4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[beach chick]

our 18 mth old Lab has taken to hopping inside the omlet netting - normally just eats the babies food and then lies down, and the babies peck around him. I turf him out whenever I catch him.

 

neighbour has just appeared on my doorstep with Muffin in her arms - did I know Ozzie was chasing the chooks, and 1 was up a tree? got Ozzie out, got Sugar down from the tree, but Crumpet is missing. there are a few white feathers on the ground but not many, so I dont think the dog has eaten her, and no signs on him. I just have to hope that if it's all quiet she will come back when she's calmed down - the other babies definitely stressed. the big girls are freeranging as normal, so I hope they dont go for Crumpet if she pops her head out. got to go on school/brownie run in 45 mins, so wont be bck til later.

 

dog is in disgrace, and not going in the garden unless on a lead/I can stay with him til I can get an electric fence. can I electrify the omlet netting itself (tho its got lots of holes in which have been fixed with plastic plant ties) or do I need to get somethign to go alongside it?

[beach chick]

CRUMPET IS HOME! found her wandering around inside the omlet netting while the other 5 were shut in the run. she seems none the worse for her adventure. phew, thank goodness for that.

 

now, about that electric fencing...?

[..lay a little egg for me]

Glad you got Crumpet back!

 

If the Omlet netting is like my electric fencing then only the horizontal strands are electrified, so breaks in the vertical ones are OK. If you can tie the horizontal ones together the current will probably pass OK. You can buy electric fence string which you could use to mend the big holes but may be too expensive as you probably have to buy 100m or so! I have a fence tester which shows whether the fence has a high enough voltage. I connect the sender to one end of the fence and then test each of the horizontal wires in turn. You probably will need to do this anyway so could be worth investing in the tester before you worry about replacement wires. Your fence needs to be giving 2000V or more (in full fettle the fence should give over 7000V) to be effective in keeping foxes out, how much you need to keep out a lab I don't know!!!

 

The main cost of the electric fence is the 'sender' or 'energiser' or 'fencer' and this needs to be powerful enough to drive the netting (which takes a lot more power than a fence used for horses). So bear that in mind when deciding what to get.

 

Hope this helps.

[chelsea]

phew! glad crumpet came back!

[beach chick]

good info there layalittleegg... will get the OH to look at it all for me I think, as beyond me really! chooks all seem fine now, thank goodness.

[Chickvic]

glad Crumpet is ok!