Will Electric Save My Chcickens

[ChickenLane]

Hello my question is will an electric fence with two wires 1 at about 6 inches off the ground and the other some where around 20-24 inches off the ground protect my chickens from would be "VARMITS" or do I need to completelý bury the fence and be done with it?

 

[azygous]

What predators do you have?

Most will be deterred by the electric wire. I run two wires, a foot and three feet off the ground, around my pen and coop. I keep dabs of peanut butter at regular intervals on the wire to "condition" any curious predators. This invites bears, foxes, raccoons, dogs, etc, to smell with a wet nose or taste with a wet tongue and to get the "message".

I also buried the fencing in the ground, angled outward, a few inches deep, with flat rocks on top. The pen is also covered so no birds of prey can get in.

But the electric wire is the thing that has proven to give the enclosure the most security. I know it works because one morning I found bear nose marks on the glass door of the coop, and it abruptly stopped when it got to the wire. There were no second tries.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Electric wires will stop most climbers,
Its hard to get it low enough to stop all the diggers

 

[twentynine]

Yes! Electric wire will go along way to protect your chickens. But nothing is 100%. Predators are persistant, they don't give up, and they make their living by breaking into your chicken yard.

 

[Stonerowfarm]

Just curious, will the chickens stay away from it, or do they get zapped also. We are putting in new fencing, covers etc. and thought about adding electric but I wondered if I would go out one day and find fried chicken.

 

[panner123]

Quote:
I have used an electric fence for over 20 years and never fried a chicken with it. (Now my electric skillet is a diffenent story). I have had them go over and under it and even sit on it, but no deaths from it.

 

[ChickenLane]

The electric will be on the outside of the fence shouldn't pose a problem for the chickens. And hopefully will pose a real problem for the varmits looking for an easy meal.

 

[arch_cpj]

Electric fencing is a must with chickens... I use the 6 inch insulators from TSC on the bottom wire 4 inches from the ground and round up under the wire to keep the weeds away.. I then 4 - 6 inches above that put another wire and a third goes 1 foot higher I actually attach the wire to the coop and it goes all the way aroung so it is basically a electri moat and it deters any climbers. I fold up 4x4 inch squares of foil and crimp em to the fence on the 2nd wire and smear em with honey and PB if Im really wantin to get the pont across and I dont have chicks in the coop I put a can of cat food just inside the wire... I have had the house windows open at night and you can hear the coons and dogs and cats squeal when they get a lick of that wire... Also have watched the neighbors dog run 1/2 mile home in a dead sprint and never came back yipin all the way!!! FYI pay for a good ground rod and drive it 4 - 6 foot into the ground and in the summer if it is really dry a sprinkling of water around the pen to miosten the soil a bit and a 5 gallon pale of water around the ground rod ensure you get the full effect of the fencer...