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OllieNLucys Mum

Electric fencing What height?

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Question is in the title :D

 

I have been letting our three girls and Ollie :) free range whilst i am at the stables. I am having problems with this system though. Firstly atm I am only there for about an hour at each visit and the rest of the time Ollie and lucy are in the cube with a run extension and the other 2 girls are in a stable. ( yep still have to do the integration bit :roll: )Secondly Ollie and Lucy are pacing up and down their run all the time squawking and asking to go out and when let out they go zooming off right into the fields and unless its dusk won't come back.

 

Obviously they are going stir crazy shut in a tiny run all day and i feel really mean. I was thinking about getting some electric fencing to enable them to have a bigger area of paddock during the day and shut them back in the cube run at night.

 

 

I am worried about foxes though. How high would the fencing need to be and wouldn't a shock great enough to deter a fox give a chook a heart attack. I know my horses are virtually unphased by their electric fencing but when i touched it by mistake my arm was numb for some time :(

 

It's great to see them all wandering around the farm yard reminds me of when I was a kid but I guess Mr fox used to help himself then too I was just unaware. I don't want to cage them, maybe there is another solution i haven't thought of. The cube with the run and extension seemed like such a good idea until I saw the two of them in it and it's going to be even worse when the four of them are in it.

 

Hmm being a chook Mum is a worry :roll:

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Hello, I have electric fencing (see my separate topic on a particular problem I'm having with it :( ) but would just like to reassure you that it doesn't seem to bother the chicks at all. I think their feathers act as insulation, so if their bodies touch it, it seems to have no effect. I've seen their beaks touch it and they get a bit of a shock so they don't do that any more (apart from Ena who is the boldest).

 

Although we got it with foxes in mind, it's actually proved its worth by repelling some dogs which had managed to jump into our garden (which backs on the hills) and decided too chase the chicks - it gave them enough of a shock that they yelped and ran away, and I don't think they've been back. Our own dog keeps clear of it too.

 

Edited to say I realise I didn't say what height it is - about four feet, I think.

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Hi JS1 sorry to hear about the toads i think I would find that upsetting too.

 

4ft doesn't seem awfully high I read something somewhere on net that mentioned 1.8m but I can't find anyone selling it.The stuff i have seen is only 1 metre which i think is only 3' 4" :(

Not sure whether to get it or not. What height has anyone else got?

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ours is probably only a metre high - 4ft tops, and its the 'tape' variety - ie 3 or 4 strands. We definitely have foxes but they seem to ebb and flow, I can't tell if the leccy fence has made a difference or not. It works on cats tho - they jump a mile!

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Hi , I don't have an electric fence but have looked in to it a bit!! i think as long as the fence is active the fox may touch it a first time but from then on they wouldn't attempt to climb it . I think the fox will also know when it is on or if it is off as they must be able to hear it or something . so you have to check it is always working !!

ours is probably only a metre high - 4ft tops, and its the 'tape' variety - ie 3 or 4 strands. We definitely have foxes but they seem to ebb and flow, I can't tell if the leccy fence has made a difference or not. It works on cats tho - they jump a mile!
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we've used 1m high electric fencing for a year now, with varying degrees of success!

- we have a 50m fence for anywhere between 8-11 chooks (12.5sqm, therefore plenty of space)

- keeps dogs away v. successfully

- we have, in that time, lost 3 to foxes - our fault because the fence wasnt pegged down tightly enough

- you need to make sure fence is taut, with no long grass/weeds touching it (mow first, and then weedkill 12" either side of it works for us)

- then, go along the fence line and put in a tent peg every 20-30cm - stops burrowing, which is how we think our fox got in

- keep fence switched on 24/7

- make sure you have either back up battery or can charge it when it needs it

- as far as I understand, a fox biting the fence (and have seen the evidence of this) or trying to jump it will get a big shock and back off; but they can squeeze in underneath the bottom wire if it s not pegged down.

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I am a 2wk old poultry keeper virgin.{Although I researched and read many many books before taking the plunge}. I have a cube with an extension which is home to my 8 girls, Which is surounded by a 50 metre length 1.22metre high electric poultry net with a very powerful energiser that is mains/battery operated. I am paranoid about keeping them safe, as I have at least four foxes visiting at all times throughout the day. I searched the net any free time that I had on electric fencing and I found a site that was very useful I talked to Bill one Sunday afternoon who helped me considerably here is the website address: http://www.electricfencing.co.uk/electricnetting.asp I hope this helps you.

Question is in the title :D

 

I have been letting our three girls and Ollie :) free range whilst i am at the stables. I am having problems with this system though. Firstly atm I am only there for about an hour at each visit and the rest of the time Ollie and lucy are in the cube with a run extension and the other 2 girls are in a stable. ( yep still have to do the integration bit :roll: )Secondly Ollie and Lucy are pacing up and down their run all the time squawking and asking to go out and when let out they go zooming off right into the fields and unless its dusk won't come back.

 

Obviously they are going stir crazy shut in a tiny run all day and i feel really mean. I was thinking about getting some electric fencing to enable them to have a bigger area of paddock during the day and shut them back in the cube run at night.

