Keeping raccoons, bobcats, and fishers out of the run

[Petect]

Hi ALL I posted this on Coop Run thread but thought this would also e a good place to post it.

I'm concerned about keeping raccoons, bobcats, and fishers out of the run, as they are good climbers.

The run will be about 10’ X 16’, and I’m looking for the cheapest thing that will work... We have our share of predators, but my main concern is dealing with the climbers. Mainly raccoons, bobcats, and fishers. I plan to skirt the run with ½” hardware cloth. How high do I need to go with it? At what height can I start using something cheaper – maybe 2 x 4” welded? I’m sure they all can climb hardware cloth and welded fencing with ease so how about the top? There are hawks in the area too.

Thanks

Pete

 

[sourland]

Electric fencing is perhaps the most effective predator deterrent.

 

[Petect]

Hey sourland

Any additional thoughts as to how to use a hot wire? I'm thinking something like using a hardware cloth skirt out 2' and up 1'. 2" X 4" welded wire from the ground (overlapping the HWC ) up to about 6'6" - I'm 6'3" , (the critters will probably learn to avoid the hot wire after a few zaps, it would probably take me a bit longer). I could run the hot wire a few inches above the top of the 2X4. That way I should be able to use 1" plastic fencing on top to keep the birds out.

Do you think that would work?
Thanks
Pete

 

[sourland]

Pete, I belong to a beagle club that has 45 + fenced in acres. We have one wire about 10 inches to a foot above the ground. We then have 3 wires spaced about 3" apart at the top of a 5' fence. So far this excludes all mammalian predators. I think that the lower wire is especially important. For a bit ours was out, and feral cats were gaining entrance. I think that they were climbing the fence, hitting the top wires and in reaction springing forwards. When the bottom wire has been on, nothing has gained entrance.

Impact of shock is quite great - don't ask how I know.

I doubt that once shocked predators will give the fence a second try. I know that once the feral cats gained entrance they did not leave voluntarily.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

If you place the bottom wire a bit lower than 10", more like 4-6 inches you'll stop all digging predators. 10" is good but a fisher or skunk would miss the wire if digging. They are prone to dig not climb and are shorter. Polywire or poly tape works great and the plastic standoff from fence mounts are easy to mount. Those type of products are easily found locally. We have electric netting for the poultry as it's portable. I use poly rope around the new and improved apiary this year. Our poultry is charged with 0.5 joule (6K peak but with some grounding about 4K) and went with 1 joule charger (8K peak volts) for bees. Take that bear! They wiped me out last year.

 

[sourland]

Bears got into my neighbor's apiary. He surrounded the bees with hot wire, put bacon strips on the hot wire - couple of days later the hot wire was all messed up, but the bears never came back.

 

[Petect]

Thanks Again GUYS

I'm starting to formulate a plan. I will probably put a couple strands on 45 degree outward facing standoffs a few inches down from the top , kind of like they do around prison yards (so I've heard) and skirt the bottom well with HWcloth. That way I should be able to use plastic fencing over the top. I really don't want to put a hot wire down low cuz I can picture me getting zapped by that.

EaggHead
Luckily we don't have many bears here in NE Ct, as that would make things a bit more difficult. A lot of towns on the west side of the river are loaded with them. People put bird feeders on their decks, and get bent out of shape because the bears camp out outside their door.
Pete

 

[sourland]

Pete, the 45 degree angle sounds like a good plan

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Bears got into my neighbor's apiary. He surrounded the bees with hot wire, put bacon strips on the hot wire - couple of days later the hot wire was all messed up, but the bears never came back.

I don't bait it with bacon and once the dandelion takes off here the brood explosion will be all the bait I need to draw them in for miles. Plan is to train them with this small start up apiary. This year is only 4 hives on 4 pallets nailed together as platform then 2x4's for quick walls of 2x4 welded wire and electric strands stand off from that. Had a lot of old metal roofing so will have excellent ground for their feet as that's laying on ground around perimeter. Oh, they're gonna be trained to stay away from poly rope. It's just going to be tough at first as they had a heck of a feast on brood last year. Hence the welded wire to hold them back for good shocking.

Theory is once they are trained to the thick white electric rope I wont have to be so extreme a set up with a much larger apiary next year.

 

[Petect]

I'll let you know how it works. It's been raining here for almost a week, and it isn't supposed to stop till Monday. Puts a dent in building the coop and working on my garden.
Thanks
I'll report back
Pete