The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Techniques and skills => Topic started by: billy_wiz on February 02, 2015, 04:19:14 pm
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Hi
I would like some recomendations on electric fencing, firstly for chickens later for sheep and pigs.
Being new to smallholding, is there any sytem product better than others pro's and con's, what should I look for, buying for only a few acres.....mostly as fox deterent.
Many thanks in anticipation of your replies.
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For chickens - electric poultry fencing. Either with mains power or a 12V energiser. Sheep and pigs can have two or three stands of wire or poly-wire. If you have to move the fencing every so often it is probably better to use electric sheep netting. However, this can cause problems with horned breeds.
I wouldn't advocate moving pig fencing with any porkers in residence. :innocent: Give them a big enough enclosure from day one.
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'Rutland electric fencing' have a useful website
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Poultry netting for the chickens.
4 strands of wire/poly wire for the sheep (or tape but only if you sheep are well behaved).
2 strands of tape for the pigs.
Moving the poultry netting and the 4-strand wire can be a pain (esp the netting). But you will get better with practice. Don't move the pig enclosure if you can help it, like Possum says, get it right first time.
:)
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Never got on well with poultry netting, lots of potential for grounding and very long in wire terms so needs a hefty energiser to give a decent shock.
If it going to be (semi)permanent I use 2 methods for poultry with success to date (tempting fate):
1. Wires (polywire) at 15cm, 30cm, 45cm, 60cm and 80cm.
2. 4ft chicken wire (non electric) with a run of electric polywire on the outside at 15 cm and 5cm or so bellow the top (seems to be a popular method with gamekeepers for poult pens).
Proper wooden braced corner posts keep it all taught.
Remember to keep vegitation off the wire, makes a real difference to the jolt delivered.
regards
Moel
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Oh, and for lambs netting and a hefty energiser!