Talk to me about electric fencing

[Conan]

The chicken area or the property?

Chicken run + main coop + mini-coop take up an area approximately 8 feet wide by 26 feet long. So I guess the fence would need to encompass an area several feet larger than that in each dimension.

The chicken area, unless you're planning on any unsupervised free range time in the larger fenced portion of your property.
I just really like chain link for its ease of workability, it's indestructible, and price. The posts make it easy to run hot wire too.

 

[sdm111]

What kind do you use Mr. Sam?

ETA: Netting or hotwire? Electric or solar? Brand?

A red snapper that's about 30yrs old literally. My friends dad raised walkers and he used it so the dogs would not climb the kennels. It sends a full 110. Not like today's
It welded a hawk to the ground once

 

[sdm111]

 

[Kgbao]

I’ve always ran my electric fencing right off my fence post (on the outside) with the little 4inch I guess they are stand offs. Any dog, predator, that gets zapped once won’t get with in several feet of it after that. I forget the name of the one I had ( red snapper I think )but it was bought at a local feed and seed and was a plug in.


Just a side note and funny story:

Back when I was 13 maybe 14, my dad and I would hunt a friends farm land, there was an old wooden fence line we always stopped and pottied at, 2 or 3 years this fence was broke and dead. One day we stopped and was going to do the usual and wow I got a shocking surprise, old Walt had fixed the fence lol. So don’t potty on a fence..

 

[getaclue]

Parmak tends to be the best. I have this one: https://www.amazon.com/Parmak-HS-10...s=parmak+fence+charger&qid=1587320268&sr=8-10

My coop/run is 16 x 40, and the fence is about 3 feet out. I run 3 strands of wire. The first most critical thing about setting one up, is grounding. Don't hesitate to put in deep rods, solid copper, and at the very least, 2 of them. They have to be deep enough that there is moisture in the ground. BTW, if you go through a real dry spell, water the area(s) where the ground rods are at. You can use the tape type wire, or regular wire (that's what I use), but get a game cam, or surveillance type camera, and use it for a couple weeks to get your wires adjusted to the type predators you are dealing with. It took me a couple days to fine tune my wires. While this produces a good electrical zap, some training may be involved.

Mine works for dogs too, but my main objective was to keep out the several opossums, and raccoons. At first, the majority of the raccoons that initially got shocked, didn't return for several nights. There was one, that it took several nights of getting shocked, before it got the idea, and hasn't returned. The ones that initially got shocked, and didn't return for several nights, did come back, and had to get shocked again. This repeated itself a few times, before they got the idea, but after about the third or fourth time, they have not returned. The opossums got idea quickly, however, there is this one opossum, that checks the fence nightly. If I slip up, and forget to turn it back on, after tending the chickens, that dang opossum won't. I make sure the fence is on after I leave the coop. It's habit.

 

[CSAchook]

Loving hearing everyone's thoughts and experiences. And the setup pictures are super helpful too!

The chicken area, unless you're planning on any unsupervised free range time in the larger fenced portion of your property.
I just really like chain link for its ease of workability, it's indestructible, and price. The posts make it easy to run hot wire too.

Nope, no unsupervised free range time for these little fluffbutts.
We will definitely look in to the price of chainlink. Silver-lining of DH being furloughed during the pandemic, we have plenty of time for important projects like this one!

Parmak tends to be the best. I have this one: https://www.amazon.com/Parmak-HS-10...s=parmak+fence+charger&qid=1587320268&sr=8-10

My coop/run is 16 x 40, and the fence is about 3 feet out. I run 3 strands of wire. The first most critical thing about setting one up, is grounding. Don't hesitate to put in deep rods, solid copper, and at the very least, 2 of them. They have to be deep enough that there is moisture in the ground. BTW, if you go through a real dry spell, water the area(s) where the ground rods are at. You can use the tape type wire, or regular wire (that's what I use), but get a game cam, or surveillance type camera, and use it for a couple weeks to get your wires adjusted to the type predators you are dealing with. It took me a couple days to fine tune my wires. While this produces a good electrical zap, some training may be involved.

