Need Help from people with electric fence experience

[mooman]

I have a large garden (150ft x 75ft). I also have 14 chickens that free range on some days and most evenings.

I am planning on using 1/4 of the garden to raise turkeys this summer.

Problem: What is the cheapest way to keep the turkeys in and the chickens out.


Requirements:

The solution needs to moveble on a yearly basis. (next year the turkeys will be on the next section of garden and I need to be able to drive a tractor into the garden after growing season)

I need to be able to easily access the garden with a wheelbarrow and the turkey pen lugging food and water

I don't like the look of electric poultry netting

I was hoping that electric fencing could do both. Has anybody kept birds in/out using standard electric fencing? How many lines? Spacing?

The turkeys will have 150x15ft. How hard will they try to get out.

The chickens have three acres to free range in so probably won't try to hard to get in.

suggestions please

 

[twotmama]

Electric fencing has never worked with my chickens, turkeys, ducks or geese they always seem to get through, I am having the same problem. All I can do to keep them out of my garden is a water sprinkler which you can't run indefinently or fence it off somehow or just lock them up. If your garden is very big its best to make a different pen that will allow them to roam, but stay out of the garden. I have decide to enclose my chickens and etc. instead of the garden it will be alot cheaper and I won't have to move it . After gardening is over you can release them to roam freely.

 

[CovenantCreek]

You should probably look into getting some electric poultry netting/fencing -- rather than a few rows of electrified wire it's all electrified (horizontally and vertically). I believe most brands would be easily moved and reset as needed. I've seen some advertised in Backyard Poultry magazine.

 

[Akane]

I would just build a chicken tractor for the turkeys and move it around. Electric fencing doesn't work the greatest in a small area. The netting might work but I find netting more of a pain to move around than mesh wire and it won't offer as much protection. Have you seen hoop coops? Depending how big you want it you might have to use a thin gauge hog panel instead of a cattle panel but it's cheap, easy, and quick to setup. Just a few pieces of scrap wood for the ends, a panel, and a tarp. Then you can slide it around or get someone to help you lift it. Can't imagine it weighs too much. I could lift multiple cattle panels by myself if it wasn't for the length and flopping.

 

[chickensioux]

We have a low voltage wire running about a ft. above our chainlink fence. So far it has kept everyone where they belong and those that don't belong out. I've touched it (accidentally) and it's mean but not deadly. My tom has never even attempted to leave and the hens have tested the wire and decided that the grass was NOT greener on the other side.
Oh, and the cost was around $100 to fence a 50 x 100' area.