Electric fencing for hens.

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Electric fencing for hens.
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gardening-girl

Joined: 25 Feb 2009
Posts: 6024
Location: Somerset.

Posted: Thu Dec 17, 09 5:06 pm Post subject: Electric fencing for hens.
Does anyone use electric fencing to keep there hens in? If so, how good is it. When the new faverolles are put outside after christmas(building crew being at bit slow with the house),we thought that we could use an electric fence to make a paddock for them. The motley crew are fenced in with orange security fencing which is not foxproof.

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Thu Dec 17, 09 5:32 pm Post subject:

If the orange security fence is keeping the birds in you could run a couple of strands of electrified wire on insulators around the outside to keep the fox at bay.
One about 6" above ground & another at about a foot.
Electrified netting is effective but v expensive IMO.
& for the money doesn't last.
Foxy always leads with its nose close to the ground.
one shock around the face will be enough to deter it forever more.
If it cocks its leg on it works even better.
My last terrier would testify if he was still here.

Penny Outskirts

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 23385
Location: Planet, not on the....

Posted: Thu Dec 17, 09 5:43 pm Post subject:
https://www.forshamcottagearks.com/electric-fencing/electric-fencing-products1.htm We have one like this, on a mains connection (not battery). Thankfully in fours years we've not lost a hen to the foxes. The other family on the farm have lost loads, using a similar fence but they have let the battery run low. It's 50m long.

kevin.vinke

Joined: 19 Dec 2006
Posts: 1304
Location: Niedersachsen, Germany

Posted: Thu Dec 17, 09 6:28 pm Post subject:

Penny wrote:

https://www.forshamcottagearks.com/electric-fencing/electric-fencing-products1.htm

We have one like this, on a mains connection (not battery). Thankfully in fours years we've not lost a hen to the foxes. The other family on the farm have lost loads, using a similar fence but they have let the battery run low. It's 50m long.

Our setup is the same except our netting is orange. Fingers crossed all has worked well so far.

Mrs R

Joined: 15 Aug 2008
Posts: 7202

Posted: Thu Dec 17, 09 9:28 pm Post subject:
I find it good for the ixworths who are heavy and thus, well behaved, but it doesn't keep the gamebirds in, they either fly out or find a gap I've missed somewhere

gardening-girl

Joined: 25 Feb 2009
Posts: 6024
Location: Somerset.

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 09 10:22 am Post subject:
Thanks for replies, looks like it would be a good investment. The faverolles area heavy variety, so should be ok. Off to spend more money at Mole ValleyFarmers.

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 09 11:33 am Post subject:

gardening-girl wrote:

Off to spend more money at Mole ValleyFarmers.

Woodburner

Joined: 28 Apr 2006
Posts: 2904
Location: Essex

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 09 11:56 am Post subject:
Beware of sheds close by. Even if I could afford it, leccy fence would be no good as there are sheds and woodstores around the area where I keep my chooks. Anything a fox can climb can be used to jump into the run if it's close enough.

gardening-girl

Joined: 25 Feb 2009
Posts: 6024
Location: Somerset.

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 09 3:45 pm Post subject:
Should be ok, the new hen house will be in the middle of the paddock.

Jo S

Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 5174
Location: Somerset

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 09 10:05 pm Post subject:
Mine keeps the dogs off and has been heard keeping the foxes at bay as well. Sadly, it doesn't stop rats.

Di Howes

Joined: 20 May 2006
Posts: 140
Location: Near Yeovil, Somerset

Posted: Sat Dec 19, 09 3:32 pm Post subject: Fencing for hens
I use poultry netting and a car battery with unit. Keep 2 batteries so that one is always charged and swop when one gets low. My hens and ducks are in the middle of a field and it works a treat. It also means you can move them when the ground gets muddy so that it recovers. I also use the poultry netting for piglets to keep the fox out. Di

Pea

Joined: 19 Sep 2005
Posts: 960
Location: Rugby

Posted: Sun Dec 20, 09 10:34 pm Post subject:
I used to use the normal netting but discovered that the chooks listened for the pulses and could run through the holes quite easily at the right time and not get shocked. I now use the poultry netting and have no problems with them escaping.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 44456
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Dec 21, 09 12:38 pm Post subject:
as above re netting being good stuff however a sad thing happened with mine in that a hegdgehog got stuck in it and died ,maybe a single strand a foot or so from the fence and very low would avoid this for both wildlife and piglets (on the inside for piggywigs)

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Mon Dec 21, 09 1:28 pm Post subject:

Just by chance we have just come in from an exhausting attempt to set some up. What a job from hell? For some stupid reason the manufacturers have put 13 panels in their 50 metre lengths of electric poultry netting. Have you ever tried to make a regular shape out of of 13 panels? Its not a task for the faint hearted or thick int head.
After dinner we are going to renew the battle by joining two 50 metre lengths. In my limited experience, if you havent got perfectly flat smooth land or if you have an irregular shape that you want to enclose, then don't bother and save your sanity.

Cobnut

Joined: 29 Aug 2008
Posts: 475
Location: North Herefordshire

Posted: Wed Jan 06, 10 2:35 pm Post subject:

bodger wrote:

Agreed

. I found there were never enough posts to keep the netting taught so had to buy loads more and, as you said, on uneven ground it’s a pain as it’s impossible to keep the stuff from shorting out on the grass. I used to turn the netting off at night after 2 hedgehogs met a nasty end one night, but the found the rabbits chewed through it. All in all it’s been more hassle that it’s worth unfortunately, although it still keeps my hens in even though it’s not been live for more than a year.

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