Hot wiring pasture pen

[FenwayFieldFarm]

Last week, I set out my two pasture pens with 46 meat birds in each. On night #2, a fox dug a few holes and got 12+. It was a mess! I've boarded up the sides and extended 1/2" wire cloth around the open areas and installed pallets and concrete block around the enclosed areas (see pictures). So far, that has worked. The fox has been back several times (see video from deer camera I set up) and left after realizing it's not easy picking anymore. Now, the problem is the pens are tougher/time consuming to move and secure. QUESTION: has anyone ever hotwired the base of their pasture pen? If so, any suggestions/advice/concerns?

Video link:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1324344044315199

 

[jolly wattles]

Are these their permanent setups? No coops?

 

[FenwayFieldFarm]

Yes, until processing at 8 weeks

 

[paulnix]

I reared Grey Partridges in pens very similar to these, I put insulators a few inches up from the bottom screwed into some small lengths of wood so it was about 8 inches away from the side, and ran an electric wire around and put a battery fencer on the wire, you could run both coops off the same fencer if ran a wire between the two as I did, kept the foxes away and didn't add any weight to them when shifting.

 

[jolly wattles]

I'd put stand off insulators on the pens and run 3 wires. Low medium and high.

 

[jolly wattles]

Not too low though. Grass will short it out.

 

[mymilliefleur]

I'd put stand off insulators on the pens and run 3 wires. Low medium and high.

X2.
Sorry to hear you lost so many.

 

[FenwayFieldFarm]

X2.
Sorry to hear you lost so many.

Thank you. This is my first time with meat birds, so lesson learned.

 

[FenwayFieldFarm]

I've ordered the following from Premier 1 Supply (very helpful service dept). I'll install this weekend. Premier 1 Supply recommended two wires around the base of the pen - I'm figuring 6" and 10". I'm hopeful my deer camera will catch the fox's nose hitting the wire for the first time. I'll definitely post that video. Thanks for the replies. I'll post on my progress.

 

[FenwayFieldFarm]

UPDATE: I've hot-wired one of my pasture pens. Seems to be working well (knock on wood) as the fox has visited a couple times during the night and just stared at the wire, then ran off. The hot-wired pen and solar charger are easy to move then my other pen that is fortified with pallets, wire and concrete block.

Here's a video of the install and the difference between my two pens. Both stopped the fox from getting any more chickens.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1329688270447443

But again, the wired one if much easier to move every day. Now that I know the fox checked it out and left without any more chickens, I'll hot-wire the other pen this weekend and connect to the charger. Per my voltage meter, the charger is putting 8,000+ volts through the wire. That should give a nice zap to anything touching it. For anyone interested, the total cost for the solar charger, wire, insulators and connector was @ $250.