Need advice on where to install a hot wire.

[MommyGirl]

Is the electric fence even necessary? Am I being to protective? Can a raccoon or opossum fit thru the chainlink?

 

[aart]

Can a raccoon or opossum fit thru the chainlink?

Yes, thru the gaps where the panel meet and around the door....and not sure what you have on the roof of run.

Whether or not you need electric may depend on the predator load you have.

 

[MommyGirl]

Yes, thru the gaps where the panel meet and around the door....and not sure what you have on the roof of run.

Whether or not you need electric may depend on the predator load you have.

Top is also chainlink. Where the panels come together is quite small can't even fit 2 fingers in. I'm more worried about the holes in the chainlink all other spots are close. I've lived here 25 years and have only seen 2 raccoons that our dog killed when they came in.

 

[AgnesGray]

I would suggest wrapping hardware cloth at least around the bottom of your chain link to keep raccoons from reaching their grubby little hands through and pulling chickens through those holes piece by piece. (It happens.) Something smaller than 1 inch.. some will suggest less than 1/2 inch.

Hot wire is a great deterrent also. For electric to work, there should be dirt or moisture containing base under the wire. I am not sure if gravel would work as well for grounding? Pea gravel didn't work well for us, but someone else may be able to confirm or deny if gravel is better. We have 5 lines since it's pretty inexpensive once we had the energizer and a big roll of wire anyway. The insulators hold the bottom lines out a few inches from the run fence and we have them at 4", 8", 12", and 16", one about waist high, and another that sticks out about 6 inches from the run that goes around the top to hopefully get climbers/jumpers. We have had raccoons, foxes, coyotes, and all kinds of wild things decide to get their chicken elsewhere after one run in with the fence. @cmom I think has some great videos of fencing in action.

 

[aart]

Where the panels come together is quite small can't even fit 2 fingers in.

Was seeing these spots:

I'm more worried about the holes in the chainlink all other spots are close.

Raccoons can reach thru chainlink, weasels and rats can walk right thru.

I've lived here 25 years and have only seen 2 raccoons that our dog killed when they came in.

Well, then maybe you have nothing to worry about.

 

[Ridgerunner]

It is covered with chain link. That chain link top and sides will stop most predators, bears are still a risk. It will probably stop wolves or mountain lions as long as it is connected well. That's assuming you are here in the US and those are the predators you are worrying about. I see you piled rock around the bottom to try to stop digging predators. Not sure what you did around the coop. I don't know how effective that may be with your predators. My personal preference is an apron but maybe the rocks will work.

Gates, doors, corners or joints, windows, or external nests or nest openings can be weak points. As that is protected against climbing predators electric fencing may be more than you need. It might be easier and cheaper to cover the corners with fencing if that opening is greater than the size of the chain link holes. I'd use something with openings no larger than that chain link and with some strength. Half inch hardware cloth might be good.

I like to put a sill under a gate or door. I typically use a 4" x 6" or a 4" x 4" treated piece of wood. I used a 2x4 once when I could fasten it well. You can also use bricks, cinder blocks, or pour some concrete. The supports for the gate need to be strong enough so it doesn't sag in the future but close that gap underneath enough that nothing can slide through.

It looks like that gate opens out. I have not used that type of gate. I've installed wood stops to keep gates from going to the inside and tight enough to close up cracks. Sort of the idea of a gate sill. You don't want them to block your path through that gate when you are carrying things but you are just closing the cracks if they exist.

Remember on all this you are looking at the openings bigger than the chain link openings. Certain things can get through those openings: mice, rats, snakes, and some weasels. Those climb really well. The only way to stop those would be to cover the inside of your chain link, top and sides, with a smaller mesh wire and close all openings that small. Electricity won't help with those either, they can get in and out without touching a hot wire. It's easier to protect your coop against those than your run but as long as the pop door is open they can get in the coop too.

I don't think it will be that hard to protect that against raccoon, possum, skunk, dogs, bobcat, or fox without electricity. Electricity is very effective. Once a critter gets shocked it tends to stay way so even when it is turned off it still is effective against them. One problem is that new predators are being born and weaned to go find their own hunting territory all the time. Those have not been shocked. But realistically as long as the current is on most of the time you'd have to be really unlucky for that to be a problem.

