What would do this kind of damage? UPDATE POST #65!

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: Those can kill anything that gets on them and can't get off

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: I never said that at all
What I said was your chickens ARE "bait".
Motion detectors don't solve the problem, and do nothing at all if you aren't there.
Traps work full time

 

[Coop de Grille]

I want the electric fence. Where can I get one at a reasonable price? Do they come in kits or do I need to find different parts and piece it together? I'd like to go around my entire coop.

 

[RoostersCrow HensDeliver!]

There are wire fences and net fences. You could just run a couple wires or get a net fence. Both will need a charger and a ground. I have a net fence, its portable and keeps the hens in and the predators out. Since you already have a stationary fence, you might just be better off stringing a couple wires. One close to the ground and another a little higher up. They have all the stuff you need at farmtek.com . If you want to string wires you can go to Tractor Supply for everything you need.

 

[bobbi-j]

I agree with the electric fencing. I would think that the wire fence would be more cost-effective. I'd run two strands - one around 6", the other around 10" high. Go to your local farm supply store, talk to them about fence, insulators, and step-in posts if you don't want to attach it to your coop. You can always unplug it before you go out to the coop so you don't get a shock. My dog ran under our fence once and forgot to tuck his tail. He yelped, jumped, and has been cautious about it ever since.

 

[Phyrst]

Coop de Grille, there are a few threads on here that talk about electric fencing. I copied the link. Some look a little dated but I always like to read whatever is said, there's usually something in there that I find important. I know you have to be careful about how strong of voltage - some are enough to kill a chicken and if yours may get into it, that would be an important factor. I consider the chickens safety to be top priority. I won't need electric fencing if that goofy flock of mine all fly or bump into it and get fried!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/search.php?search=electric+fence

Just wondering if I read this right, but are some of your younger chicks that you just moved into the big coop sick? Or did the dogs get to them? Also it's been pretty cold at night here, down in the low 30's, so I was wondering if your babies are old enough to keep warm? I think the general rule of thumb for moving baby chicks out of the brooder is 4 months (16 weeks). They really can't stabilize their own body heat until then. If it's warm weather there then that's not such a concern. Baby chicks will start perching when they are about 3 weeks old, it's sort of an instinct in them to try and roost high, but they usually huddle together to keep warm or get down in bedding or straw if available. I have some Serama chickens. They don't take well to cold weather. I just put a red-light heat lamp out in the coop at night. I've already had to put Vaseline on their crowns to keep them from getting frost-bite and the same with their feet. Chickens don't seem to realize that if they walk in snow, their toes can literally freeze off!! Sounds silly but it's the truth. Could your little 11-wk. old roo have frost-bite on his feet? Maybe they got too cold? Do you think the older chickens picked on them or something?
Well, sorry that you're having such a bad time with this. Odie sure surprised me! I didn't think he seemed the kind to go after chickens. One dog is a curious adventurer, two dogs together are a pack and they start thinking that way about prey animals. It's really hard to break a chicken-killing dog, especially if you still have more chickens. Sorry for your losses and hope you have better luck.

 

[cracked egg]

Those can kill anything that gets on them and can't get off

I thought so too,at first. It has something to do with the amps. The chickens walk through it,the dogs and predators don't.

 

[cracked egg]

I want the electric fence. Where can I get one at a reasonable price? Do they come in kits or do I need to find different parts and piece it together? I'd like to go around my entire coop.

I got mine from fi-shock off the web.they have everything you will need plus free shipping.

 

[Coop de Grille]

Coop de Grille, there are a few threads on here that talk about electric fencing. I copied the link. Some look a little dated but I always like to read whatever is said, there's usually something in there that I find important. I know you have to be careful about how strong of voltage - some are enough to kill a chicken and if yours may get into it, that would be an important factor. I consider the chickens safety to be top priority. I won't need electric fencing if that goofy flock of mine all fly or bump into it and get fried!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/search.php?search=electric+fence

Just wondering if I read this right, but are some of your younger chicks that you just moved into the big coop sick? Or did the dogs get to them? Also it's been pretty cold at night here, down in the low 30's, so I was wondering if your babies are old enough to keep warm? I think the general rule of thumb for moving baby chicks out of the brooder is 4 months (16 weeks). They really can't stabilize their own body heat until then. If it's warm weather there then that's not such a concern. Baby chicks will start perching when they are about 3 weeks old, it's sort of an instinct in them to try and roost high, but they usually huddle together to keep warm or get down in bedding or straw if available. I have some Serama chickens. They don't take well to cold weather. I just put a red-light heat lamp out in the coop at night. I've already had to put Vaseline on their crowns to keep them from getting frost-bite and the same with their feet. Chickens don't seem to realize that if they walk in snow, their toes can literally freeze off!! Sounds silly but it's the truth. Could your little 11-wk. old roo have frost-bite on his feet? Maybe they got too cold? Do you think the older chickens picked on them or something?
Well, sorry that you're having such a bad time with this. Odie sure surprised me! I didn't think he seemed the kind to go after chickens. One dog is a curious adventurer, two dogs together are a pack and they start thinking that way about prey animals. It's really hard to break a chicken-killing dog, especially if you still have more chickens. Sorry for your losses and hope you have better luck.

Phryst, My chicks are outside in the baby pen in a brooder with a heat lamp from one week old. I'm in South Carolina so they were fine out there this summer. They were hatched on Sept 1st. Up until I saw the game cam pics I thought they were all still huddling together in the brooder. Turns out they were roosting overnight on the sticks I have above the brooder, as well as on the garbage cans that I keep their feed in. They have been integrated with the rest of the flock for about 2 weeks. We have had temps in the 60's during the day and in the 40's at night. The last few nights I waited til it's dark and all the big girls are already up in the coop, then I go out and put the babies up on the lowest roost. They all stay up there. When I tried putting my injured little roo in a different spot on the floor he tried to get up on the roost by himself. I don't have a heat lamp in the coop but I do have Christmas lights in there that I have left on. I close the big doors to the coop and so far so good. I don't think I will get them to go back in the brooder at this point.

Cracked Egg, thank you! I'm going to check out that website now!

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: It has more to do with the fact that it stays ON all the time

The current can cause muscle contractions that keep the animal from moving.
If it never goes off they can die

A GOOD fence will "pulse" off and on
Birds are rarely shocked by fences because feathers are good insulation, but if they pecked at a wire they might not be able to let go.

http://www.afence.com/Electric_Fence/how_to_elecfence/elecinstall.htm

http://www.ibiblio.org/farming-connection/grazing/features/fencemis.htm