Author Topic: electric fencing...???? (Read 3074 times)

crosser · « **on:** July 12, 2011, 02:44:34 pm »

can anyone explain what i need to have an electric fence for a 70 x 160ft area for my chickens?? theres so many different things im lost... will need to be cheap though as on a budget... couldnt afford to buy proper mesh for the size of area so had to buy the normal chicken wire and now about 7 ft high... just thought electric fence might just deter the fox abit more... did someone mention about having a radio on where the chickens are is a good deterent?

thanks

mandy

OhLaLa · « **Reply #1 on:** July 12, 2011, 03:03:24 pm »

Electric fencing doesn't come cheap, and it's not something I would recommend using on a daily or unsupervised basis as poultry - and other animals - can become entangled in it and electrocuted. Horrible stuff.

You've already built your run so I think your best (and cheapest) option would be to run two VERY TAUTE lengths of tape/polywire around the outside of the chicken run. Use proper insulators and electric tape (preferable, link shows example) or poly wire:

http://www.molevalleyfarmers.com/mvf/store/products/mvf-20mm-tape-200m;jsessionid=52F13B8E23ADFED2F294E9C1E4490FF8

Don't let it touch grass or the chicken wire of the run, it will short out. I'd put the first strand about 12"/18" high and the second 18"/2ft high. Connect it to an energiser, either mains or battery fed, and job done.

Radio on to deter fox? Not a chance. Fox has walked right past me when the radio has been on - it only had eyes for dinner.

crosser · « **Reply #2 on:** July 12, 2011, 03:47:42 pm »

thats a great help,, thanks for the advice and i thought the radio thing might be a bit hopeful.. i found this kit on ebay.. what do you think?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ELECTRIC-FENCING-STARTER-KIT-3FT-GREEN-FENCE-POSTS-/330554315557?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item4cf6929325

OhLaLa · « **Reply #3 on:** July 12, 2011, 08:13:10 pm »

I took a look at your link - first thought - is 20 posts enough? Also you won't get the tape taut on that type of post, it tends to blow about in the wind. If you want an extra gap between the run and the tape, you would be better off knocking wooden posts into the ground (they cost about the same), using insulators on the posts, for example:

http://www.molevalleyfarmers.com/mvf/store/products/hotline-screw-in-tape-insulator-20-pack

You can also get an insulator for polywire if you decide to use that instead of tape.

If you are able to use insulators directly onto the posts of your run, that will save you money.

I've also attached the link below - it shows a photo of what I'm trying to explain, and has a bit of extra info too:

http://keeping-chickens.me.uk/getting-started/electric-fencing-chickens

shearling · « **Reply #4 on:** July 14, 2011, 07:10:40 pm »

We have just been inserting new poultry electric fencing. We splashed out and bought a full kit but... poles too floppy and battery not really strong enough. OH not convinced it will do the job. Last time we kept chooks we (ok OH) dug about a foot below ground and totally engaged the birds area in chicken wire - seven foot high by about 10 by 10 foot (and 1 foot deep with soil on top) it also had a house big enough to home an entire colony

. Lots of hard work by the OH but foxes our dogs and our cats could only look on and slaver