Will this electric fence work?

[llombardo]

Mine are in their coop and duck houses. I still don't trust it. I'm going to eventually(hopefully next spring/summer) build a coop that attaches from the outside of the run, which will put the coop itself in the yard with full access to the dogs(but no access to chickens for the dogs), just the coop.

I went with this one, but not from tractor supply. If it works, I would not be opposed to putting it around the coops and duck house at night either.

Since I will be wiring it, every strand on this one will have electric, correct?


https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/zareba-ac-garden-protector-electric-fence-kit?cm_vc=-10005

 

[Ruralhideaway]

Just a comment on zip ties with hardware cloth. I've found that the HC saws through the zip ties like a serrated knife. Short pieces of electric fence wire work better if you have some on hand.

Not to disparage the persistence of raccoons, they are dangerously determined fiends. My electric wire has worked thus far, and I find my anti dig mats uncovered several mornings a week so they are trying. Just added a livestock guardian dog for future help with my problem.

 

[llombardo]

Regardless of what your power source is, you must keep vegetation away from the wires. They will ground the fence out.

Yes, coons will chew through zip ties. You might want to try some metal J clips where you are not using wood/fender washers and screws.

I used self drilling screws, those are working well. If they weren't, the raccoons would have been in already. I think after I use about another 100 screws, I am going to put 2x4s bolted on the inside to sandwich the hardware cloth. I worry about wood near the duck pool because there is lots of water that can ruin the wood.

I have no clue what to do with a roof. I really do not want it higher then my 6 ft fence and I worry about snow. Will snow build up on hardware cloth? I think with the netting it will fall through and if it builds up I just have to shake the netting.

 

[llombardo]

Just a comment on zip ties with hardware cloth. I've found that the HC saws through the zip ties like a serrated knife. Short pieces of electric fence wire work better if you have some on hand.

Not to disparage the persistence of raccoons, they are dangerously determined fiends. My electric wire has worked thus far, and I find my anti dig mats uncovered several mornings a week so they are trying. Just added a livestock guardian dog for future help with my problem.

Last night I made my dog stay out there. He slept right by the fence. I also got up several times because I was hearing stuff. Once I put the fence up, I'm opening the area where the coop is, so the dogs have access all the way around the enclosure. They will learn how to respect the fence when they get zapped.

 

[lazy gardener]

Absolutely, snow will build up on the hdw cloth. I have 2 x 4 welded fencing over part of my winter run. And the snow will clump up on that fencing until it's completely covered. If I did not knock it off several times during a storm, that layer would allow more accumulation until the thing had an entire storm's worth of snow weighting it down. It's a must that you plan accordingly in snow country. I am out knocking snow down off the peaked tarped area as well as the 2 x 4 fencing several times/storm.

 

[lazy gardener]

Snow and netting are totally incompatible. The snow sticks to it like snot, and you would have to be out there every hour or two to knock it off. Otherwise, it will weigh down, and rip where it is connected to the sides. Been there/done that when I've not removed my netting before the first storm.

 

[lazy gardener]

How much space between the electronet and the metal run? If a dog gets zapped and feels that he can't escape the enclosure, he will become "gun shy" and have severe anxiety reaction to the situation. I would either trust the dog or trust the fence, but not put the dog in a charged electronet enclosure.

 

[cmom]

The more joules in the fence charger the more shock. I use the poly rope wire. I have seen coons on my game cameras but they don't mess with my birds. I believe coons are climbers and not jumpers so they don't try to climb the wire. I have accidentally touched my wire when I have forgotten to turn it off and it has made my heart skip a few beats so I'm sure a coon that weighs much less than I do will get a real good zap. We have added another coop on the end since this picture was taken and I have a single wire around the back sides of the coops but 3 wires around the rest.

 

[llombardo]

How much space between the electronet and the metal run? If a dog gets zapped and feels that he can't escape the enclosure, he will become "gun shy" and have severe anxiety reaction to the situation. I would either trust the dog or trust the fence, but not put the dog in a charged electronet enclosure.

Not in the enclosure but guarding around it. Plenty of space--wide open. I would never put them in a spot that would traumatize them.

 

[llombardo]

Once I see it in person and get the jist of how it works, I will most likely upgrade stuff as I go. I just want to get something out there rather quickly.