Looking for a way to let mine free range in the woods - electric poultry netting?

[ChicknCommander]

Nothing's ever a problem til it's to late when it comes to pet chickens.

 

[fiddlebanshee]

But it isn't and my chickens are not pet chickens.

Discussion closed as far as I am concerned. I am not going to respond to any other posts on this topic.

 

[OwensChickens]

mmmm, bear salami!


We are needing to upgrade our run fencing. We are in the woods and have had predator problems, from domestic dog to hawks to bob cats. We have a fairly large run and would like increase the size to about 100' x 50'. We are trying to decided if we should get some good fencing like no climb horse fencing and run a hot wire (or 3) or get electric poultry netting. Cost is about the same.

Is there much of a difference in Premiers PermaNet and PoultryNet? How does the electric netting hold up? Is it sturdy? Sag much in snow?

 

[fiddlebanshee]

The netting is useless in the winter as it will short under the snow. Mine sagged and some poles fell. I had to walk along the perimeter today and shore up what had fallen, and take off branches that fell on the net. Not a big deal but I haven't plugged it in all winter because of this. The beauty of electro net is that it is flexible. If it sags, you just plant the pole a litte more outward and you'll have a taut net again.


Permanet has more poles, I think and is heavier. I would give them a call, they are very helpful with advice over the phone. However, if your setup is not going to change often, II would go with sturdy fencing and electric wire at the appropriate heights. I could not do this in our rocky soil, as we are on a rocky mountain range.

 

[OwensChickens]

We are in very rocky soil in the cascades. I can get tposts in, just not always straight or where I exactly want them

 

[JackE]

mmmm, bear salami!


We are needing to upgrade our run fencing. We are in the woods and have had predator problems, from domestic dog to hawks to bob cats. We have a fairly large run and would like increase the size to about 100' x 50'. We are trying to decided if we should get some good fencing like no climb horse fencing and run a hot wire (or 3) or get electric poultry netting. Cost is about the same.

Is there much of a difference in Premiers PermaNet and PoultryNet? How does the electric netting hold up? Is it sturdy? Sag much in snow?

There is a difference between the two. I have the PermaNet. The posts are closer together, and thicker, as are the ground spikes. I get snow here and my fence has not fell over, or sagged much either. Now, maybe an ice storm might do something to it. But I think it holds up great. I had a 60' tree fall across it. After the tree was removed, the fence was stood back up and back in business with no problem.
I don't believe it's useless in the winter. My fence is up year round. Snow will, of course ground it out. But I have, if it's a powdery snow, cleared the fence line with a broom. With a wet snow, I usually just unplug it, as clearing can be more time consuming and difficult. But it can be done. Other than some extra work with snow, cold weather means nothing to it.

 

[Scatterknit]

I had a 60' tree fall across it. After the tree was removed, the fence was stood back up and back in business with no problem.

That sells me right there. Same tree would have crushed a permanent pen. Right now I'm having to replace a section of chain link on my property that was taken out the same way. What a pain! It's nice to know you can just put it back in place.

I ordered it and am anxiously awaiting my shipment! Can't wait!!! Thanks Jack and all!

 

[Scatterknit]

A bear would scare me - not so much for the chickens but for my family.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...ll-savage-bear-attack-audio-article-1.1758084

It's not illegal to hunt them in Georgia.

 

[fiddlebanshee]

Quote: There is only a very small percentage of bears who become a problem. My motto is live and let live. Keep a safe distance, don't try to touch or feed it, don't threathen it especially if it has cubs. In other words, use your common sense! We moved into their habitat, after all. I have also seen very many very stupid people trying to approach wild bears for the photo op. If they get mauled, well, too bad for them but it's their own fault, and not the fault of the bear.

As I said, the bear in question did not become a problem, period. It was collared by the park service and had I felt threathened I would have called them to take care of it, and not just shot it. But I didn't and no one was hurt or even scared in any way. I don't think my chickens even noticed that he was around.

That news story is very truncated. We don't know what that woman did to provoke them, if anything. And what is very sad for me is that the wildlife people shot several bears but they're not sure they shot the right ones. So now perfectly good, non-violent bears got killed for nothing. Very sad indeed.

From the North American Bear Center website:
Quote:
I agree with the author of the quote: I am much more afraid of dogs that I don't know than of bears.

Quote: But you would need a license and a speciaal permit that specifies which gender and kind of bear you can shoot. Here are the facts on bear hunting in Georgia:

http://www.eregulations.com/georgia/hunting/bear/
There is a statewide limit of two bears per license per year. So you can't just go out and kill any odd bear, you can also not kill female bears with cubs (which by the way are the most dangerous bears because they will protect their young).

 

[ChicknCommander]

Yea I suppose your house would look like big chicken coop to a bear. It's thinkin pry be that lil house had bunch in it wonder how many the big ones got???