The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[armorfirelady]

 


If you already have the chain link and can install that, you could buy a very inexpensive charger that will run on household current and run a strand close to the ground, and an other at the top of the fence, off set about 6" outside the fence.  That would discourage both diggers and climbers.

Aoxa:  I agree with you re: summer heat.  I can always put on more layers of clothing, and stoke up the wood fire, but can't always take off enough layers in high summer heat to get comfortable without scaring children and neighbors!

I am loving all of the ideas! But, how do you all feel about children and electric fencing/netting?  The only experience I have ever had with it is hearing it click at my friends farm.  I am always scared my kids are going to touch it and tell them not to touch anything.  Granted, I know that kids can learn to be careful, and I am not opposed to them learning some things the hard way, but I don't want to injure them.  My coop is going to be in their backyard.  My kids are 6 and 10.

I've been learning a lot from you guys and have not posted in a long time on this thread. I was wondering a few things about the electronet fencing.
Do the chickens every get shocked by it?  (I know it is unsafe for small chicks)

Do you have any trouble with chickens flying over the top?
I have a Golden Campine that is always flying over my 4 foot fence.

How big of an area does the 164 foot one cover? (someone posted this link http://www.kencove.com/fence/Electric+Net+Fencing_detail_NSPCG.php) Just wondering for those of you that have these how many sets did you end up buying and your initial setup cost, etc. 

Thanks for any help you can give and thank you for all the great info on this thread. I have been learning a lot. I have had chickens for almost a year now and am still learning so much!

My son is 20 so no fear of him touching the netting. A friends young children do come to visit and they are warned not to touch any of the fencing. That it's hot. For those who wander in my yard it has signs every 10 ft warning it's electrified.

I have had hens fly over it. Lucy when I first got her. And Edie and Stella also. But normally it's because they get on top of something in their run then fly over the netting. But they don't do it often. Stella will try to get over anything she can so she can come see her people to tell them she wants food. She is also the chick who went thru the electric netting when I put them in and then realized they were to small and could escape lol I am sure they get zapped on occasion but it also reinforces that they need to stay in. My dogs were zapped 3 days straight on the netting because they wanted to stick their noses thru the holes to sniff the chickens. Needless to say they don't go anywhere near the netting now. They respect it.

I truly think its one of the best investments I made. I rest easy knowing nothing will get thru it. The solar power will be one more step closer to it being self sufficient. Why it doesn't protect them from aerial hunters I have taken steps to put plants & trees in their area to help them stay safe. The rest is up to the girls.

Stella trying to figure out how she can get to the kitchen windows to look in. She can see me in it watching her

 

[lindz8504]

I have had something getting into my BOSS. I just noticed it yesterday and there's a pile of hulls laying in the floor of the feed room. I set the rat sized live trap because the pile seems bigger than a mouse would leave. This morning the trap wasn't tripped but it looks like something ate part of the bait..... I guess I'll set a couple of regular mouse traps and see if I get anything. Do you all give the trapped mice to your chickens? I know many people have said their chicken kill and eat mice on their own..... was just curious as to what you guys do.

 

[CourtsCacklers]

They are awesome with hawks and turkey vultures, but obviously only catch them if they are stupid enough to land - otherwise they bark like crazy and usually the hawks aren't that stupid. But now, a flock of turkey vultures? they can be gutsy... but I always run my maremma in pairs and I haven't had anything yet that will challenge a pair of them. We rarely have anything killed here because it just won't get that close.

THANKS

. We actually live in a subdvision (out in the country) and have a large (double lot) fenced in....turkey vultures have not been gutsy enough to visit us yet--- even though I haven't had hawk issues-- I wouldn't put it past them to try if they think the OES is at bay.... I spot multiple hawks on a daily basis in my immediate neighborhood and the countryside around us...

 

[ChickensRDinos]

I have had something getting into my BOSS. I just noticed it yesterday and there's a pile of hulls laying in the floor of the feed room. I set the rat sized live trap because the pile seems bigger than a mouse would leave. This morning the trap wasn't tripped but it looks like something ate part of the bait..... I guess I'll set a couple of regular mouse traps and see if I get anything. Do you all give the trapped mice to your chickens? I know many people have said their chicken kill and eat mice on their own..... was just curious as to what you guys do.

I do as long as they are alive or I am sure that they just died. I know that my Delaware catches critters and large insects on her own anyway and I saw them eat a small sparrow once. We get a lot of jerusalem crickets and small mice. They swallow them whole. But, of course if you are setting out any poisons I would not.

 

[NanaLynn]

164 linear feet will cover one 40x40 foot space, roughly.

Thank you! Now I need to measure my area to see how many I would need, then convince my DH that I really need this.

Chickens don't often test fencing of any sort. I used cheap plastic chicken fencing and contained them easily - but it does not keep any predators out or even the smallest dog.

Yes they can get shocked. I've seen them get shocked with our strand fencing if I have it down for the car to go through. We have 5 hooks and we set it on the ground while we drive down. The chickens have stepped on it and gotten a little zap. Nothing big because it's already shorting out from being set on the ground.

