Talk to me about poultry netting - electrified.

[Toothpick]

I want to expand my run for the winter months and beyond. Right now it’s 6ft tall welded wire. Roughly 14x30 maybe, I can’t recall. But I want to expand it because I’ve added 17 more chickens and things over the winter will simply turn in to a muddy mess. I hate that. I HATE THAT.

I can pick up some electrified poultry netting for bout $279. 164ft and 4ft tall. This will give me plenty of space for the birds but…in your experience…those that use this 4ft tall electrified netting….do your birds jump out? Right now they are in 6ft tall…big heavy birds don‘t tend to jump out in my experience. I’ve never had one leap the fence. But 4ft tall they might think hmmmhhmmm.

I’m not worried about flying predators or night time predators. I know the 4ft tall electric fence won’t stop a predator that can simply jump over. What I’m asking is…

1. Any experience with your birds jumping over 4ft electric poultry netting?
2. I can’t hook it to my current fence because it will just short out. So any tips for “hooking” it to the existing fence? Perhaps just making the “tie in” so narrow no birds can get through? Just making a wood insulator between the two fences maybe?

Any other tips for expanding a run with poultry netting.
Cheers!

 

[DobieLover]

those that use this 4ft tall electrified netting….do your birds jump out?

I use 40". Three 164' nets connected to enclose about 1/3 acre. I installed locust posts on the corners and nailed long insulators to them to keep the net from touching the wood.

The birds have never tried to jump or fly over the net. They need a solid surface to jump up to then over. They did that on the gate framing. If you will have no framing in the netted area, they shouldn't be able to get out or really want to try. You'll have to see what your birds do.

So any tips for “hooking” it to the existing fence?

Sink wood posts tight to your existing run and install insulators to hook the first fence post to. Space things however they need to be spaced to fully support the post.

I strongly advise you buy enough extra posts to double the number that come with the net as it will sag terribly without this extra support.

Where will your charger and ground rods be installed?

 

[RoyalChick]

@DobieLover and I have similar setups although I don’t have those solid wood posts.
I worried the chickens would fly up onto the top of the post and then down.
You definitely need more of their step in posts and I have made some of my corners more sturdy as I am on a hill.
I have had the occasional bird flying over but very rarely.

 

[Penpal]

If they have been free ranging they will try to go over it. I had Autralorps, which are big birds, fly over the fence. Also Rhode Island Red.

Since your birds have not been free ranging and are used to staying within the confines of the fence, I think it will be okay.

 

[Toothpick]

I use 40". Three 164' nets connected to enclose about 1/3 acre. I installed locust posts on the corners and nailed long insulators to them to keep the net from touching the wood.
View attachment 3654771
The birds have never tried to jump or fly over the net. They need a solid surface to jump up to then over. They did that on the gate framing. If you will have no framing in the netted area, they shouldn't be able to get out or really want to try. You'll have to see what your birds do.


Sink wood posts tight to your existing run and install insulators to hook the first fence post to. Space things however they need to be spaced to fully support the post.

I strongly advise you buy enough extra posts to double the number that come with the net as it will sag terribly without this extra support.

Where will your charger and ground rods be installed?

Not sure yet. I’m either going to have to get the solar powered charger or plug a long extension cord to the power supply, which is not ideal at all. I’ve had good luck with the solar power Ring camera so I may go that route with the charger. I also have a lot of rock where I will be making the fence so it really depends on where I can go the deepest without hitting rock.

Can you buy the extra posts without the fence? I assume so.

 

[DobieLover]

the solar powered charger

They tend to be weak and at the mercy of good sunlight

plug a long extension cord to the power supply, which is not ideal at all

How far away is your closet power source?

I’ve had good luck with the solar power Ring camera

A Ring camera does not use anywhere near the amount of power as ab electric fence charger.

Can you buy the extra posts without the fence? I assume so

Yes, you can buy extra posts separately from the fence.

 

[Toothpick]

How far away is your closet power source?

30-40ft.

 

[DobieLover]

30-40ft.

It wouldn't be that difficult to dig a trench out and run a line to a weather proof structure to house the charger and a receptacle.

 

[Toothpick]

It wouldn't be that difficult to dig a trench out and run a line to a weather proof structure to house the charger and a receptacle.

No it wouldn’t. But I’m not going to do that. My coop (8x10 in size) sits right next to my storage shed which has an outside plug. It would be easier to put the charger in there, within a lil box or something so chicken poo don’t engulf it in a matter of hours, and run the power to the fence from there. Which I didn’t think of until now. It may be close enough I don’t need an extension cord. Depending how long the power cable is for the charger.

 

[DobieLover]

No it wouldn’t. But I’m not going to do that. My coop (8x10 in size) sits right next to my storage shed which has an outside plug. It would be easier to put the charger in there, within a lil box or something so chicken poo don’t engulf it in a matter of hours, and run the power to the fence from there. Which I didn’t think of until now. It may be close enough I don’t need an extension cord. Depending how long the power cable is for the charger.

There are no power cables for the charger. You purchase lead out wire separately.
You use a piece to connect from the ground terminal to the first ground rod and another to jumper the second (and third if you are using three) ground rod.
You use a third piece to connect from the hot terminal to the fence. As the name on the package suggests you can (and should) bury it.
If you are mounting it any where the chickens can get to it you will need to protect the hot terminal so they cannot touch it.