Another issue with electricity is that you don't want it to ground out. Snow might cause a problem if it gets deep enough to reach a hot wire. A common problem is that weeds or grass grow up into the hot wire. When those get wet, rain or dew, they can ground it out. I use electric netting, not an electric fence. One problem I've had is when a heavy rain or strong wind piles up stuff up next to it. Usually dead leaves or cut grass but occasionally trash like plastic bags. It does require some maintenance. But electricity can be really effective. I haven't had any loses to ground based predators since I installed my electric netting.

 

[MommyGirl]

Was seeing these spots:

Raccoons can reach thru chainlink, weasels and rats can walk right thru.

Well, then maybe you have nothing to worry about.

Yeah those spots aren't even as big as the fence holes

 

[MommyGirl]

It is covered with chain link. That chain link top and sides will stop most predators, bears are still a risk. It will probably stop wolves or mountain lions as long as it is connected well. That's assuming you are here in the US and those are the predators you are worrying about. I see you piled rock around the bottom to try to stop digging predators. Not sure what you did around the coop. I don't know how effective that may be with your predators. My personal preference is an apron but maybe the rocks will work.

Gates, doors, corners or joints, windows, or external nests or nest openings can be weak points. As that is protected against climbing predators electric fencing may be more than you need. It might be easier and cheaper to cover the corners with fencing if that opening is greater than the size of the chain link holes. I'd use something with openings no larger than that chain link and with some strength. Half inch hardware cloth might be good.

I like to put a sill under a gate or door. I typically use a 4" x 6" or a 4" x 4" treated piece of wood. I used a 2x4 once when I could fasten it well. You can also use bricks, cinder blocks, or pour some concrete. The supports for the gate need to be strong enough so it doesn't sag in the future but close that gap underneath enough that nothing can slide through.

It looks like that gate opens out. I have not used that type of gate. I've installed wood stops to keep gates from going to the inside and tight enough to close up cracks. Sort of the idea of a gate sill. You don't want them to block your path through that gate when you are carrying things but you are just closing the cracks if they exist.

Remember on all this you are looking at the openings bigger than the chain link openings. Certain things can get through those openings: mice, rats, snakes, and some weasels. Those climb really well. The only way to stop those would be to cover the inside of your chain link, top and sides, with a smaller mesh wire and close all openings that small. Electricity won't help with those either, they can get in and out without touching a hot wire. It's easier to protect your coop against those than your run but as long as the pop door is open they can get in the coop too.

I don't think it will be that hard to protect that against raccoon, possum, skunk, dogs, bobcat, or fox without electricity. Electricity is very effective. Once a critter gets shocked it tends to stay way so even when it is turned off it still is effective against them. One problem is that new predators are being born and weaned to go find their own hunting territory all the time. Those have not been shocked. But realistically as long as the current is on most of the time you'd have to be really unlucky for that to be a problem.

Another issue with electricity is that you don't want it to ground out. Snow might cause a problem if it gets deep enough to reach a hot wire. A common problem is that weeds or grass grow up into the hot wire. When those get wet, rain or dew, they can ground it out. I use electric netting, not an electric fence. One problem I've had is when a heavy rain or strong wind piles up stuff up next to it. Usually dead leaves or cut grass but occasionally trash like plastic bags. It does require some maintenance. But electricity can be really effective. I haven't had any loses to ground based predators since I installed my electric netting.

The gravel is just extra protection against digging it's got an apron of wire. All the gaps in pen are smaller than the fence holes it's self except one under the gate and it's going to have something under it so it won't be an issue. Don't have bears or wolves or mountain lions, just looking to keep out raccoons and possums.

 

[3KillerBs]

There is such a thing as an electric fence gate -- some made for net and some for wire. I only know of them -- we're in the middle of setting up our first electric poultry net right now.

 

[MommyGirl]

Coop has hardware apron and cinder blocks around it