[animal mad]

I am renting a field which  i am going to but breeding pairs/ trios in runs and houses to produe hatching eggs and chicks. my problem is i am worried abot foxes and badgers. i have been told that two strands of electric is enough as long as the energiser is 2 stored joules and then someone else said that i should enclose the houses in poultry netting., so i am confused. i have just bought some bantam orpington which has taken me a long time to find and i dont want to loose them.any help would be great.

[carolbriar]

Hi, I have a 6' wire mesh enclosed run with a skirt that comes out about 15 inches.  I also have an electric wire which goes round the outside with a 1 1/2 or 2 joules current.  We live in the country and in 4 years have only seen 2 foxes wander through our garden - unfortunately one was today at about 3pm!  It strolled through with a baby rabbit in its mouth.  As it got to the chicken run it stopped, looked and then continued on.  I am hoping that it won't be back and that all the rabbits about us are better eating for it than my girls! I also shut the girls in the coop at night.  It has made me feel very uneasy.

[Spana]

I dont know  the sort of area you want to protect but I can tell you what we have done.  The chickens free range through our cattle yards and a grassy area where their houses are.  I have electric poultry netting -8 rolls- run off the mains round all the open sides.   This has worked really well,never had any trouble but its close to the house and people are about all day.
Down at the lake- about 100yards from the house- where our ducks live a semi-wild life, again poultry netting - 10 rolls- plus and extra 18inches of electric fence wire added to the top and still foxes get in.  Ive never seen them get in but have seen them go out lots of times and they clear the 5-6ft of electrified wire no sweat, just like a race horse

If i were starting again I would have the whole lot enclosed with the highest wire netting fence possible  with a good 2ft spread out over the ground on the outside to stop them digging in and one strand of electric wire about 6inches off the ground about a foot out from the fence.

What about houses and enclosed safe runs  for each breeding group.  Much safer for them and a much more cost effective option.

[gsc]

Spana, Would love to see some pics if you have time.

[Spana]

No problem, not sure which bit you would like to see.  Let me know if different from this

This is   the poultry netting with the added wires.  The extra wires are electrified but I suppose anything jumping over will not be earthed so I'm not sure if its necessary.



OH build a strong gate, the electrified wire goes over the top, and it means we can get in and out without messing about with gates made of poultry netting





Got my favourite little Muscovy in there sorry the pics are so big but the wire doesn't show on smaller pics

[gsc]

Many thanks - very useful.

Should get a chance to play with mine today and try and make some decisions.

[joyfull]

thats brilliant Spana, I always thought standard electric fencing was too low.

[Spana]

It doesn't show clearly in the pics but were the blue pipe slips over the black netting stake a bent nails goes through the blue pipe and the netting hooks on to that, to hold the netting up Its all been up for about 7 years .

[hillfooter]

thats brilliant Spana, I always thought standard electric fencing was too low.

There's no point in making electric netting over about 4 feet high because it works by the fox or whatever animal you are confining touching the live wire whilst also touching earth (ie the ground).  Foxes can't climb nets (they aren't rigid enough) but they can easily jump them.   It all depends on how educated and bold they are.  Effectively the extra height on Spana's fence need not be electrified since it's just acting as jumping deterant.   If you are going to create perminent runs then a net isn't the best solution and a high wire fence which is too high for a fox to jump is best.  You can then use electric guard wires spaced off the fence at a couple of heights which will stop climbing and a low level wire spaced out from the fence to deter digging.  The main wire fence needs to be earthed so a climbing fox will get zapped when they touch the electrified guard wire and are in contact with the earthed wire fence.

Foxes don't like being enclosed so their escape is hampered so are less likely to jump a fence close to people than in a more remote spot.  Having a plentyful supply of rabbits pigeons and pheasants also helps.  A bit like having the only burglar alarm in the road.

Baiting a net with a strip of bacon wrapped round is a good idea as this educates foxes to avoid them otherwise they will regard them as just physical barriers they can easily jump.

I use electric nets a lot as I move my runs on a rotation system and this is the sort of situation in which they are best suited as they are quick and easy to erect and move and I've never lost a bird inside a net in 10 years in a rural location. 
HF

[Spana]

[
Baiting a net with a strip of bacon wrapped round is a good idea as this educates foxes to avoid them otherwise they will regard them as just physical barriers they can easily jump.

I

What a brilliant idea, i would never have thought of that and of course you are right, its the first zap on the nose that stops them

[woodburner]

Lots of good tips in that post. Thank you hillfooter!

[hillfooter]

[
Baiting a net with a strip of bacon wrapped round is a good idea as this educates foxes to avoid them otherwise they will regard them as just physical barriers they can easily jump.

I

What a brilliant idea, i would never have thought of that and of course you are right, its the first zap on the nose that stops them

Having said this I've never used the baiting technique though I've seen a report of a research project which looked at various techniques of using nets and their sizes which also included baiting.  The key was to zap the foxes and generally this occured naturally as the fox probed the net with it's nose before attempting to get over.  I guess the baiting is double insurance.

I must say Spana your net looks very impressive and particularly the gate which must rival the Great Gate at Kiev!

One problem I've found with nets is that rodents tend to gnaw through the bottom no-conducting strand and I need to spend a good deal of time each time I move it repairing the breaks.  The only way I've found to do this effectively is to splice a length of polywire in the break using copper wire stripped from a mains cable.  After 8 years it's looking a bit ragged now.

Best regards
HF

[cornishgirl]

Very impressive gate system - have taken notes.....

[gsc]

Very impressive gate system - have taken notes.....

Lol - I'm lazy - will just pop back to this thread when I need to.  Very useful.  Thanks.

[animal mad]

thanks that will give me something to think about, all the birds are housed in enclosed houses and runs, but i will encircle the whole area in poultry netting just to be safe. only 2 days till the new birds come so i had best get busy.