someone please tell me what to buy

[Mom 2em All]

I need a hot wire fence I suppose. However, the area is too large to cover the pen so the top will still be vulnerable. I lost seven pullets and five 1 week olds - Mama hen did survive. this was in the evening and I only found feathers.
Yesterday I lost one more pullet that could have occurred before I came home, but I let them all out of their pen to free- range, and I sat out there with them the whole time. My guineas were flighty and crazy. Well, I noticed I was missing a dominique- pretty sure she went out with me, but cant say 100%.
I need a fence that can handle long grasses touching it. I can say I will keep it weedwacked all day long, but the truth is it probably wont.

What strength fence do I want? I looked at the store and there are so many pieces and parts. I just dont know what I need.
ETA:
its feather carnage out there Right from my coop, I lost four large hens last night. With a spotlight, with a motion detector sprinkler, with a radio playing. With a baby monitor in the coop- I never heard anything.

 

[Howard E]

It is optimal when an electric fence can be run where there is no weed growth to short / ground it out. When weeds touch the fence, the juice in the fence has an alternative pathway to ground, so the potential shock is reduced. So maintaining a weed free zone is best. Not only that, but keeping it weed free by mowing along both sides....inside and out.....creates a recognizable zone for the birds and varmints so they know they are approaching the fence. If a person doesn't object, you can spray plant growth with RoundUp to keep the area free of any plant growth. Or run a weedeater.

Keep in mind, if you are using fence products like wire, poly rope or poly tape....(not poultry netting)....the bottom strand needs to be close to the ground.....about 5 inches or so. About 3 or 4 strands......each 5 inches apart.......so from the ground up....strands at 5, 10, 15 and 20 inches......is all that is needed to keep 99% of the varmints at bay.

Back to your question......if you will have weed growth, you need an AC (plugs in to household current) fence charger and one rated for 30 miles of fence. That will shock through the weed growth.

Farm across the road from me is used for cattle......but has no effective livestock fencing, so all cattle are kept inside by a single strand of wire fence. It runs through weeds and brush for the entire length.....probably 3 miles of fencing. They use an ancient Parmak 30 mile AC fencer and it seems to be working.

 

[Mom 2em All]

I really don’t know what I’m doing so I need lots of help- I’m sorry.
I am overwhelmed. Don’t I have to worry about it frying the chickens and my cats?
and there are so many types of wire and lots of hooks and doodads and whatchamacallit.
is there a list somewhere of what I should buy and what type? And posts?Am I able to do this alone?

 

[Howard E]

How big of an area are you trying to enclose and what is the terrain? Flat and level or rolling? And woods, grass, etc?

Enclosing a yard? Run? Just the coop?

 

[reddogmaster2]

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls;

This is an excellent thread that reinforces the fact that you should fully predator proof the area that you will keep your chickens BEFORE you get chickens.

Otherwise you just opened up a Free All You Can Eat Buffet for the local Predators.

@Mom 2em All can you post some pics of your setup so that we can help you get properly set up?

Thanks

 

[Mom 2em All]

Flat and level or rolling? And woods, grass, etc?
Run? Just the coop?

Um.. yes.
it’s about 50 feet by 100 feet. Rolling Sloping area wooded and trees in back, high grasses/brush at one side, yard grass on the other two sides which are sort of flat. Well, sloping on that side and flat in the front.
my boyfriend converted an old tin shed in to a coop. There are two cedar trees in the pen. The pen is made of six foot chicken wire with tree trunk posts that are mega tall All the way around.
the coop itself is a tin building with wooden frame work and the roof does not meet the sides because of the wooden beams thatgo across. It’s probably 60 years old. That is where my chickens roost. It the top where they can see out.
Whatever I do to fix this problem, I have to do it by myself. My boyfriend is working out of town for the next month.

 

[Mom 2em All]

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls;

This is an excellent thread that reinforces the fact that you should fully predator proof the area that you will keep your chickens BEFORE you get chickens.

Otherwise you just opened up a Free All You Can Eat Buffet for the local Predators.

glad I could help
[/QUOTE]

 

[hayley3]

The hardest part of electric fencing for a woman is the ground rods. I used a 3ft t-post ground rod from Gallagher. It required very little strength to get into the ground although you may need more than one, I only needed one. I'm using a premier poultry fence atm but I have to pick it up to mow so it's a pain.
I also bought a solar charger which made things easier for me as well.
You can use those small step in posts from the Orscheln's or Tractor Supply, like Howard E uses and I use poly wire which is easier to use.
You need a ground rod and grounding wire, the charger and a clamping wire (fence lead) that goes from the charger to the fence.

 

[hayley3]

glad I could help

[/QUOTE]
I'll be honest, I put my first, new batch of chickens into a closed stall...little did I know the raccoons would converge and fight me over them. I lost many chickens before I realized I would have to strategically plan how to save my chickens in a BIG way from all the predators.

 

[Ruby Rogue]

If you just recently started losing your birds, it's likely only one or 2 culprits and I would advise eliminating the chicken killer as well.