk incident yet. Thanks again for all your help!

 

[1schaefermaqks]

I was planning on putting up an electric fence to keep out the raccoons and coyotes (as well as skunks, opossums etc) However I would feel really bad if I accidently killed a rabbit or squirrel. Has anyone using electric fences ever have a problem with the fence killing or injuring a small animal?

 

[Coop de Grass]

@patandchickens We are going to be putting up an electric fence - the raccoons have killed 8 chicks recently, and although the girls are safe inside the coop, they managed to get into our so called secure run!

I did look at the premier1 website per your recommendation. They seem to recommend netting.

I think that I am going to use Zareba products which I can get at Tractor supply. My concern is that the perimeter that we need to fence is about 350 feet. With 3 strands of wire. The smallest fence charger that I have found is for 2 miles! Is this going to be too strong?

Any help would be appreciated!

Thank you