Stoat killed hens asleep in the Eglu

[fluffy chick]

 

I have 25 m of omlet electric netting. Unfortunately my little bantams can fit through the smaller holes at the bottom, with a bit of a jump and wiggle they are straight through

 

So I am going to hook it up to the mains (for now) I think but have a blond question! I know if long grass/ shrubs etc touch the netting it can stop it working. I will try to stop this but it will be hard where the chooks are at the moment (under a couple of big trees with lots of growth). But obviously it will be touching the ground so doesn't this matter?! Also at the moment it is pegged down, can I still peg it down or will I not need to bother?

 

Can anyone recommend a good (and reasonable) energiser which is mains and battery run?

 

many thanks!

[karlotta]

The bottom strand on the electric fence (the black one) isn't electrified so you want that one touching the ground, but the rest not. Yes you ideally need to keep the grass under short, but in practice there are bits and pieces touching mine and it still works. With it being mains operated you shouldn't have much of a problem.. it's often that your battery just goes flat quicker.

 

If you can keep the net nice and taut (extra poles is always a bonus) you won't need the pegs as neither the hens or the foxes will go anywhere near it!

 

With regard to energisers I use Hotline energisers (bought mine from Flytesofancy but lots of places sell them). As long as it says it works with mains you'll be fine (mine say they are suitable for both).

 

Hope this helps!

[fluffy chick]

Thanks

 

I've just ordered the hotline 1.2J energiser as I'm worried about the growth of shrubs etc around it. The area they have is on a slope so I have extra poles to keep it taught, even then it is saggy in places. I will have to be careful not to let any of the green stuff touch the floor then won't I?

[beach chick]

hi fluffy chick. we have a similar site to yours, sloping, bumpy, shrubs etc and our electric fence seems to work ok.

because of the slopes/bumps I do peg the bottom down, and I use extra poles and guy ropes to try and keep things taut. doesnt always work tho!

 

in the past I have weedkilled along the line of the fence and that's worked quite well. we always have bits of grass etc that touch the electric bit, and the fence still works tho the battery does wear out quicker. we solved that one by buying a spare battery and swapping them round so there is always one in operation and one on charge.

 

my next plan is to move the fence round through 90 degrees to a permanent site, and we are going to try a strip of that weed suppressing membrane along the line of the fence, with the poles and pegs going through it. we're also going to put a permanent gate into the fence, coz I'm fed up of faffing about with the flimsiness of the electric fence gate....

[scarlettohara]

When we used electric fencing on our horses the only thing that would break the circuit was if a branch blew onto it in high winds, we had small shrubs and trees that would grow and touch it in the summer and it was fine

 

Mind you Duke liked to jump it and take it with him so it did stop working then

[fluffy chick]

hi fluffy chick. we have a similar site to yours, sloping, bumpy, shrubs etc and our electric fence seems to work ok.

because of the slopes/bumps I do peg the bottom down, and I use extra poles and guy ropes to try and keep things taut. doesnt always work tho!

 

 

Brill, thanks for that! I would move them onto a more suitable bit of the garden but OH won't have it What gate are you looking at? Getting in and out of mine is already a pain and I haven't electrified it yet.

 

When we used electric fencing on our horses the only thing that would break the circuit was if a branch blew onto it in high winds, we had small shrubs and trees that would grow and touch it in the summer and it was fine

 

Mind you Duke liked to jump it and take it with him so it did stop working then

 

That's reassuring thank you. I was riding when my horse touched an electric fence once, lets just say I never got that close again

[beach chick]

mr beach chick is going to make a gate - wood frame, weldmesh middle. then I think we will have 2 solid posts either side for the gate to hang.

 

we're going to cut the electric fence, and then have one end attached to the front of the run, going to the gate, and the other bit from the other side of the gate back to the other side of the run. this means the whole run will be electrified (!!) but I think it is already, as I got a shock when my nose touched the wire when I was peering in the other day...

 

the connection between gate/posts and fence ends might be something as easy as metal plates sticking out either side, not sure we havent got that far yet!!

 

I will post pix and explanation as and when, but probably wont be for a while as I have some serious work to do to make the new area suitable (3 foot high nettles being the initial obstacle).

[fluffy chick]

this means the whole run will be electrified (!!) but I think it is already, as I got a shock when my nose touched the wire when I was peering in the other day...

 

sorry.

 

I would love to see how you manage it. thank you. I was thinking (when I win the lottery ) of having normal picket fencing all the way round to hide the netting and some how attach the last bit of netting to the picket fence so it swings open with the wooden fence iykwim. Not sure how to attach it without stopping it working though Anyway I'll get the blooming thing electrified first. I'm always one step ahead of myself

[beach chick]

yes I like the idea of picket fencing too (and I could paint it ), the netting just looks a bit wibbly wobbly and untidy! but then I suppose if you have a solid fence it gives more purchase for chooks to fly onto/foxes to climb... will have to

SOMEONE - was it snoxie? - had a solution with I think electfried metal fencing, will have to see if I can find it.

[fluffy chick]

yes I like the idea of picket fencing too (and I could paint it ), the netting just looks a bit wibbly wobbly and untidy! but then I suppose if you have a solid fence it gives more purchase for chooks to fly onto/foxes to climb... will have to

SOMEONE - was it snoxie? - had a solution with I think electfried metal fencing, will have to see if I can find it.

 

 

yeah I guess Maybe if you left a big gap between them.

[Redwing]

You could have a wooden fence and use electric wire strands to protect it

[beach chick]

You could have a wooden fence and use electric wire strands to protect it

 

would you have the electric strands inside or out Redwing? am just trying to think what they have at farms.... one of the breeders I've had several girls from had strand fencing but cant remember if there was an inner perimeter. its the eternal question - what looks good and provides protection?!

[fluffy chick]

Hey thanks for all your help.

 

Another daft question .....

 

So my energiser has arrived. We don't have a battery yet so was planning on running it off the mains. Can I simply plug it into a socket (indoors) ?! The packaging is on about 'high voltage' cables ?! I don't know what these are. I know the extension socket (outside) will need to be kept dry we got a box to keep it in. But was thinking about just running an extension lead up to that then just plugging it in?!? Has anyone got any experience of running off the mains?

 

Also (also daft) if the netting is a little too long (a couple of meters) can I roll the excess around the last pole? Will this be ok if electrified?

 

thanks lots