 

 

I am worried about foxes though. How high would the fencing need to be and wouldn't a shock great enough to deter a fox give a chook a heart attack. I know my horses are virtually unphased by their electric fencing but when i touched it by mistake my arm was numb for some time :(

 

It's great to see them all wandering around the farm yard reminds me of when I was a kid but I guess Mr fox used to help himself then too I was just unaware. I don't want to cage them, maybe there is another solution i haven't thought of. The cube with the run and extension seemed like such a good idea until I saw the two of them in it and it's going to be even worse when the four of them are in it.

 

Hmm being a chook Mum is a worry :roll:

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Thanks for all the helpful info. I will give bill a call I am :shock: at price though.

 

I am learning as i go rather than before. I never planned on having chooks my son just got a couple of chicks which turned out to be 1 cockerel 1 hen then lost interest :roll:

 

The electric fencing does seem like my best option apart from the fact I couldn't weedkill the fence line as its in the horses paddock and they will be rotated back onto it. I can mow it but it is VERY uneven we have £10 of tent pegs on the cube run and extension alone!

 

Actually doesn't the fox just dig under the fence as there is no skirt like the cube run?

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Actually doesn't the fox just dig under the fence as there is no skirt like the cube run?

 

Unless there is a huge gap between the bottom of your fence and the ground then the fox will get a shock as he attempts to go under.

 

However, I should imagine he will get a shock even before he starts to dig as he will test the fence first.

 

I have been using electric fencing for over a year now. I am surrounded by woodland and have breeding vixens just behind the enclosure who pay no attention at all to the chickens because I suspect they have already tried and decided it's not worth the pain. :shock:

 

As BeachChick says, if the fencing is well maintained and kept taut with no gaps underneath then it does work.

 

It also keeps badgers, mink and squirrels away. :D

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I'm sure the fox can dig under but so far we haven't had any problems. We mow but don't weedkill. It is a bit of a faff to dismantle/mantle the fence as we rotate the pen but having had foxy in the garden twice in broad daylight just feet away from me its just something we have to put up with.

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Unless there is a huge gap between the bottom of your fence and the ground then the fox will get a shock as he attempts to go under.

 

:D

 

hadn't thought of that, I'm sure you're right. Our bottom strand is about 3-4" above ground. We also put bricks/rubble in any uneven bits of ground.

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We've been using 105cm high electric poultry netting for over a year and haven't had any problems despite having had foxes in the garden. We did find however that we needed almost twice as many posts as originally supplied with the netting as our ground is really bumpy. We use a strip of damp proof membrane under the fence to keep the grass from touching it.

 

The biggest concern is making sure everyone remembers to turn it on!

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Agree with Scuttle that twice as many posts are needed than were supplied with our 50m fence - and we only use around two thirds of it! And our ground isn't that uneven. We have a mesh fence, but not the closest gauge which apparently needs even more posts!

 

We actually ordered some fence posts separately as the ones delivered with the fencing were pretty flimsy. We ordered horse electric fence posts, which seem to work just as well and are a lot sturdier.

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Hiya. Saw this thread late, but here is the benefit of my experience with leccy fences :wink: :

 

Leccy Fence Tips

First, just to explain, foxes always test a barrier or boundary at low level (with their sensitive nose) before burrowing or jumping. That is why these lowish fences still deter them. It is important to make a lasting impression!

 

The chickens soon learn to respect the fence. If the do touch, it is more of a surprise to them than anything. And we all know how easily startled they are.

 

The right stuff

50m makes quite a big area. We aren't so lucky to have such a big garden (or so generous to give it all to three chickens!), so we use a 25m fence. This makes an area about the size of 4 big car parking spaces. But we do move it around now and again to give areas a rest.

 

Yes, always buy extra poles and always use guy ropes to keep all corners tight. This helps reduce the inevitable sagging (no, the fence!). We often end up with funny shapes as there has to be a pole in a corner obviously!

 

The live wires in the fence are normally just the horizontal ones, except for the very bottom strand that touches the ground. You need to keep the base area free from grass. otherwise the battery will weaken and run out quicker - and be less of a deterrent for the foxes.

 

We advise to mow grass to start with. But like Skuttle we then lay a band about 5 or 6 inches wide of clear thick polythene along under the fence, which keeps the growing grass from touching the fence. It is see-through, so it does not kill the grass and you can easily poke the poles and skewers through it. The rain drains through the holes too!

 

Where you push a peg in, twist it through the bottom strand first. This helps keep the fence tight.

 

Whenever you turn the fence energiser on, it is recommended to walk a lap around the pen. This is to check all is secure and listen for a Tick sound, which will reveal anywhere the fence is short-circuited by a piece of long grass etc. Clear it between Ticks if you can!

 

A good battery with higher number Ah (Amp Hours) will protect your girls for months. It is a false economy to buy a cheap battery, because you will have to buy two, plus possibly two deliveries. We have a 9v 120 Ah battery and it is the business.

 

I hope this helps and good luck...

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Our battery seems to run out of charge quite quickly - a quick google search isn't throwing up any 9 volt 120ah (whatever that means!) which are rechargeable - anyone any suggestions of where to get one - and will our charger do it too??

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