Premier Electronet Fence as predator (and protector)

[JoAnn_WI_4-H_Mom]

When I was a kid, we found a rooster hanging upside down in the chicken run, his legs caught in the chicken wire. He had apparently made a leap and got his spurs tangled.

So I knew this could happen, but believed it to be a rare fluke.

Now we have the premier electronet, and we have lost a pullet when she flew into it, got tangled and ended up hanging upside down. We were not home to notice and rescue her. Sorry bird.

I figured it would be easier for them to get caught in this looser, softer stuff than regular wire. I hope the losses will be one or two a year. Does anyone else have more experience with this product? Are there ways to discourage the flying without clipping their wing feathers?

I still really love the way this stuff lets me pasture them all over. We have a strong skunk smell in the yard every morning, and indications of Coyote, Racoon, Oppossum and other varmits all the time. Due to the electric fence, we have not lost any to animal attacks. Although we are starting to notice hawks circling, so we are providing more cover and suspended plastic "Caution" tape over the pasture.

 

[Blue Skys]

I don't have any experience with that kind of fencing. The only thing I could think of is if there is any room at the top of the posts that the wire stuff is attached to, maybe you could weave some yarn or something (as long as the posts are not conductive and the area is not too big) else across the top. That would discourage the chickens and any flying predators. But I don't think it would be practical if the area was too large.

I hope you find something that works for you!!

 

[michickenwrangler]

The first night our chicks spent outside, one managed to fly over the fence, came pecking at our sliding glass window, allowed herself to be caught and I put her back. A few minutes later, I went out to check on them again and I saw one hen trying to perch on a section of the fence, frantically beating her wings to stay upright. Even with the fence on, I ran out to disentangle her. Two months later, no problems.

Birds aren't dumb and I hope that in both of our sakes, the other chickens were scared enough to not mess with it. We also have coyotes, cougars and black bear (in addition to smaller ones) in our area and so far haven't lost any chickens to predators.