[darkbrowneggs]

Hi - I wondered what everyones experiences with electrified poultry netting is?  How fox proof is it?  Is there a difference in problems between mains or battery powered netting?
 
Do foxes jump over and if so do they jump over both types?
 
 
I may post a similar type of question on other "poultry" type forums, as currently (ha ha) I am relying on mains electrified poultry netting, but as always worry about foxes getting over, especially as the other evening when doing a last check I could hear a vixen barking as she trotted up the lane calling to her cubs     And in the snows the last couple of years each night there were fox tracks round the poultry houses, fields and garden

[Womble]

each night there were fox tracks round the poultry houses, fields and garden

Are the houses inside the netting though?

[Sylvia]

I had battery operated flexinet, fox jumped over it and killed my Guinea Fowl in their house by lifting up the pop-hole.

[darkbrowneggs]

each night there were fox tracks round the poultry houses, fields and garden

Are the houses inside the netting though?

No - the houses are in a barn, with electric netting round runs.  In the snow I switched off the electric netting, but the fox still didn't go in the pens, but you could see footprints round the field by the pens and all through the gardens.
 
Mine is mains, and the energizer is strong enough for 20 poultry nets, so I would suspect give a fair jolt, judging by the click when it shorts out which it does often. 
 
I did have a fox get in the electric pen once, but the sheep had knocked the corner straining post down on the very far side, and I didnt notice.  The fox jumped in (but thank you God) had obviously been shot previously  - I expect it was desperate, but all the pop holes were shut.  The hens found it dead next morning when I let them out and set off the alarm, but the cockerels stayed by the pop holes 
 
For about 10 years I ran a pen with electric fencing round and never closed the pop holes the entire time, but now my stock are far more valuable to me as I have worked so hard on my lines, so I get more worried, hence the post/poll
 
Should I rephrase the questions?   It is the first poll I have done

[plumseverywhere]

Never lost any hens INSIDE the poultry netting but the little s*ds fly over it, wander round the garden and have twice given mr fox a meal that way.
I've caught the fox longingly looking into the enclosure but when I chased him away (in my pj's shouting and swearing) he legged it.
we do have horse tape electric fencing outside the chicken run too as that's where the goats live and I don' think the fox is too keen on going in there  so maybe the goats are our deterrant?

[Foobar]

I've had netting for 4 years, leisure battery source.
Lost all hens one year to a fox, but I think that I had a mole hill loosen the soil under the netting and the fox went under (it was pegged down, but pegs loosened by mole).
Just lost one hen in the past 2 weeks to a buzzard or sparrow hawk or similar.
Am just about to give up on it actually, due to the hawk, and the fact that it's a pain in the bottom to maintain (i.e. keep grass short, even though I do run a strip of damp proof course under the netting too), and to move.
And yes, some hens jump over it.
Oh and mine has killed two hedgehogs so far, even though I have un-electrified the bottom rung for them.  And some frogs have been fried too.
So, in summary, nice idea but ... it makes you go "grrrr" a lot!
This weekend is being spent constructing a hoop-shaped run on wheels, with 12g galvanised mesh and skirt .

[Foobar]

I must add though ... our local gun has shot over 20 foxes in the next door field this year since March (and he only goes out occasionally), so that gives you an idea of how many foxes are about in my area - and I've not had any fox attacks when the fence has been in good order.

[Sylvia]

I'm going to wait until cubbing starts next month and let the cubs scatter a bit, then get someone to come and shoot over our land and our neighbours.

[graham-j]

Hi,I have been keeping geese,and some drakes in an orchard since April.I have a ring of standard sheep electric fencing around the perimeter of the field.The fence is the standard plastic posts with three lines of electric string.
They are set 20cm,45cm and 100cm from the ground approx.
Inside this I have a 25m X 25m pen made from electric poultry netting that I move around the orchard with the geese in.
There is fox muck outside the perimeter fence and any tracks also end at this,so touch wood I don't think they come through this.
Below is a pic I took from my phone.

Graham.

[graham-j]

Hi,at the advice of others I have made up wooden straining posts that I hammer into the ground outside each corner of the net,Each post has a metal spike fitted to it for ease of hammering into the ground.
I then use these to pull the net up really tight.I am led to believe its where the net droops down that the fox jumps over.

Graham.

[Victorian Farmer]

Mains Electric Fencing Energiser 3.5 Joules/230 Volt   is not  strong enough ,you need 5 joules 3 is not enough to give a rap.And its the cost of power to run this. i dont think you would have a problem iff it was a high joules .

[darkbrowneggs]

Just to say graham, that anywhere the netting "droops" the bottom electified wires will be in contact with the ground and the fence will be shorting out there (anyone who is better informed please post, as I am trying to get as much info on this as possible) 

[graham-j]

Hi,there are no droops at all now in my netting top or bottom thanks to the straining posts,that is may point.

Not quite sure what you mean by any one is better informed at the end of your reply to me.

Graham.

[chrismahon]

Poultry netting isn't tall enough. A fox will jump over if it's hungry enough. Our fox clears a 5' 6" wall without touching it. If you haven't had a fox strike yet you are simply lucky -one is just around the corner -believe me and improve your defences. We have an electric poultry net inside the perimeter and it negotiates that as if it wasn't there. Doesn't matter if it touches it on the way over as it is in mid-air, so no ground circuit made, so no shock. Of course if the power goes down -flat battery or power cut?

[darkbrowneggs]

Hi,there are no droops at all now in my netting top or bottom thanks to the straining posts,that is may point.

Not quite sure what you mean by any one is better informed at the end of your reply to me.

Graham.

What I meant was if I have misunderstood about the fact that drooping fencing will short out then let me know. Hope that is clearer now. 
 
Chris - that's what I am trying to check.  As to how many people have suffered fox attacks even when using electric poultry netting, and whether using mains or battery powered has any different results.  I know you had a bad attack, was your fence battery or mains?