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So sorry to hear about this Krista Especially when you had the netting, but not the energizer. I have the electric poultry netting from Premier, and a charger that will power 9 of them. I have 2 up now.
Just so's you know, there were old WOLF tracks in what is now the coop. We also have bear, red fox, coyote, and all the other smaller and nastier predators too. The only thing that's ever gotten any of my chicks was a red tailed hawk- got 2, one splash Orp, 1 mottled cochin.. And now he is foiled cause I got 5 rolls of bird netting and tied them to fence posts all around the netting. Haven't lost 1 since. My roommate says she saw the hawk sitting in a tree just SE of the coop/fence set-up. The chicks are in a hayfield, so we let the hay grow real long to give them some protection that way. We also set up an 8 x 10 canopy in the furthest out section of netting. (It covers over 5000 sq. ft.) This was to "break up his line of sight". Roomie says she hasn't seen him around lately.
The bird netting was 7ft x 100 ft. I left some gaps between the long runs of it and tied it together with bright pink and orange string. That way he sees the string and the netting, and can't tell where the gaps are. The areas around the coop where the babies first venture out to play are especially well covered with bird netting. Some of it is loose on one side so it flaps aroud in the breeze. Presto. No more hawk problems. I've also heard of people stringing up old CDs to swing in the breeze to scare away the hawks.
My energizer is a two-way. It can plug into an outlet, or into a 12 volt marine battery. We have it plugged into the outlet. Even when I accidentally touch the part of the fence farthest away from the energizer,( 328 ft.) I get a hell of a jolt. But nothing harmful or severe. It wouldn't hurt your kids, or cause them to not be able to let go, but they sure wouldn't be going near it after they touched it.
Do you not have any electricity out by your birds? I don't know how well the solar chargers work, but they would not be my first choice.
But you are right not to set it up without energizing it. Then your birds would just get tangled in it. And so would anything else that came near to have a look-see, and found it not hot. My Chow Chow, touched it once. He had been rubbing near it all day with his coat and felt nothing, he is very stubborn and has a high pain threshold ( those underground fences for dogs don't phase him for a second), then he finally touched it with his nose.....pretty funny. Now he won't even go near that part of the yard.
I hope you can get yours energized soon, then nothing 4-legged will ever touch your birds. I guaran-darn-tee it.
I wish...Ive been running on fumes all weekend so very busy!! How the roo exchange go? now did you sell them or give them away?? I hope you got at least gas $$ LOL....
