Training chickens to an electric net

[junglebird]

Livestock are generally trained to electric fencing, but what about poultry?
How do you introduce your birds to electric net fencing to avoid entanglements or other traumas?

 

[PepsNick]

Quote:
I wouldn't use it. I have heard DISTURBING stories with using electric fencing, and I believe that poultry is certainly too small and vulnerable for the netting. You should just use some other strong wire and/or put a top to your run.

Best wishes with your flock,
Nick

 

[junglebird]

Thanks for sharing your perspective.

Anyone else? I aim to move my flock around on fresh ground, so I'd like to learn how to introduce my group to the electric net in the safest and sanest way.

 

[Clodbuster]

Not sure why it is considered dangerous, nearly every commercial free range producer uses electric fencing.

Trial

 

[junglebird]

My chickens are 19 weeks old. They are currently in a run with bird netting over the top to protect from hawks.
I'd like to start training them to electric netting, so they can keep active, on fresh range. Once they are full size, I'll feel more comfortable leaving them out there, since golden eagles are our region's major adult chicken sky predator, and we haven't seen any here.

I know chickens' feathers insulate them from electric fencing, and that a strong charge is required to get their attention. I also know a bit about training predators to fences, for example, bears are trained off bee hives by baiting electric wire. The same can be done to train foxes away - baiting provides a highly conductive direct charge to the mouth, not inhibited by fur or tough hides.

I don't want to bait the electric net to train my chickens - that seems overly stressful. But, I also don't want them inadvertently getting a head or wing or foot tangled up in the netting due to lack of respect for it. Thus - how do I train them to it?

If you use electric net - did you just put your chickens in and they figured it out? Am I over thinking this?

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[ncarper]

I've been using electric poultry netting for over a year and a half now with no problems. It does and excellent job keeping preadators out and creates enough of a physical visual barrier to keep my chickens in. In the time i've been using it I've only had two instances where a chicken flew over the net; I simply picked them up and put them back in. I did nothing to train my chickens to stay in; most chickens are happy to stay w/n a short distance to food/water/housing; keep it all close inside the net and you shouldn't have any problems. You won't regret using it, let us know how it turns out.

 

[Clodbuster]

The netting weave is sufficiently close that training of poultry is not required. (If you are using standard poultry netting and not cutting costs by using cheaper sheep netting) Chickens that do get a shock simply shake their heads and move on. Really nothing to worry about.

 

[junglebird]

Thanks for your replies!

I'll report how it goes, with pictures, of course.

 

[junglebird]

Finally got the electric netting wired up to the charger!

So glad to get the chickens out of the mucky garden ...

and onto fresh ground.

Was a really pretty day for it, too!

The chickens enjoyed the afternoon, the sun, the fresh grass and fertile soil. I heard a couple of loud squawks, so I assume there was some learning about electricity going on. But they must have to really press up against it to get a shock, because I saw the rooster foraging at the fence, and he was un-phased when his comb was touching the hot fence! I had already tested with a voltometer (I have 164' netting on a 1 amp charger, so there's plenty of juice), but was wondering if the charge "felt" very strong when my dog managed to stick her nose on it, which sent her straight up in the air, and really freaked her out. Of course that sent the chickens into tizzy, and two flew over the fence.