How do you put electric wire on a dog kennel?

[Red-tailed Hawk]

I'm a little nervous about predators going after my ducks when they are old enough to be outside. I know you can bury hardwire in the ground around the pen. Do you have it horizontal or vertical though? And how do you keep a determined smaller hunter out of the kennel day or night when there is always a gap between the door and the walls of a kennel that even a lazy predator could find a way through? So, I have been toying with the idea of using electrical wire or whatever on it, but I am so far out of my depth I have no idea how to do it or how much it runs. I read someone put a timer on theirs so it is electrified during the day, how do you do that and how much does a timer run. I tried looking it up on home depot and must have been doing it wrong because it only pulled up electical wire for lights and the interior of houses, which really isn't the same since that's made not to zap people and I'd like vandals and predators to find my fence a shocking experience. Any helpful tips pleas? I'd rather not have to learn the hard way. I plan on having a secure house for them at night, but that doesn't mean they'll be safe during the day and especially not if I go out of the town for a weekend. Most people aren't willing to herd ducks into the house every night and release them in the morning. Hense why I'd like some extra protection for during the day and when someone else is watching my flock.

 

[Naunnie]

Howdy. On the Home Depot site, type in "electric fence". I just did, and everything you will need, will pull up. The chargers, the wire/poly tape and the chain link insulators. We have had great success with the solar powered chargers. As for the timer, we have never used one. The charger will come with instructions on how to set it up or you can do an internet search. You will also need a ground rod and I would recommend a tester. This may help: http://www.ehow.com/how_4883992_make-chain-fence-electrified.html

We use hardware cloth 3' up the sides of the kennel. I used cable ties...a lot of them on the bottom rail and then "J" clips to attach to the chain link. The gate gaps are a little tricky. I'm still experimenting with them. I used a separate piece of hardware cloth and notched it on the hinge side. On the latch side, the hardware cloth extends around the corner posts. I added rabbit cage type latches, so I can lock it to that side of hardware cloth. It's a pain to open......gate can only open to the inside, but it works. For the upper part of the gate gaps, I use slit pool noodles. I don't think they are predator proof, but those gaps are smaller. )

I laid down a skirt of 4' 2x4 welded wire in a square, then placed the kennel on top. I have 3' on the ground outside the kennel and about 1' inside the kennel. The 6" of sand hold the inside down and grass has covered the outside skirt. I have used this method on 3 chain link pens and have not had anything dig under.

Are you planning on a top? I would highly recommend it.

 

[slipshift]

Something I've tried, and so far it works, is to run a wire 1" from the ground along the bottom of the pen. Another wire about 4" up. I also ground the chicken wire fence so anything trying to burrow or climb will get a nasty shock. A fence voltage checker is very handy and costs $15-$20. My first fence was set up properly, for pigs so I was able to check it by touching the wire. The chicken pen wire needed troubleshooting since the voltage was dropping off. You don't want to touch the wire more than once! The problem turned out to be an eye-bolt too close to the chicken wire, only 1/2" from it but it was enough to partially ground out the wire.

Good luck!

Jim

 

[Clodbuster]

Run a hot wire about 6 inches off the fence and at the resting height of the predator's nose, all animals use their nose to investigate and it is highly enervated so a good belt there works wonders. It is a very good idea to attach some bait to the wire when first installed, some bacon, gravy etc. It will attract the predator to use his nose or tongue on the hot wire - minumum 6000volts.

 

[slipshift]

Just an update on my electric fence. One of the chicks squeezed its way out through a hole in the pen and when I was trying to catch it, the chick got wedged between the hot wire and the grounded fence. It didn't seem to faze the chick at all, according to an electric fence site this was because of feathers and low mass. Since I have no feathers and somewhat more mass it sure fazed me when I was getting the chick unstuck.

Jim