Sad Day

[yogifink]

Lost two of my girls this morning.

We don't really have a predator problem in our area, and have let our chickens free range in our large plot (about an acer) for 2 years now without any instance. Our 2 outdoor cats, hang around the coop, but leave them alone. In fact, our larger red's will actually show the cats who's boss once in a while! Both our dogs (labs) are more concerned about eating the chicken manure, than doing after the chickens.

Not sure what got to them. Neither chicken was ate, only appeared to be bit. One had two wounds, one on a leg and one on it neck. The other had a single wound on its side. The girl with the single wound I found between an out building and a fence, still alive (enough space between them for me to walk in between). Both of them were in our neighbors yard, who have to small dogs (ankle biters).

I am thinking they (chickens) got over the fence, and the two ankle biters wanted to play. Explaining the wounds, and them not being ate. Does this sound right?

 

[yogifink]

We have a 4 foot perimeter fence around our 'chicken yard' topped with some bamboo. I think the concern is to keep the girls in, as I have seed them perch on the fence a few times.

Does anyone recommend a method to keep them from getting up on the fence (and then getting down on the wrong side)? Maybe an electric wire or something?

 

[yogifink]

 

[Mathew544]

So sorry for your loss. I think your assumption is correct. If it was a wild predator they would have been eaten, not just bit. One of my young hens was "played" with by a dog and only had a small bite, but he actually broke her hip. It all happened in seconds and too much damage was already done. She could not walk. The dog was scared and acted like he had no clue it was a living animal. He was whimpering and scared for days afterward.

My advice to prevent them from "jumping" the fence would be to attach wooden boards at an angle on top of your existing post, and then run fencing or even electric wire on top of that so they can't jump between them. Creating an angle that leans down toward there pen should prevent them from perching or flying over. Good luck!

 

[D Kluck]

the fence is to low... .. and the bamboo allows them to perch at the top of the fence... one solution would be to extend the 4' fence by adding 3' tall chicken wire to the top of it... do not put anything rigid on top of the chicken wire that would allow the chickens to perch on... chickens have a very difficult time of flying up and over in one continous flight...

 

[ZielinskiFarm]

So sorry to hear about the chickens.

I would bet the ankle-biters killed them. I have 2 daschund mixes and they kill chickens. Our 4 foot fence is not enough to keep the chickens from jumping it... I'm going to try and add fence to make it 6' and see if that's enough.

We can keep the dogs out of the chicken area, but can't keep the chickens out of the dog area.

 

[yogifink]

Thank you for your replies.

If I were to use an electric wire, where can I get some and what type should I buy so that it is safe? Are there any solar powered options available?

I am thinking an angle off the top of our current fence, like a hockey stick, and using one or two low voltage wires to discourage them from hoping up there...sound good?

 

[aart]

Something floppy like D Kluck suggested would be easier and less expensive.
I've read that it's quite effective if they land on top of the fence before going over.
If they fly right over, neither electric or floppy fence top will work.

Solar electric fence chargers are available.

 

[thomasboyle]

I use an electric net fence 48" high. Go online and checkout Premier1. If you add an electric wire to the top of your fence, it won't work. You have to touch the wire and ground at the same time, and if the bird is on the wire, they are not touching ground. Same reason a bird can sit on an electric line on a phone pole, and nothing happens, but you touch the same wire with a ladder and get cooked. Sounds like dogs could have played with them, not trying to kill them, but not realizing how fragile chickens can be.

 

[aart]

I use an electric net fence 48" high. Go online and checkout Premier1. If you add an electric wire to the top of your fence, it won't work. You have to touch the wire and ground at the same time, and if the bird is on the wire, they are not touching ground......

True about the birds touching only the hot wire will not get shocked Good point!!

I just asked about this in another thread somewhere..... anything else climbing the fence and touching the hot wire, if the fence is grounded (metal fence and metal posts) it will get shocked...don't have to be touching the ground itself if the fence is grounded. Hope that makes sense.