Why didn't fox attack?

[cmom]

For your ground rod, it works best if you can put it in a drip line where the ground tends to be more moist. Get a fence charger that will put out at least 7000 volts, around a 1+ joule charger. If it puts out much less the predators will take a little shock to get to a bird. You want the predator to know it's there and will hurt. Again, good luck...

 

[Jenn1018]

For your ground rod, it works best if you can put it in a drip line where the ground tends to be more moist. Get a fence charger that will put out at least 7000 volts, around a 1+ joule charger. If it puts out much less the predators will take a little shock to get to a bird. You want the predator to know it's there and will hurt. Again, good luck...

0h okay, thank you!

 

[Jenn1018]

my run has chicken wire around it and I plan to put hardware cloth on it as well tomorrow, as I have read fox can reach through chicken wire. Do you think I need to put hardware cloth along the top of the run too or is running it around the sides enough?

 

[cmom]

You can let them out for as long as you want if you watch them, we've been doing that since ours have been escaping.

Had a couple of habitual escapees, Houdini1 and Houdini2. They escaped one too many times.

 

[cmom]

my run has chicken wire around it and I plan to put hardware cloth on it as well tomorrow, as I have read fox can reach through chicken wire. Do you think I need to put hardware cloth along the top of the run too or is running it around the sides enough?

I wish I could afford to enclose everything with hardware cloth. With the electric wires you probably won't need it. I leave my pop doors open on my coops 24/7/365. I have a quite powerful fence charger. I only have chicken wire around the outside perimeter of my pens. My electric wires are about a foot away from the fence so any predator has to get by the electric wires first. There have been some dig marks but as soon as the predator touches the electric wires it will abort the attempt. Most predators first explore with their noses. You can always bait the wire to let any predator know it's there. I have never personally baited my wires but I believe that the adult predators that have tested them teach their young that a chicken isn't worth getting zapped for. I have previously posted these pictures. Again, good luck...

 

[Blue Raptor]

Had a couple of habitual escapees, Houdini1 and Houdini2. They escaped one too many times.

I chase my chickens away with a broom to scare them away from the fence. It seems to work.

 

[Jenn1018]

I wish I could afford to enclose everything with hardware cloth. With the electric wires you probably won't need it. I leave my pop doors open on my coops 24/7/365. I have a quite powerful fence charger. I only have chicken wire around the outside perimeter of my pens. My electric wires are about a foot away from the fence so any predator has to get by the electric wires first. There have been some dig marks but as soon as the predator touches the electric wires it will abort the attempt. Most predators first explore with their noses. You can always bait the wire to let any predator know it's there. I have never personally baited my wires but I believe that the adult predators that have tested them teach their young that a chicken isn't worth getting zapped for. I have previously posted these pictures. Again, good luck...View attachment 2671288View attachment 2671289View attachment 2671294

wow I was actually just reading about this one! It attaches to a battery I think. Like a car battery? I have a chain link fence around the property so I was going to run it around the outside of that. Do you use special wire or any special ground?

 

[cmom]

Here are a couple of good threads on electric fencing by @Howard E. Very good information and explains a lot. Again, good luck...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/electric-fence-basics.1398976/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-treatise-on-electric-fencing.1117877/

 

[neo71665]

All animals have a home area they tend to stick to. Only the males will roam but thats during mating season. If you see something like a fox then you are in its area. More likely you have more than one that home areas overlap around you. Raising chickens brings predators out of the woodwork.

Around my place I trap and shoot. Sell the hides to pay for more traps and ammo. Taking out one just leaves a hole for another to fill so it's neverending.

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

I wish I could afford to enclose everything with hardware cloth. With the electric wires you probably won't need it. I leave my pop doors open on my coops 24/7/365. I have a quite powerful fence charger. I only have chicken wire around the outside perimeter of my pens. My electric wires are about a foot away from the fence so any predator has to get by the electric wires first. There have been some dig marks but as soon as the predator touches the electric wires it will abort the attempt. Most predators first explore with their noses. You can always bait the wire to let any predator know it's there. I have never personally baited my wires but I believe that the adult predators that have tested them teach their young that a chicken isn't worth getting zapped for. I have previously posted these pictures. Again, good luck...View attachment 2671288View attachment 2671289View attachment 2671294

I've read your recommendation on hot wire and checked out the articles but I'm having trouble with spacing a 3 wire system for max security against weasle to bk bear. From the ground up, how many inches would you place strand #1, then what interval from there? I will have covered run with HWC up the sides, 6 ft tall. TIA