Is my pekin bantam male or female?

[chuckmum6]

I am considering using an electric fence to protect my flock, and have seen this solar fencing kit

http://www.farmcareuk.com/shop/product/-poultry-kits/poultry-net-kit-solar

does anyone have any experience of solar fencing. I am thinking of getting a 50 m length, I am wondering if I will need to add a gate and also if I can run it in a L shape or if it has to be a circuit o shape? Advice very welcome

[chicken bark]

I'm a big fan. You can easily add a gate by adding another post. Most of the time I just climb over the top.

 

You can do any shape you want but if you do this you will need extra guy ropes and pegs to keep the fence taught. Sometimes getting it 'just so' can be a faff especially if it has been made heavy with rain/snow. When it is heavier it seems to short out more easily so spending time making sure the electrified wires don't touch the ground is time well spent.

 

I also got a solar panel from farmcare and this has seriously reduced the amount of times I needs to charge my battery.

 

Worth it in my opinion although not maintenance free.

[Eggasperated]

I use electric fencing but not solar powered - I use leisure batteries and charge up from the mains. Not quite sure what you mean about the L shape but I assume you mean the ends of the fence wouldn't meet - this is ok you don't need a complete circuit for the fence to work. A gate section is a good idea, my fence came with two poles close together which give extra support so that you can move the fence to get in and out.

Hopefully others on here will be able to give you a bit more info but I have found my electric fence to be very useful.

[chuckmum6]

Thanks, I currently have omlet netting, which I cut in half to make a gate in the middle, it isn't electrified, although I wonder if I could still electrify the part with the connectors attached? If so, I could then buy 25 m and add that too (it did say in the details the kit can power three fences)?????

[Eggasperated]

Yes, you can still electrify the bit with connectors - I use a 50 m fence that I bought and also add in a section of Omlet netting with connectors on one end only when I want to make my run bigger.

Whether you get enough voltage seems to depend a lot on leakage from the fence to earth, as chicken bark said it is really essential to make sure the bottom electrified wire doesn't touch the ground, keeping the fence taut and the grass under it short will ensure you get the best voltage.

[chuckmum6]

Thanks Eggasperated, will I need to do anything to the cut part of the omlet netting with the connectors, will it need earthing? I thought that where the two fences join to the battery would make a good place for the gate, I'm just unsure what will happen to the other ends - if that makes sense?

[Eggasperated]

You should only need an earth rod where the energiser and battery connect, nothing else should be earthed. We normally roll the end of the fence slightly just enough to make sure there are no electrified wires sticking out which would earth and loose voltage. If you are using an L shape what are you putting the ends of the fence against? As again this could also cause it to earth.

I always have the fence joins and battery at the gate as this is easiest for me too.

I found it quite daunting setting up my fence for the first time and worried loads but now I wouldn't be without it.

[chuckmum6]

Actually looking at it again it will be more of this shape ], it will be against a wooden fence, one of the sides is a picket style fence but I would add electric fencing their as the pekins could squeeze out. I'm a bit worried about getting it right, sounds like I will need to do a bit of plant slashing to make sure it doesn't loose voltage.

[chicken bark]

Yes - anything the live wires of the fence touches shorts it. Maybe you could cover the wooden fence where it touches with plastic - that might help a bit.

[karlotta]

One of my fences is shaped like that (kind of!) and it butts up to a wooden post's either end. I use cable ties to attach the end electric fence post to the wooden post, but am careful to make sure I don't pull them too tight that it touches the post. I've also trimmed the electric fence so there are no sticky-outy strands to touch anything. Hope that makes sense!

[beach chick]

I'd just add to the point about keeping the fence taut enough so the bottom wire doesnt touch the ground:

 

we find this really difficult to do because our field is very bumpy, so difficult to mow (especially given the weather we have had since October). we've also had incidents of 'something' burrowing underneath.

 

so we got another leisure battery which is on permanent charge in the garage - as soon as the battery light shows red we just swop the batteries over, which is a lot less faff than continually tweaking the fence around.