Mine works for dogs too, but my main objective was to keep out the several opossums, and raccoons. At first, the majority of the raccoons that initially got shocked, didn't return for several nights. There was one, that it took several nights of getting shocked, before it got the idea, and hasn't returned. The ones that initially got shocked, and didn't return for several nights, did come back, and had to get shocked again. This repeated itself a few times, before they got the idea, but after about the third or fourth time, they have not returned. The opossums got idea quickly, however, there is this one opossum, that checks the fence nightly. If I slip up, and forget to turn it back on, after tending the chickens, that dang opossum won't. I make sure the fence is on after I leave the coop. It's habit.

Thanks, this is very helpful! A game cam is a great idea. Currently our known predators are raccoons, skunks, hawks, coyotes (rare), and dogs. But I would be interested to see who are most common visitors are.

 

[Kgbao]

Parmak tends to be the best. I have this one: https://www.amazon.com/Parmak-HS-10...s=parmak+fence+charger&qid=1587320268&sr=8-10

My coop/run is 16 x 40, and the fence is about 3 feet out. I run 3 strands of wire. The first most critical thing about setting one up, is grounding. Don't hesitate to put in deep rods, solid copper, and at the very least, 2 of them. They have to be deep enough that there is moisture in the ground. BTW, if you go through a real dry spell, water the area(s) where the ground rods are at. You can use the tape type wire, or regular wire (that's what I use), but get a game cam, or surveillance type camera, and use it for a couple weeks to get your wires adjusted to the type predators you are dealing with. It took me a couple days to fine tune my wires. While this produces a good electrical zap, some training may be involved.

Mine works for dogs too, but my main objective was to keep out the several opossums, and raccoons. At first, the majority of the raccoons that initially got shocked, didn't return for several nights. There was one, that it took several nights of getting shocked, before it got the idea, and hasn't returned. The ones that initially got shocked, and didn't return for several nights, did come back, and had to get shocked again. This repeated itself a few times, before they got the idea, but after about the third or fourth time, they have not returned. The opossums got idea quickly, however, there is this one opossum, that checks the fence nightly. If I slip up, and forget to turn it back on, after tending the chickens, that dang opossum won't. I make sure the fence is on after I leave the coop. It's habit.

You always have that one that just doesn’t learn.

 

[CindyinSD]

IME, to keep dogs out all you need are two strands of highly visible "wire" and the energizer of your choice (and a ground, of course.) Put one wire low, where any self-respecting dog will just have to sniff it, and another a bit higher up just in case.

AC energizers are cheaper and more powerful. Solar are pricier and weaker but much easier for most of us to manage. That's what I have. My equine ropes are strung fairly high because DH thinks that works better to keep cows in. (He's wrong, but it doesn't matter. Our place is fenced in barbed wire anyhow.) Despite the fact that our dogs could easily walk under the rope, they won't even look at it straight on. And it's not even that hot.

 

[CSAchook]

IME, to keep dogs out all you need are two strands of highly visible "wire" and the energizer of your choice (and a ground, of course.) Put one wire low, where any self-respecting dog will just have to sniff it, and another a bit higher up just in case.

AC energizers are cheaper and more powerful. Solar are pricier and weaker but much easier for most of us to manage. That's what I have. My equine ropes are strung fairly high because DH thinks that works better to keep cows in. (He's wrong, but it doesn't matter. Our place is fenced in barbed wire anyhow.) Despite the fact that our dogs could easily walk under the rope, they won't even look at it straight on. And it's not even that hot.

Thanks Cindy! These are some great points.

 

[CSAchook]

Forgive me for the silly question but...how do you all get in and out of your fenced area? A gate? If so, anyone got any gate pictures?