[kate7590]

Hubby would like some runner ducks, possibly next year to roam our orchard (about 1/4 acre)
We have seen for sale electric poultry wire designed to keep out predators, which seems great, if it actually works.
Has anyone any experience of using this?
Im a bit worried about the fact that the ducks could touch it and electrocute themselves???

[Backinwellies]

Im a bit worried about the fact that the ducks could touch it and electrocute themselves???

What current you planning on putting through it! .... if it would electrocute a duck it would give you a nasty burn at the very least!

Normal fencers just give a jolt (which if you are brave enough you can told on to).  But enough to give a fox a nasty surprise if touched. All animals learn not to touch .... I waved my wire at my sheep yesterday they soon shifted!

Biggest problem Is keeping the voltage up as the grass keeps growing and shorting the current.   I'll let others say how affective they find them ... mine's been Ok so far.

[funkyfish]

I hate them, we have three pens and unless the grass is very very short they don't work. Also the wire needs to be tight so need support posts in the corners, they are no good in the wind.... The sheep get stuck in it and have had chickens stuck in it..

[Ideation]

We have electric wire around all of our pheasant and partridge pens. We use either a single or double strand of wire set about six inches above the ground (the lower wire), connected to a fencing unit and a battery. As said, the long grass or anything (other than metal) touching it will reduce the voltage, so we strim and then spray off the area beneath the wire before connecting it.  Any metal touching it will cause a dead short.

For some reason the birds dont seem to get electricuted, despite walking into it, and bouncing off it lots of times, they dont seem to recieve a shock? Not sure why, maybe their feathers??? The fences range up to about 7/8000 volts, and usually does the trick when foxy or brock comes calling!

I've whacked myself on the fences a few times and its not pleasant!!!!

[GeorgieB82]

We have kept poultry within electric netting for 7 years and touch wood never lost any to the fox. We even see the fox trail circumnavigate the electric fence; I think they have learnt the hard way!

If you have undulating ground and find the netting sags I find the plastic posts designed for horse electric fencing are ideal intermediate posts.

The best way we find to prolong the charge from the batteries is to weed kill the path of the fence so the grass doesn't discharge the battery.

Take a look at the pictures on my website and you'll see the electric fencing at work.

[bekka@dh]

What do people thing about normal 4ft stock netting with an electric string running along the top and a foot off the bottom ? Would that be suitable? I am not sure why the whole fence needs to be electric?

[kate7590]

Sorry to re-open my older thread but only just seen the last reply by bekka- do you experienced poultry keepers think that would work? Sounds a better, cheaper way to electrify our perimeter!!

[GeorgieB82]

I don't see why it wouldn't providing there aren't launching points for the foxes to get over the top (overhanging trees, banks etc)

[HesterF]

I've seen that set-up quite commonly used - I think normally three wires (all set out from the netting itself by maybe a foot?), one low down to stop digging, one at nose height and one at the top to stop them going over. Most of the experienced breeders I've been to seem to have that running round the entire field they have their pens in. I've still not ventured into electric fence territory but since Mr.Fox has proved himself capable of shinning over our 7 ft fence (and back), it's coming up as an option (first we're putting chicken wire on the overhang though - barbed wire is no deterrent).

[Stereo]

Electric is the best answer to the fox. They don't like it at all. I know there are foxes in our field as one of our araucana boys flew out of the pen back along and I found a pile of feathers about a foot off the net. But they have so far not go into the runs. I find often that people who say it doesn't work have either set it up wrong or don't keep the grass down so it's shorting out. It can be a bit of work to get it all tight and then have to move it to strim every now and again. We also disconnect the bottom 2 wires which gives more leeway from shorting and the fence works better for longer although this does allow rabbits into the run.

When we had a pheasant pen in the woods, that was just 6 foot chicken wire with a single strand of electric about 6 inches off the ground around it. Seemed to do the job just fine. One of my next plans is to create an outer boundary stock fence around the whole field which will have a few strands of electric as you describe and then nets in the field.

[lord flynn]

I don't know about electric but have heard that having loose, intentioned wire/netting at the top is a deterrent as foxes don't like to climb it. no experience of this but thought I'd mention it.

[kate7590]

Thanks everyone, seems like its quite popular and practical. Will certainly be looking into this so hubby can have some ducks

[hughesy]

We use heras fence panels with a single electric strand around the outside about 6" off the ground and 6" out. It has worked well for a good few years but I got complacent a few months ago and didn't put the leccy back after I moved the pens. Result 8 dead ducks.

[Stereo]

We use heras fence panels with a single electric strand around the outside about 6" off the ground and 6" out. It has worked well for a good few years but I got complacent a few months ago and didn't put the leccy back after I moved the pens. Result 8 dead ducks.

Our neighbour has her hens in 4 of those. The hens roost up on top of them! Not sure if the house has mite or if they just like the fresh air.

[hughesy]

We use heras fence panels with a single electric strand around the outside about 6" off the ground and 6" out. It has worked well for a good few years but I got complacent a few months ago and didn't put the leccy back after I moved the pens. Result 8 dead ducks.

Our neighbour has her hens in 4 of those. The hens roost up on top of them! Not sure if the house has mite or if they just like the fresh air.

We've had hens roosting on top of the fence too. One thing's for sure no fox will get them there.