Another question please. You mentioned the lower part of the fence webbing was not electrified. Is that to prevent shorting out? Or prevent zapping the chickens? What about small but vicious animals like mink that could push under the fence? I think the mink and weasel and probably raccoon threat is mostly at night when the chickens are safe in the coup. But after thinking long and hard about what happened and what I could learn from our mink tragedy i might have had a clue that they were around. (I was oblivious to these small !#$ threats.) The clue was during the day something was in the coop and ate an egg. All the shell, all that was left was some yolk. I am certain this was not done by a hen. And it just happened once, about a week before the attack. I thought I had Fort Knox but now I am considering putting a cement foundation all around the coop and run, with attached wire.
The horizontal strand at the very bottom is not electrified exactly because it would short out the current. The one above is live - maybe an inch and a half higher. As for what they stop, it clearly depends on the hole size of the mesh. Our poultry mesh would stop a mink our raccoon but our weasels are really small (and vicious). I have a grudging respect for weasels and stoats - they are amazingly tough but would definitely take a chick, egg or small hen. We put our coops on top of paving slabs (not sure what you call them - 18" square concrete slabs). That stops mustelids (weasels, stoats and mink) or brown rats burrowing underneath the coop. In an extreme situation I would consider a weld mesh floor to the run (I think you call it hardware cloth?). No critter gets through 19gauge 1/2“ weld mesh, but, importantly, water can still drain freely.
I have just got our electric fence running and have a terrible detector. I have been wanting to find a new one but been unsure which is better. Thanks for this. I now know which types to get.
Glad it was useful James. Honestly that multi light unit is my absolute "go to" tester. A good electric fence is an investment & it's so worth having a proper tester to ensure that it's working efficiently
It's really odd. If I touch it with grass it doesn't REALLY hurt but I sort of think myself into it 😊. I have to say that I am a MASSIVE fan of electric fences. The ability to free range our flock safely means so much to us & I have witnessed the fence save them three times. That's just the ones I have actually witnessed. Of course we have fewer real aerial predators
Any issues we head out at dusk when the arcing is easier to spot. Just installing our electric rope fencing for the goats using a different solar energizer set up (all in one unit) will be interesting to see how it works and if we end up chasing the goats across the fields!
Another question please. You mentioned the lower part of the fence webbing was not electrified. Is that to prevent shorting out? Or prevent zapping the chickens? What about small but vicious animals like mink that could push under the fence? I think the mink and weasel and probably raccoon threat is mostly at night when the chickens are safe in the coup. But after thinking long and hard about what happened and what I could learn from our mink tragedy i might have had a clue that they were around. (I was oblivious to these small !#$ threats.) The clue was during the day something was in the coop and ate an egg. All the shell, all that was left was some yolk. I am certain this was not done by a hen. And it just happened once, about a week before the attack. I thought I had Fort Knox but now I am considering putting a cement foundation all around the coop and run, with attached wire.
The horizontal strand at the very bottom is not electrified exactly because it would short out the current. The one above is live - maybe an inch and a half higher. As for what they stop, it clearly depends on the hole size of the mesh. Our poultry mesh would stop a mink our raccoon but our weasels are really small (and vicious). I have a grudging respect for weasels and stoats - they are amazingly tough but would definitely take a chick, egg or small hen. We put our coops on top of paving slabs (not sure what you call them - 18" square concrete slabs). That stops mustelids (weasels, stoats and mink) or brown rats burrowing underneath the coop. In an extreme situation I would consider a weld mesh floor to the run (I think you call it hardware cloth?). No critter gets through 19gauge 1/2“ weld mesh, but, importantly, water can still drain freely.
I have just got our electric fence running and have a terrible detector. I have been wanting to find a new one but been unsure which is better. Thanks for this. I now know which types to get.
Glad it was useful James. Honestly that multi light unit is my absolute "go to" tester. A good electric fence is an investment & it's so worth having a proper tester to ensure that it's working efficiently
Thanks!
Thank you so much Pamela 😘
Thanks Hugh! just what was on my mind. I really did NOT want you to touch that femce with a piece of grass.
It's really odd. If I touch it with grass it doesn't REALLY hurt but I sort of think myself into it 😊. I have to say that I am a MASSIVE fan of electric fences. The ability to free range our flock safely means so much to us & I have witnessed the fence save them three times. That's just the ones I have actually witnessed. Of course we have fewer real aerial predators
Any issues we head out at dusk when the arcing is easier to spot. Just installing our electric rope fencing for the goats using a different solar energizer set up (all in one unit) will be interesting to see how it works and if we end up chasing the goats across the fields!
If it holds goats, it's good!
How do the hens handle it if they touch the fence and get a shock?
Hi Hattie. They give a little squeak and move away. It doesn't do any injury to them but they learn not to touch it very quickly
Drop dead gorgeous. 😘
😁