Large open yard - what do you think?

[EggyErin]

After years of free-ranging, I've had too much death and destruction; most recently a bobcat systematically took out my flock. I have one chicken left because he dropped her when we ran after him. I've always had a small yard for growing out chicks but now I'm going to build a large yard - perimeter will be about 300' - don't have precise measurements yet because haven't quite decided where to run one end. The yard is too big to top plus there will be some trees in it. This will be mostly in the woods but we're taking out trees too near the yard that could be climbed for a drop-down into the yard. My thoughts at this point are to use 1x2" welded wire, wood posts at all corners and probably across the front where it will come into our yard, t-posts elsewhere. I think running an electric wire around the top is the best bet. I'll apron the bottom with hardware cloth.

My questions are:
5' or 6' high?
Should I slightly offset the electric wire to the inside to make it that much harder to cross?
With the hardware cloth, do I have to bury it or can I lay it above-ground and anchor with stones or logs? I've seen some pictures where people have done that.

The yard will be attached to the coop, where the girls always go at night. I've also seen pictures of flashy ribbon (holographic?) tied to posts within the yard to help deter flying things. Useful? I don't want to put t-posts all out in the yard but maybe could use flashy things another way.

I'm awaiting chicks so I'm not in a panicked rush to get it up. I can be thoughtful about it but need to keep that forward momentum so I'm ready when the chicks are ready. Thank you all!

 

[sourland]

With just a top wire, a predator sometimes climbs up, gets shocked, and jumps inward. A club that I belong to has 57 fenced acres with 3 strands of top wire plus a bottom wire about 10" above the ground. As long as the bottom wire stays hot, predators stay out. When the bottom wire was shorting out, cats were getting in and refusing to leave - voluntarily that is.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

So sorry for your loss.

I agree a bottom wire will be in order, maybe more than one as different predators have different nose heights and that is the MOST effective place to shock them. If they get shocked behind the eyes they lunge forward, shocked in front the go backwards.

I personally prefer stockyard type fence over welded wire and specifically the horse type is nice though quite a bit more expensive. I do use 2 inch off set insulators, but for me it's about ease of not having it touch other things since my fence isn't perfectly tightened and we can get some high winds.

Note, the top wire will only work on animals that are grounded.

 

[EggyErin]

Point taken about the grounded animals. Guess I was thinking about something climbing up the fence. That still makes them grounded, though, right? Welded wire is as high as my budget will go. Sounds like a bottom wire is more important than a top wire. Can I get away with just that or do I really need both?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Just the bottom MIGHT be good enough. Might take a couple at the bottom of different heights. Say one for raccoon and another for mountain lion? The rope was cheap and so easy to add extra lines by just tying it together. You can always add other level if you find they are needed like the top. Since your problem is mountain lion, start with what you think is the right height and adjust if needed. That's what I had to do.

I got a solar powered one and some rope that seems pretty good. Power isn't always reliable here..
https://www.amazon.com/Parmak-DF-SP...qid=1504833312&sr=8-10&keywords=fence+charger

I tested it with my finger... these really are a mental (not physical) barrier and so NEED to hit the animal at their nose. To my hand it just felt like a pinch, which would be no big deal to a big cat. But put something to entice it to sniff so it gets that little flick straight to it's sensitive fleshy nostrils and will jump away and think twice before approaching again. I haven't seen any animal approach again by choice, though I have only worked with chickens and dogs so far.

Completely understand working inside a budget. Sometimes I do things in phases and others I buy what will work well instead of the absolute best solution.

Yes an animal that is touching the fence should still be grounded by the fence itself. If they are sitting on the wire and touching nothing else that's when they wouldn't be. I use my top wire to help keep roos on the boy side, so had to make sure they would achieve grounding if they made it up there. Which I figure their weight will probably pull any slack out of the rope and touch the fence. But none will go close after meeting the bottom wire. So now my only attempts to fly over is if they happen to be trying to get away from another boy and it's by accident. But even then, they see that fence coming and try to turn the other way now!

 

[EggyErin]

Heehee EggSighted - Only a bobcat, not a mountain lion. However, from what I've heard and read, they are persistent, tenacious beasts. Hopefully, not seeing chickens outside for a while will make them change restaurants. I'll be using either solar or battery-powered. I have both in my horse pastures. Any thoughts about 1.5" tape versus wire or rope?

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

You could look into putting an angle on the top of the fence. I think it's a 45 degree... They can't climb up and over or jump it.

 

[ScottandSam]

if I was going to put up a run still. decided against it for now. I planed on chain link fence 4' tall then a board a 2x6 horizontal then another 4' high chain link fence stretched between 6x6 poles. 2x10 at the ground and 2x6 at the top with a roof. The 1/2" hardwire at bottom 4' section chain link attached on the boards top and bottom.
This was my thoughts cause all of the attacks were random dogs or coyotes. and I just couldn't see hardwire working by itself.
For now we got 2 lgd and 2 more geese to make 4 total.
This helped over the summer but we will have to see what happens this winter.

Scott

 

[EggyErin]

I do like the idea of angling either in or out with a hot wire being at the end of the angle. Now, though, I'm not sure if I'm going to do a top wire as it seems like a bottom wire is the one that gets most predators. They don't get to the top.