Tractor's plus electric netting?

[Randoo]

Just when I thought things were safe.... We came home from grocery shopping yesterday to find the dogs that run loose (in the country) had dug under the side of the tractors. They had killed the last of the cornish that were finishing out, and 21 pullets. The pullets were at 18 weeks, and I had just commented to the wife at the store,"we won't need to buy eggs much longer". I can understand predators looking for a meal, but all the chickens were still in the pen, none of them had been eaten, just killed.

My question is; does anyone use electric netting around their tractors, and does it work?

I was going to buy some netting anyway to let them free range a bit. My plan would be to put it up in a rectangle, then I could still move the tractors daily, but only have to move the fence every few days. Does anyone use a similar method and does this sound like a decent plan?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Welcome to the forum! Glad you joined us!

Somewhat. I use the electric netting to give them an area to forage but have it so they can use the permanent coop. I got it because people were dropping dogs off out here in the country. I'm not always at home when they show up. But what you saw is normal behavior for dogs. They kill for fun, just playing, not necessarily for food. Hungry dogs will eat though.

I've got the 4' high Premier electric netting and have not had any losses to predators since I started using it before Christmas. The chickens can fly over it if they want to, but mine don't.

The biggest problem is that it can ground out if the grass and weeks grow up into it, especially of they are wet. I have to regularly take it down, mow, and put it back up. How often I do that depends on how fast the grass and weeds grow, which depends on temperature and rain. Lawn mowers and weed eaters are deadly to the netting, so you do need to take it down and get it out of the way. I can move mine in less than two hours.

Another problem related to grounding is that the lower strands can sort of lay down and touch the grass, even if you stretch it well. You can buy things to hold it up, but I just use a very low tech inexpensive solution.



I think your plan will work really well.

 

[True LGD]

My question is; does anyone use electric netting around their tractors, and does it work?

I ran electric poultry netting around my coops, but it didn't take long for a wolf to jump over it and snack on my birds. Another time a coyote got it's head stuck in the netting, thrashed about and dropped the fence for the rest of the group.

I suggest getting a true LGD inside the fence for extra protection. Don't get one of these midsize bird dogs to do the job, because they are a joke around here. They seem to be the first ones to be afraid to go outside when they smell a large predator such as a cougar or wolf. On the other hand, a true LGD wants to challenge the predator.

Don't be fooled by what some people are calling an LGD, Go to www.lgd.org for the real story.