New chicken owner with electric fence installation question

[akddr]

Hello All,
I recently got 3, 10 month-old chickens, 2 Plymouth/ barred rocks & 1 Araucana. So far so good. My question relates to electric fence installation. I am looking for a step-by-step guide to setting up my wire system. Call it electric fence installation for dummies. The premier1supplies web site is good but I really need more info on installation basics. ( I live in bear territory in Juneau, AK.). So any suggestions welcome.
Thanks!

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Hi

Glad you could join the flock! I'm sorry but I've never used electric fence but would certainly like to give it whirl if I had a larger area for my chickens. Drop by the coop and run section of the forum for other members who have used electric before. Here is the link https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/9/coop-amp-run-design-construction-amp-maintenance

Wishing you the very best of luck with your flock and fence installation. Enjoy BYC and all the chicken chat

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Are you installing an electric poultry net? They are very simple, have clips to connect one to another or to hotgate.

The biggest thought of the fence is your charger. What type you need or may need in future and amount of output it will handle, you'll need in the future.

There is no electricity to the barn/shed here but is always talked about so I went with an AC/DC charger. It will run off a marine battery and in future can be plugged into an outlet in the barn. Also with DC powered chargers one can install solar panel to keep the battery charged. So those three power sources (2 options with one being solar compatible) need to be considered.

Then you need to consider how much fence you may install in the future and get the size charger that will handle that. You don't want to be under powered, especially in bear country like I am. Premier recommends .25 joules per 164 ft net. I'm going with .5 joules as the 40'X40' poultry space is all I'll ever need but am also going to power a 10x10 apiary area with polytape.

I really like the premier electric netting but see they are pricey on their chargers. Shop elsewhere for that.

 

[mymilliefleur]

Hello and Welcome to BYC! I use electric poultry netting and love it, only I strongly suggest that if you have not all ready purchased the fence, to buy it from Kencove fence supply instead. It is far less inclined to sag, (the premier1 poultry fence sags badly) and the post are much tougher.

Here is a link to a review I did on it: https://www.backyardchickens.com/products/electric-netting-14-48-3-5-white-82-ft/reviews/9558

This is the fence I have: http://www.kencove.com/fence/detail.php?code=NPCW2

You can see my fencing in the back round of these photos:
(First two are Kencove, and the third photo is the Premier1 fence.







I use electric net fencing every day for our chickens and cattle, after you get the hang of it, it's very easy to move and set up.
Let me know if you have any more questions about it. I'd be happy to help.

 

[Bullyshowgirl]

Hello and Welcome to BYC! I use electric poultry netting and love it, only I strongly suggest that if you have not all ready purchased the fence, to buy it from Kencove fence supply instead. It is far less inclined to sag, (the premier1 poultry fence sags badly) and the post are much tougher. Here is a link to a review I did on it: https://www.backyardchickens.com/products/electric-netting-14-48-3-5-white-82-ft/reviews/9558 This is the fence I have: http://www.kencove.com/fence/detail.php?code=NPCW2 You can see my fencing in the back round of these photos: (First two are Kencove, and the third photo is the Premier1 fence. I use electric net fencing every day for our chickens and cattle, after you get the hang of it, it's very easy to move and set up. Let me know if you have any more questions about it. I'd be happy to help.

 

[Bullyshowgirl]

I am interested in the poultry net fencing. Is it the same concept as electric fencing but instead of a wire it's the whole fence that is charged? So what all would I need to purchase to get my poultry net up and running?

 

[newimaging]

@ mymilliefleur

Do you have any issues with arial attacks from Hawks, Owls, ... ?

 

[mymilliefleur]

I am interested in the poultry net fencing. Is it the same concept as electric fencing but instead of a wire it's the whole fence that is charged? So what all would I need to purchase to get my poultry net up and running?

Yes it is, but only the horizontal wires are electrified. I suggest you get a minamum of four sections, (mine are 84 feet long, but I believe some company's sell shorter sections than that) so that you can keep your birds in 2 of those sections (If you have a small flock you can keep them in one section, but since the net is in a circle you will only have an entrance on one side, which makes moving them difficult) and than use the other two sections to set up their next area with out them getting out. You will also need a good charger, and movable coop.

@ mymilliefleur

Do you have any issues with arial attacks from Hawks, Owls, ... ?

Ariel predators are one thing the electric fencing provides little protection against. Fortunitly I have had no issues with them, though I do see some red tailed hawks once in a while. We have a large rodent population here, and guard dogs close by, which may help with that. Also, I keep my flock (not including my bantams, which are kept close to the house) out in an open field with few trees, and most of the hens I have are large, so not any easy meal for a hawk or owl to carry off.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I am interested in the poultry net fencing. Is it the same concept as electric fencing but instead of a wire it's the whole fence that is charged? So what all would I need to purchase to get my poultry net up and running?

Electric netting uses what's called polywire for the horizontal lines except the bottom line to avoid grounding out the fence. If you look up polywire and poly tape you'll see the basics of inexpensive fencing that can be made portable or semi permanent with post ranging from the flimsy figergalss to teposts with insulators to wood posts with insulators. It's far easier and less expense to install than the tension wire on wood posts your more familiar with for electric fence. Poultry netting uses polywire. They all work the same and can carry same voltage; dependent on weed cover grounding and size of charger. The likely hood of more grounding from the lower wires on poultry netting is why .25 joule is suggested per fence. You can get 164' fence (40'x40' run as I've ordered) and if weeds will be a concern then go with .5 joule charger for it so it can give enough volts to deter bear. Chargers have max volts it releases to fence yet there needs to be enough in reserve to solve the weed/brush grounding problems you may have.

 

[Percheron chick]

Electric netting will keep chickens in but it won't slow down a bear.