NY chicken lover!!!!

[itsy]

SO sorry to hear about your fox troubles, Featherz!!! With the right ammo - you don't need the best aim with your shotgun....

 

[featherz]

I am so sorry he is so sneaky. At this time they are starting to take their kits out to Hun t. Perhaps you could catch a little one...sorry about your hens, poor dears.

Thank you.. The two pullets he got the other day didn't bother me as much as the naked neck he got today. She was a real diva, and her feathers are all over the yard so I keep getting reminded. I guess I shouldn't poo poo keeping fat chickens as much - he tried twice to get a brahma and both times the feathers are everywhere but the chicken is still alive.

I just managed to tempt them back in the run with a pop tart. Whew!

 

[featherz]

If you already have a run(s), put a ground wire about 6 inches,from the ground, on the outside. You can purchase insulators with a 6 inch extension. You do not want the hot(electrified) wire to touch metal or it will ground out(not work). Put the top wire at the top most place on your fence. This should keep predators out. If you are thinking of only using 2 strands of electric wire to keep out predators(fox) , I have not had any luck with that. Keeps the horses in, but not chickens, fox, coyote or anything else. Good luck!!

I really have had good luck with the premier1 electric netting. Maybe you could purchase 1 length a year and fence off a pasture at a time. At least someone would be safe. Sometimes it goes on sale so if you keep checking in, you may get it cheaper. Good luck!

Hey, if I use a ground wire, I still need the ground poles, right? Those are ridiculously expensive.. I don't suppose there's a home depot equivalent? I plan to use insulators and run two wires around the run on one coop and around coop AND run on the other. One lower to the ground to prevent digging and one higher up to zap if they climb. One coop I am using the plastic t-posts from TSC - do I still need the insulators on that? I have t-post insulators and wood post insulators but can return to get whatever is needed.

 

[Henicillin]

Does anyone use the solar powered things for their coops here in NY and do they do okay, even with our long winters?

I was thinking of trying solar to power lights for the coops and pens at night so they at least have a night light or something, especially the ducks. I wouldn't mind having a light shining outside of their quarters either in hopes it would deter predators some. It would be nice to not have to run extension cords everywhere.

I have a solar-powered "decorative rope" of white LED lights (basically a fancy Christmas tree light strand in a tube) fastened up around the ceiling in my coop, and it works very well. It's faint enough not to mess with their cycles, but it's bright enough that you don't bust your butt entering the coop at night, and a chicken that finds itself on the floor can manage to get back up on the roost. It fades out in the wee hours of the morning. I bought mine at Home Depot last year, but you can find them pretty well anywhere nowadays.

 

[Henicillin]

I'm in the "Where's Rancher Hicks?" group - I hope he's OK!

 

[stonykill]

I'm in the "Where's Rancher Hicks?" group - I hope he's OK!

I know, he hasn't been on in quite a while

 

[Lapeerian]

Hey, if I use a ground wire, I still need the ground poles, right? Those are ridiculously expensive.. I don't suppose there's a home depot equivalent? I plan to use insulators and run two wires around the run on one coop and around coop AND run on the other. One lower to the ground to prevent digging and one higher up to zap if they climb. One coop I am using the plastic t-posts from TSC - do I still need the insulators on that? I have t-post insulators and wood post insulators but can return to get whatever is needed.

Are the plastic t-posts the step in plastic posts? They come in white or black with a metal spike on the bottom, cost around $2.50 and have molded in clips. If that is what you have, you don't need insulators, the clips are the insulators to hold the wire. I have the same posts for my temp fences in the rotational grazing for the horses and have used a few with the chicken wire for a temporary enclosure for the littles to run in during the day. T-post insulators will only work on metal t-posts, won't fit any other style. Wood post insulators can be nailed into any wood surface. If they are the yellow extended insulators, you use nails to attach. If you are hooking them up near other wire (chicken/hardware cloth), you will want to be sure to have the extended insulators. Anything closer and you could have problems with the electric arcing from the hot wire to the chicken wire. It will either electrify everything or ground it out. They also make insulators that attach to chain link fence if you need that style, but have never seen them in store. You may need a different style insulator for the ends to keep enough tension in the wire. Regular insulators will either pull out or twist/bend/break.
The 'ground' on the fence charger will need to be hooked to a ground rod. Doesn't necessarily need to be the 6' buried pole you find in TSC. But it does need to be conductive (metal) and does need to get pounded into the ground a decent amount, at least 1'. It works with the moisture in the soil, so if it is shallow and we have a drought, you may need to dump some water on the ground to keep the fence hot.
I wish we lived closer, I could help set up the fence. Between the horses and growing up on a dairy farm, I know how to build a fence and make it hot. But I'll give all the advice you want!

http://www.kencove.com/fence/99_Energizer+Installation_resource.php
This may be information overkill, but at least there are some pictures to get you started.

 

[vmdanielsen]

Hey, if I use a ground wire, I still need the ground poles, right? Those are ridiculously expensive.. I don't suppose there's a home depot equivalent? I plan to use insulators and run two wires around the run on one coop and around coop AND run on the other. One lower to the ground to prevent digging and one higher up to zap if they climb. One coop I am using the plastic t-posts from TSC - do I still need the insulators on that? I have t-post insulators and wood post insulators but can return to get whatever is needed.

I am unfamiliar with plastic tpoles from tsc. I do use a plastic poles that I do not use insulators with. I do not know what you mean by ground poles. I would consider a ground wire to be the one that grounds the fencer. A ground pole(a grounding rod, either aluminum or copper) is placed about 6 feet in the ground.

Did I answer your questions?

Ginny

 

[Henicillin]

My 11-month-old Jersey Giant pullet (she's hatchery, and is pretty dinky, so she doesn't at all suit her breed) has been on the edge of broody for weeks now. She has a nice, bare underside, and has been growling like an evil little beast when she's laying. She spent last night tucked away in a corner under the nest boxes, and is there again tonight. So, I flopped down in the shavings (threw down a clean bale first - I generally avoid lying in poop shavings unless there's an emergency, because I'm not a total hillbilly) and checked under her, and found four eggs laid by heaven only knows who. As I'm a sucker, I marked them and gave them back to her. I figure she can't do any worse than the last two clowns.

Meanwhile, the Peeps continue to grow like weeds, and are the cheekiest little brats around. Gladys is a great mama - I wouldn't hesitate to put hatching eggs under that girl!

 

[In His Service]

Looks like I will be picking up another 10x10 kennel on Saturday, to extend a run or two. At least that will help when the chickens cannot get out. I plan to do the chicken shuffle, get all the newbies into a regular coop. Gotta do some rabbit hutch building and repair of old hutches. Never a dull moment!