I've seen the geese get shocked and they won't leave the 5 strand fence.

Now electric with goats is the best ever. They won't test it after a few tries

Poor Henry.. He's been shocked and is the biggest baby of all.

I would have done the moveable fencing, but our property is full of gravel. I can't put any posts in without a serious pole digger. Not even these:

Seriously. Can't even do something this small if I want to contain chicks without a lot of frustration.

My first set of chickens stayed inside the fencing. The newer chickens I've gotten fly over like it's so easy. Think it is because I have a couple Blue Andulasions now and a Golden Campine, but somehow my young and fat Salmon Faverolle flew over too. Usually though when they get out they use something inside the garden to hop on then hop over, guess I need to use some bird netting to block them from doing that.

I wish we could have some goats too like you. Right now with the city codes we could only have one.

I've lost 13 chickens earlier in the year due to a stray dog, so I do need to figure out something to contain them but keep those 4 legged predators out. We do have hawks that fly around but so far the chickens seem to be great with running for cover, plus our dog helps scare them away too.

My son is 20 so no fear of him touching the netting. A friends young children do come to visit and they are warned not to touch any of the fencing. That it's hot. For those who wander in my yard it has signs every 10 ft warning it's electrified.

I have had hens fly over it. Lucy when I first got her. And Edie and Stella also. But normally it's because they get on top of something in their run then fly over the netting. But they don't do it often. Stella will try to get over anything she can so she can come see her people to tell them she wants food. She is also the chick who went thru the electric netting when I put them in and then realized they were to small and could escape lol I am sure they get zapped on occasion but it also reinforces that they need to stay in. My dogs were zapped 3 days straight on the netting because they wanted to stick their noses thru the holes to sniff the chickens. Needless to say they don't go anywhere near the netting now. They respect it.

I truly think its one of the best investments I made. I rest easy knowing nothing will get thru it. The solar power will be one more step closer to it being self sufficient. Why it doesn't protect them from aerial hunters I have taken steps to put plants & trees in their area to help them stay safe. The rest is up to the girls.


Stella trying to figure out how she can get to the kitchen windows to look in. She can see me in it watching her

Your Stella reminds me of my Andulasions or Campine. Is she a BA? My BA's don't bother with going out, maybe they're just too big to fly up anyway.

I didn't think about zapping people too. I better make sure I have the warning signs too.

 

[RedRidge]

I don't have a lgd but I do know the hawks in my area tend to stay way from my hens when the dogs are out. I only witnessed one hawk attack. Thankfully he landed in the electric netting and took off. I don't know if it shocked him but he stayed away for a few days regardless. I have no rooster but my girls always have an eye to the sky for hawks. They make a weird noise to alert the others. And off they go to safety. My girls range all day. I have to hope my girls are smart enough to be aware and take cover when the hawk is close. The electric netting keeps the dogs and foxes out. My chickens need to be chickens and I try hard to let them be themselves.

The hawks here don't care if the dogs are out, but everything else stays at bay. 

We did have a moose calf here the other day!

RedRidge, would the dogs attack a deer or moose? They'd probably just stay away I'm guessing if the dogs were out.

No that's the cool thing about them... they ate very intuitive and know when something or someone is a threat. I have a lot of deer... Unfortunately the Maremma could care less. I say unfortunately because we had a case of deer worm this year, so is live it if the dogs would keep the deer further away

 

[RedRidge]

 

Well my advice, if you want an LGD, get it from RedRidge!

It is incredibly hard to find breeders like you!

Appreciate that but no litters planned here for at least another 3-5 years.
I only breed a litter when I need a replacement for myself. Sweet thought tho

 

[LoveChickens123]

I do as long as they are alive or I am sure that they just died. I know that my Delaware catches critters and large insects on her own anyway and I saw them eat a small sparrow once. We get a lot of jerusalem crickets and small mice. They swallow them whole. But, of course if you are setting out any poisons I would not.

Our roosters and hens do the same thing

 

[Sally8]

Now Hamburg NY is a place I haven't heard of in quite a while.  I went to the State Police Academy with a guy from there but can't recall his name.   

Just recently Hamburg, NY has been all over The Weather Channel. Until AFL, I had never heard of it.

 

[PrimroseMom1]

I've been learning a lot from you guys and have not posted in a long time on this thread. I was wondering a few things about the electronet fencing.
Do the chickens every get shocked by it?  (I know it is unsafe for small chicks)

Do you have any trouble with chickens flying over the top?
I have a Golden Campine that is always flying over my 4 foot fence.

How big of an area does the 164 foot one cover? (someone posted this link http://www.kencove.com/fence/Electric+Net+Fencing_detail_NSPCG.php) Just wondering for those of you that have these how many sets did you end up buying and your initial setup cost, etc. 

Thanks for any help you can give and thank you for all the great info on this thread. I have been learning a lot. I have had chickens for almost a year now and am still learning so much!

My RIR flew over a 6' fence and the Amercaunas love to fly. I had to clip flight feathers on the left side. They just went through molt, so don't want to forget to clip again.