Keeping chickens at home

[Mtnboomer]

See if this will help. In my experience, the more you let them out, the farther they roam. They get comfortable with it. I am hoping you do have a run, but if mine wander too far, I quit letting them out all day, I don't let mine out at the same time each day, as that also helps with predators.

But I find, that if I have to keep the enclosed for a while, when I let them back out, they don't go as far. Or if I limit the time they are out, helps too.

Monica

Mine are free ranged all day and never leave the yard. We have 28 acs and its suite a distance for them to travel to reach the neighbors but they never go more than 100yrds (absolutely max) from the coop. Most of the time they are within 60 yrds.

I know thats still a lot of ground on a 3ac parcel. I would suggest looking into adding 4"x4" (assuming your chickens are not small enough to fit through) woven wire fencing to the existing barbed fire fence. It may be just enough of a barrier to deter them from wanting to walk around it and keep them from your neighbors.

 

[Folly's place]

My 4"x 4" woven wire 'goat fencing' is much less expensive than the 2"x 4" woven wire horse fencing, and it keeps the adult standard sized birds contained. Chicks could get through it though.
Mary

 

[CindyinSD]

I looked into the possibilities of electrifying our existing barbed wire fence to keep our cattle in and the free range cattle on Forest Service land out (yes, we have to fence them out; the ranchers bear no responsibility for that and on top of that, pay darned cheap rent for the pasturage ) Turns out it's not an option, though. Not here, anyway.

In many places (most, I believe) electrifying barbed wire is illegal. This is because (as I understand it) animals (and perhaps humans, too--especially small ones) can try to go through, get a shock and, in their panic, entangle themselves so they cannot escape easily. As they struggle to get free, they will receive many more shocks (the charge is intermittent, which is why it's so safe when properly set up). This repeated shock increases their panic and confusion and overwhelms their reason. Before they can get free, they will likely be shocked to death.

 

[Howard E]

I was not aware of any legal restrictions on using barbed wire for an e-fence, but if there is, then that obviously rules. But if there is, my take on it is based more on imagined threats than reality. This isn't like serpentine wire around a prison.

Some 50 years ago, barbed wire was ALL we used for building our temp electric fences. We were using it for cattle. None of them were ever harmed. I got cut pretty bad by it when I was about 6, but that was because I crashed my bicycle into it. Not because I touched a hot fence and panicked.

The only animals I can think of it would not be appropriate for would be horses and domestic hogs. Both could get cut up pretty bad by it.....hot or not. Horses in particular..........nobody wants barbed wire around horses.

 

[CindyinSD]

I was not aware of any legal restrictions on using barbed wire for an e-fence, but if there is, then that obviously rules. But if there is, my take on it is based more on imagined threats than reality. This isn't like serpentine wire around a prison.

Some 50 years ago, barbed wire was ALL we used for building our temp electric fences. We were using it for cattle. None of them were ever harmed. I got cut pretty bad by it when I was about 6, but that was because I crashed my bicycle into it. Not because I touched a hot fence and panicked.

The only animals I can think of it would not be appropriate for would be horses and domestic hogs. Both could get cut up pretty bad by it.....hot or not. Horses in particular..........nobody wants barbed wire around horses.

Yeah, I looked it up. I was all jazzed to do it because we have a lot of barbed wire. Disappointing, but those were the reasons given and I believed it. Good to know, though. Experience often trumps book learning.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I remember those electric barbed wire fence days. I don't recall seeing those for a while, I think they've figured out you don't need the barbs if it is electric. It's probably less expensive without the barbs and certainly less dangerous to string.

The current is not continuous, it pulses about 50 times a minute. If it were continuous it would be more dangerous. That pulse gives critters a chance to back away. That is a huge safety benefit, you can urn it loose.

I use electric netting and have found some critters caught in it. I've found three snapping turtles tangled up, those are fun to fool with. Keeps the adrenaline pumping. Two of them were still alive and jerking every time the electricity pulsed. When I got them free they managed to crawl away. The third one was dead, probably had been there all night. They are so slow it's hard for them to get away with the pulsing. Every pulse seems to paralyze them.

I've also found a couple of frogs dead in it, somehow they just could not get away. The strangest was a big she-possum complete with babies in her pouch. She managed to get her head and front feet tangled up in the netting. She was paralyzed when I found her but the electric is not what killed her or her babies.

This was netting, not a strand of wire, barbed or not. I guess it is possible something could get tangled up in a strand of wire, possible but not easy unless it breaks. If it breaks it's probably not hot any more. And they don't break that often.

 

[Folly's place]

Horses can get killed easily by wire, because it's not visible, and horses run. Horrible injuries, whether hot or not.
Mary

 

[Howard E]

50 years ago, it was common to use single strands of barbed wire for temp electric fence, because it was cheap and available. None of the poly stuff existed. Nobody taking out a fence would bulldoze it out as they do today. Posts were pulled and all wire was salvaged and rolled up for future use. Need to put up a fence? Grab a roll of barbed wire.

For several decades, a common practice in the midwest was to buy weaned feeder cattle coming off pasture and winter them on cornstalks. The fences used for this were often electric fences.......and often barbed wire.

BTW, barbed wire is not a standard commodity. Many grades of it. The nasty stuff to work with is heavy gauge 4 barb. Long barbs and lots of them. Then there is the heavy 2 barb.....shorter barbs and then there is the light weight 2 barb, which is only slightly more intrusive than smooth wire. Even the lightest stuff can be used for an e-fence.

But as for the OP's original question, if they are comfortable lowering the bottom barb or two, and it's legal to do, it may solve their problem.

If not, they have the posts in place and can mount a strand or two of smooth on those. Put it on the inside.

 

[woodmort]

Try a few posts and some deer netting between your yard and the neighbor's. It isn't all that expensive--certainly not 2k--goes up easily, high enough so they won't hop over it but can be tightened to the ground with wire staples and will make a good barrier.

 

[Mommymunoz12]

Fencing, and a run, are the answer, as mentioned already.
So far your neighbors haven't been adding them to their freezer, which is nice of them. It's our responsibility to keep our critters at home!
Mary

I know it is. That why I am looking for a solution.