STOP predators.... easy!!

[strawbie]

hi there we have an electric fence, 5 strands of it, starting w/ first strand at 6 inches from ground. Last strand is above our heads at 6 foot.... we have NO MORE predators!Our
poultry yard ( coops enclosed) is 44' x 22' big.
It was supereasy to install and if you truly love and adore your chickens as we do, it is a must have!!
we use a 50 mile Parmak electric fence charger( bought from JeffersLivestock 1800Jeffers)
1 huge roll of galvanized wire
fence post insulators ( porcelain)
plastic gate hooks that connect to wires...
ALL TOLD... THIS COST US 200.00 FOR EVERYTHING AND WE HAVE NOT HAD A SINGLE PREDATOR ... NO WEASEL.. RACCOON...OPOSSUM... COYOTE... OR BEAR... IN OVER 7 YEARS.
The top of our run is crisscrossed in galvanized wire, NOT electrified, to stop hawks. Works like a charm!! Hope this helps everyone.....

 

[Buff Hooligans]

bumped, hope that's okay.

 

[StupidBird]

that sounds intense, do you have any photos please?

 

[Frogdogtimestwo]

Only problem we have is when the power goes out (we have a similar fortress), the coyotes have got a few chickens. We need to get a solar charger or backup plan.

 

[gsim]

Great job Strawbie.

I feel like a piker. I did a 5-mile charger 4 KV. I would have done a 50 miler if we had bears tho.

I did 2x4 welded wire x 6 ft tall set in cement. 2,000 sq ft. Did 4 courses of hot wire and so far, so good. Have only had it all up for 4 months tho. Have not done anything to deter hawks. No chicks tho, just super fat pullets. I do have a large population of crows hereabouts and they do not take kindly to hawks or owls. They gang up on them and run them off. I still want to do something like a partial covering of netting (I have three trees in pen). Just enough to deter the glide, snatch & grab that hawks prefer.

 

[strawbie]

.............i'm STILL reading about folks losing poultry to predators..... i guess there will be people who just dont want to install the electric fence, tho i cannot understand why not.

ps...... power has gone out here occasionally..... all u have to do is take dirty laundry and hang it around the enclosure, it keeps all pred's at bay....

 

[strawbie]

just spread dirty laundry around coop/enclosure when power goes out. ,... really works as backup.. goodluck.
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[StupidBird]

I don't know how the electric fence will go over in our subdivision. Still, after the swat team hit the rental house next door last week, maybe we all should have electric wire - perimeter the whole house!

 

[Kennyog]

Could you show us a picture of your fence?

 

[Benelli]

Let me start this by saying, I have electric fencing as a deterrent with my horses to keep off my fencing, but never put a lot of faith in it to keep predators out. Here are a few reasons why and one happened yesterday.

Four months ago, my neighbors goats were attacked by two dogs that had run away from another neighbors home. They were missing for two weeks. When they found their way back to familiar territory, they attacked the goats, both behind serious electric fencing. One of the goats had to be put down. The victim’s owners showed compassion for the dogs since they were skin & bones and tick infested when they returned. No doubt starving.

The fence was reinforced with from five to six strands of hot wire and an even more powerful unit to charge the fencing. This fence has gotten me on two occasions. Once from touching and once from being four inches from it and it arched. Both times, it took me to my knees. This fencing is no joke. A miniature pony, about 300 lbs. was brought home to keep the remaining goat company.

Yesterday, the neighbor came home to find his own three large dogs had dug out from under their fencing and attacking the mini. The goat was ramming the dogs trying to help her pasture mate. It was clearly evident to the owner that the fence had gotten the dogs because they were afraid to go back through it when he charged them with a tree limb to get them off of her. They wanted out, but didn’t want to get near the wire. To make a long and grueling story short, the damage was so severe to her hind end, a wound the size of a basketball where they’d actually gotten to her intestines, that she had to be put to sleep.

The only fencing I’ve ever seen that keeps wandering dogs or coyotes out of a pasture is the 4x2 welded wire with a charged line at the top. I’m not saying a fox can’t jump it, I’ve seen that. However, if the dog wants in, he’s going to have to spend some serious time digging, which most passing through will not do. The dogs in question above, had nothing but time to dig out of their own pen. What’s disturbing is that they are well fed, sweet dogs. I know you can’t bred the true predator out of them, but this was clearly just a “joy” attack for them. Needless to say, they will not be around much longer since they’ve gotten a taste of blood. My friends don’t want any other animals deaths on their hands due to their own dogs.