Training chickens to respect electric net fence

[corriemartin]

My chickens are 18 weeks old, and it has become obvious (due to losses to predators) that they need to be kept inside an electric net fence during the day. My question is: How do you train them to do that? They fly over (or to the top of) the current 6 foot fence, which led me to leaving the gate to the yard open since they were flying out anyway. But their new housing is going to be in a moveable tractor with an electronet fence yard around it. Is it too late to train them to stay in that? And if it's not too late, how do I do that? I'm hoping to move them into their new digs today, but am planning to keep them inside the tractor for a week or more so that they learn that this is now home (instead of their current coop), but I need to figure the electronet thing out. Will I need to clip their wings? Any help would be really appreciated!

 

[alicia-TX]

I am no expert but I notice mine stay away from it without ever touching it or being taught. I put up my Permanet electric fence this year when the girls were about a year old so older than your chicks. Not sure if that matters.

I do watch my silkies when out in the yard because they are flighty and I have seen the other girls scare them into the fence but nothing happened. Maybe because they flew into it.

 

[NatJ]

They fly over (or to the top of) the current 6 foot fence

As you've noticed, chickens don't usually fly "over" a fence, they usually fly to the top and sit there, and then they may fly down on the other side. If the fence does not have a good top to sit on, they will often stay inside.

With the electric net--if it had a nice sturdy top rail to sit on, they probably would (unless it shocks their feet.) But electric net usually does NOT have a nice top rail to sit on. So they will probably not try to go over.

If the electric net is right next to the other fence, they may try to fly to the other fence and end up passing over the electric one in the process. Or if there is a tree branch above the electric net they may fly to the tree branch, and then down outside. But I do not think they will try to just fly over the electric net.

Obviously the only way to be positive is to try it and see, but I think you've got a good chance of it working fine.

 

[alicia-TX]

As you've noticed, chickens don't usually fly "over" a fence, they usually fly to the top and sit there, and then they may fly down on the other side. If the fence does not have a good top to sit on, they will often stay inside.

With the electric net--if it had a nice sturdy top rail to sit on, they probably would (unless it shocks their feet.) But electric net usually does NOT have a nice top rail to sit on. So they will probably not try to go over.

If the electric net is right next to the other fence, they may try to fly to the other fence and end up passing over the electric one in the process. Or if there is a tree branch above the electric net they may fly to the tree branch, and then down outside. But I do not think they will try to just fly over the electric net.

Obviously the only way to be positive is to try it and see, but I think you've got a good chance of it working fine.

I agree. There is nothing to land on.

My girls fly like rocks so it hasn't been an issue.

 

[corriemartin]

As you've noticed, chickens don't usually fly "over" a fence, they usually fly to the top and sit there, and then they may fly down on the other side. If the fence does not have a good top to sit on, they will often stay inside.

With the electric net--if it had a nice sturdy top rail to sit on, they probably would (unless it shocks their feet.) But electric net usually does NOT have a nice top rail to sit on. So they will probably not try to go over.

If the electric net is right next to the other fence, they may try to fly to the other fence and end up passing over the electric one in the process. Or if there is a tree branch above the electric net they may fly to the tree branch, and then down outside. But I do not think they will try to just fly over the electric net.

Obviously the only way to be positive is to try it and see, but I think you've got a good chance of it working fine.

Thanks! Part of my current fence IS just wire on top, and these silly girls fly up onto it and teeter back and forth. And it won't be near any other fence. So yes, I will just go ahead and try it (after their week inside--poor girls). I'd like to be able to move them around the pasture.

What would happen if they DID land on the top (electrified) wire? Would they be able to get off again????

 

[Ridgerunner]

I use electric netting (different to an electric fence) that is 48" high. Mine fly up to a 5' high roost so they can easily fly over it if they want to, but it's generally not a problem. But there can be issues.

When I have a bunch of cockerels going through puberty in there, I sometimes get some outside. When one is losing a fight and is trapped against he netting it goes vertical to get away. Sometimes it lands outside the netting and does not know to fly back in. On really rare occasions I might find a hen outside. She was trying to get away from an amorous rooster and went vertical.

I've found two things to help with this. Avoid sharp corners in the netting. 90 degree corners are OK but don't go sharper. That way they can usually get away without going vertical. One time I set it up with a narrow corridor between the coop and the open area, maybe 10 to 15 feet wide. I found three cockerels out that day. They could not walk past each other in that corridor without it becoming a fight. When I reconfigured it to a wide open space with open corners any escaping became pretty rare.

Yours have learned to fly out. I don't know if electric netting will change that or not. The netting not having a top rail to land on could help.

What would happen if they DID land on the top (electrified) wire? Would they be able to get off again????

For the circuit to be completed and them get a shock they have to touch a hot wire and a ground at the same time. Other than the bottom wire that touches the soil the horizontal wires in the netting are your hot wires. With netting the soil is your ground. Their feathers insulate them. For your chickens to get a shock they would have to touch a hot wire and the soil at the same time with their feet, comb, wattles, or beak. That is not gong to happen if they are up high. Something you might observe is if their feet are on the soil and they peck near the base of the netting to eat grass, they get a shock when their comb, wattles or beak make contact.. Mine jump back and up and squawk when that happens, then go back to grazing. They learn to not peck at the base of the netting.

The current is not continuous. It pulses about 50 times a minute. If it were a continuous current you, they, or anything else could not turn loose. That would be bad. But since it pulses you and they can turn loose, and will before you have time to think.. That pulsing is what makes it so safe.

 

[corriemartin]

I use electric netting (different to an electric fence) that is 48" high. Mine fly up to a 5' high roost so they can easily fly over it if they want to, but it's generally not a problem. But there can be issues.

When I have a bunch of cockerels going through puberty in there, I sometimes get some outside. When one is losing a fight and is trapped against he netting it goes vertical to get away. Sometimes it lands outside the netting and does not know to fly back in. On really rare occasions I might find a hen outside. She was trying to get away from an amorous rooster and went vertical.

I've found two things to help with this. Avoid sharp corners in the netting. 90 degree corners are OK but don't go sharper. That way they can usually get away without going vertical. One time I set it up with a narrow corridor between the coop and the open area, maybe 10 to 15 feet wide. I found three cockerels out that day. They could not walk past each other in that corridor without it becoming a fight. When I reconfigured it to a wide open space with open corners any escaping became pretty rare.

Yours have learned to fly out. I don't know if electric netting will change that or not. The netting not having a top rail to land on could help.

What would happen if they DID land on the top (electrified) wire? Would they be able to get off again????

For the circuit to be completed and them get a shock they have to touch a hot wire and a ground at the same time. Other than the bottom wire that touches the soil the horizontal wires in the netting are your hot wires. With netting the soil is your ground. Their feathers insulate them. For your chickens to get a shock they would have to touch a hot wire and the soil at the same time with their feet, comb, wattles, or beak. That is not gong to happen if they are up high. Something you might observe is if their feet are on the soil and they peck near the base of the netting to eat grass, they get a shock when their comb, wattles or beak make contact.. Mine jump back and up and squawk when that happens, then go back to grazing. They learn to not peck at the base of the netting.

The current is not continuous. It pulses about 50 times a minute. If it were a continuous current you, they, or anything else could not turn loose. That would be bad. But since it pulses you and they can turn loose, and will before you have time to think.. That pulsing is what makes it so safe.

Thank you very much for all this information! It's very helpful. Lots of good things to keep in mind.