Electric fencing - your advice, experience etc

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Lucylou

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As I've mentioned I'm moving (Oh, have I mentioned it just a few times :lol: ) & I'm thinking that at the the new house electric fencing might be a good idea to protect the chooks.

It is very rural & the boundry is right off open land (although privately owned, not farmland, perfect for a fox to creep across & nab my girlies :evil: their boundry would be at the edge of our garden) There is a section of the garden (6mts x 5mts) which already has a good post & rail fence around it which will be their area & I plan to put their coop with its own enclosed run for times when I'm not at home to one end of this.

So I've had a trawl through the internet at what's available & am more confused now than when I started! So just wondering if anyone can answer a few questions please:-
Should the electric fence be inside or outside of the fence?
What would happen if my dog goes up to the wire (I've heard of dogs peeing on the wire & getting a shock but don't know how bad a shock!)
Even with the electric wire should I have a 'roof' either wire or netting over the area? I do at the moment but no electric wire.
I have a choice of using mains electricity to run it or could buy a battery or solar panels, which would be best?
And lastly - does anyone have suggestions of a good supplier, good product & good value.?

Oh just thought ! As my new coop won't be ready when we move in, how safe would they be with just the electric fence without an additional enclosed run at night?

Thank you x
 
If it is post and rail fencing then depending on the height you would be better putting it on the outside Lucylou, otherwise there is the danger that the fox could jump onto the top rail and then over your electric netting/fencing. The easiest option would be to put 3 lots of electric stranded wire on the outside of the existing fence, top, bottom and middle (if it is high enough), or failing this you could surround it with electric netting. If your dog goes up to the fence he will investigate it with his nose, get a shock, go yelping off and if he is a sensible pooch know not do it again, it won't cause him any permanent damage. You won't need a roof with the electric fencing. With regards to running it, mains electric is the cheapest and reliable unless you are prone to power cuts, leisure batteries cost more, don't suffer from power outages but that is of course assuming you remember to keep it charged, don't know about solar but I would imagine its expensive and potentially unreliable. Can't vouch for value but Flytesofancy will have everything you need and will be happy to give you advice too, their product quality is good. http://www.flytesofancy.co.uk
They have plenty of information and faqs down the left hand side under information, so even if you don't like what you see you can get some more info.
 
Thanks for replies, very helpful.

Another question, if you have electric fencing or wire, is it necessary to clip their wing also? Mine aren't clipped at the moment, but want to do everything I can to avoid any loss.

Not that it necessarily means anything but I expected more posts from people who have electric fencing, I'm not sure if that means not many have it. I think I'm a bit paranoid about foxes having lost some to an attack.
 
A lot of people don't have it, whenever the subject comes up there is only ever a couple of replies on here. The only problem I ever had with hens escaping was when the fence shorted itself and one of them made her way outside. Generally once they have received a couple of shocks to their combs they tend to be very wary about the fence. Its a marginal call whether to clip or not, personally I would play it by ear, I've never seen a hen that couldn't clear 3ft 6 with a run up whether its wings were clipped or not so I think the current is the deterrent to them flying out.
 
I, and probably the rest who have electric fences probably thought it not necessary to reply because Dinosaw and BabyBantam gave you adequate and sound advice, however, if you want it repeated.

Should the electric fence be inside or outside of the fence? If you have a post and rail fence with weld mesh and want extra security put a three strand wire electric fence using fencing stakes around the perimeter outside the mesh fence. The advantage of this fence is that it is easier to keep the wires clear of vegetation. If you use poultry netting you will either have to weedkill the ground around the fence or keep it strimmed short. If you don’t keep it clear the fence will short out and lose it’s electrical strength.

What would happen if my dog goes up to the wire (I've heard of dogs peeing on the wire & getting a shock but don't know how bad a shock!) Your dog cannot get close enough to pee on the fence without touching it. If he touches it he will get a sharp shock, yelp and never go near the fence again unless it is stupid. Your dog cannot get a shock unless it touches the fence.

Even with the electric wire should I have a 'roof' either wire or netting over the area? I do at the moment but no electric wire. It does not matter if you have a roof if you are using a wire fence around the perimeter of your mesh fence run. (You do not electrify a mesh run). If using poultry netting you do not have a roof.

I have a choice of using mains electricity to run it or could buy a battery or solar panels, which would be best? It does not matter which method you choose as long it is working 24 hours a day and you do not neglect it. Some mains energisers run off a leisure battery if there is a powercut. The mains energiser would need to housed in a shed.

And lastly - does anyone have suggestions of a good supplier, good product & good value.? I buy all my poultry supplies from an Agricultural Supplies Company (Mole Valley Farmers). I bought their own make battery energiser because it was cheaper, but Hotline are a good name in electric fencing supplies. Mole Valley sell hotline products.

I have only ever clipped one leghorn’s wing when I first had her and she did not attempt to escape once the feathers regrown.

I have always used poultry netting, leave my chicken out day and night and have never lost any of them to predators.
 
There's an article on Poutrykeeper you may find interesting if you haven't found it yet, see http://poultrykeeper.com/pests-and-predators/electric-poultry-netting
 
i use electric fencing and if i could id use a mains energiser as it pumps out more juice and can cope with more vegetation touching it.

i have had foxes clear it if they get a good run up.

my dogs have only touched the fence once!

i use wooden stakes on all 4 corners and a few other places and tie it to it with baling twine leaving a gap so it doesnt earth out, as i find the plastic posts wont keep the wire tight.

i buy my electric fencing from scats/mole valley, whos own brand stuff is made by hotline and is cheaper

ive never had a chicken clear the fence yet

hope this helps
 
Thank you all very much!! I know I'm a pest but different people have different experiences & it all helps gather info.

Once again, much appreciated & I'll look at the links & the suppliers.
 
If you are really worried about foxes, the only way to keep them out is to dig in a perimeter fence and roof the run in galvinised steel not chicken wire, or run an electric fence around them and use an enclosure over 6 ft tall with a gap between the enclosure and fence so a fox does not have room to jump it (but you're still open to buzzard attacks etc). They must then live in it without free range.
The basic rule is - chickens are food for lots of animals & birds. You just have to accept the risk. I've kept chooks in a run with a battery operated electric bungee round the base to stop foxes digging in for 4 years. I have foxes all around me and risk a loss everytime they come out in the garden. You just have to keep your fingers crossed and let them enjoy life while they have it :)
 
Lucylou said:
Thank you all very much!! I know I'm a pest but different people have different experiences & it all helps gather info.

Once again, much appreciated & I'll look at the links & the suppliers.
Click to expand...

Of course you're not a pest, what do you think this forum is for? If nobody asks any questions there would be no point, would there, and all of us need to share experiences sometimes. Often there is no 'right' answer and the most suitable solution for a particular context gradually evolves if you ask enough of the right questions. And the rest of us learn by reading the various answers!
 
On the subject of roofing your run, while it may not be necessary to keep foxes out, if your fencing is tall enough, a roof is very handy to save you from feeding the entire squirrel population of your new neighbourhood! Ours is about 6'3" high, to allow my husband to walk around without crouching.
 
25m fencing kit with energiser is about £200 depending on where you get it from and the quality - whether its got a gate in it, colour and make etc. a leisure battery is about £100 (have to replace every 4 years or so I believe) or if running off mains, the lead is about £25 so the cheaper way to power it.
I'd get a piece of rope and measure the area out before committing to buying though, as a lot of companys wont let you return net once its been unravelled.
 
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