How to secure the door of a chainlink kennel converted to a chicken run?

[TonyBYC]

We have a chainlink-enclosed dog run which I'm converting to a chicken run. I will be adding an HC apron along the bottom of the chainlink and running electric wire along the fence. The part I'm not sure about is how to secure the gate. If I attach 18-24" strip of HC to the posts, will the chickens be ok to jump over it each time? We are counting on them to free range and eat all the ticks ))

 

[perkolator]

I'm assuming you're intending to have it laying across the ground of the opening like an electrified "cattle crossing"? My chickens would likely never jump across anything like that. Personally I'd just skip the electrified section at the gate entry

How would you even maintain that if you had an electrified skirt along the ground? The grass/weeds would grow through it and isolate from animal/predator contact pretty quickly. My weed eater will tear up HC if I hit it with it.

 

[TonyBYC]

I'm assuming you're intending to have it laying across the ground of the opening like an electrified "cattle crossing"? My chickens would likely never jump across anything like that. Personally I'd just skip the electrified section at the gate entry

How would you even maintain that if you had an electrified skirt along the ground? The grass/weeds would grow through it and isolate from animal/predator contact pretty quickly. My weed eater will tear up HC if I hit it with it.

Sorry, I wasn't very clear. My plan was just to electrify the rest of the fence (to prevent raccoons from climbing over the fence and chewing through the chicken wire at the top), not the gate or the apron (if i can figure out how to isolate it).

@rosemarythyme posted the picture below in another thread, which gave me the idea. But i'm not sure how well something like would work.

 

[perkolator]

If it's something that remains across the open gate, I don't see it working out for you. Why not just attach it to the moving gate so it moves with the panel?

I've never dealt with electric fences, but I'd imagine you simply use an insulator block to isolate the non-electrified section.

 

[TonyBYC]

Thanks

The problem with attaching an HC skirt to the gate is that it wouldn't cover the gap between gate and posts and it won't prevent anyone from digging under.

 

[perkolator]

An anti-dig skirt on the ground can be added in front of the gate no problem if you're not trying to electrify it, it just gets buried over time but will still be present underground and will function if something tries to dig. I don't see the 2" gaps being a problem unless you're trying to keep out very small animal like a rat/mouse/snake, etc. They'd also have to find that small weakness in the fence. However, if you simply make your HC extend partially into the gap, it prevents this. You're trying to do a fairly advanced thing, your solution will likely have to get technical to overcome these engineering challenges

Just looking at the pics - if you electrified the fence, what's going to prevent something from simply climbing up on to the roof of those adjacent structures, or coming across the canopy of those trees and into the run?

 

[getaclue]

The electrified HC penskirt is NOT a good idea. Get the proper wire, insulators, etc., and do it right. In the long run, it will save you a lot of headaches.

 

[TonyBYC]

The electrified HC penskirt is NOT a good idea. Get the proper wire, insulators, etc., and do it right. In the long run, it will save you a lot of headaches.

I just corrected the original post, that wasn't what I meant. I meant adding the skirt and electrifying the fence as two separate things.

 

[TonyBYC]

An anti-dig skirt on the ground can be added in front of the gate no problem if you're not trying to electrify it, it just gets buried over time but will still be present underground and will function if something tries to dig.

I see. So you suggest to have a skirt in the ground that is not attached to the door? Otherwise, how can i open and close it every day...

Just looking at the pics - if you electrified the fence, what's going to prevent something from simply climbing up on to the roof of those adjacent structures, or coming across the canopy of those trees and into the run?

That's a very good point, I didn't even think about that! I was going to cover the run from the top with garden fence wire or chicken wire. So perhaps there is no point to electrify the fence then...

 

[perkolator]

So you suggest to have a skirt in the ground that is not attached to the door? Otherwise, how can i open and close it every day...

Yes. For beefing the perimeter of your chain link fence with a skirt, you'll to do horizontal plane along the ground to prevent diggers. Then a vertical plane at least as tall as the height of the birds, to keep hands from reaching through the large holes in chain fence to grab a chicken.

So for the gate, put a piece of HC on the moving gate panel, then a separate piece on the ground that stays put (I'd consider burying this piece a few inches since the foot traffic will be there, to keep everyone's feet from getting poked)

Raccoons can easily climb trees and break many types of fencing that people try to cover a run with, such as chicken wire - so if you're doing the netting over the top of the run you'd have to accommodate for that with something beefed up

If you do all that, you likely won't need the electric fence