[Bantymad]

Hi again, just talked to my friend and she uses the car battery to charge the energizer and says to be safe you need an energizer, maybe you know someone local who would let you borrow thers or join your local freecycle group (yahoo groops)and ask if anyone has one they no longer need. wish i could help more,

[Happy-Hound]

Hi Bantymad, thanks for your help.  I think I may just have to invest.  Ebay have some starter paddock kits by fenceman for £115 which is as cheap as I can find them.  I think the energizer is the most expensive part and they mostly seem to be about £75 so £115 for the whole thing sounds about right.  I gave the Farmer a call and he doesn't use removeable fencing he just has perimeter fencing on the mains, he gave me the number of the cheapest local farm supplies place but their cheapest stuff works out at over £150.  At least if I buy a kit then I can re-sell the expensive parts on ebay if I find that he gets the message and I don't need the electrics on.  He hasn't been too bad but he is winding me up as he constantly wants to go in the garden but of course all he wants to do is go and harrass the chickens!!  You would have thought he'd be fed up of being shouted at and smacked by now but I guess the thought of a tasty chicken just keeps driving him on.

[Bantymad]

That sounds like a good deal, my energizer is a small battery oporated one that hangs on the fence and it will be back in use today as Mia (my daughters husky) has just decided to hightail it over the back fence of the garden after next doors cat. The fence is 6ft and up she went on to next doors shed roof which is a good 12ft high, took me 15 minutes to coax her down, not much fun at 6 in the morning. I'm sure it will be worth the investment, as it wont take your dog long to decide the chickens might not be so much fun then you will be able to relax and let him out on his own as usual. If you want to pm me with a mobile number i will send you picks of how mine is set up.

[Happy-Hound]

Hi Banty, I've sent you a PM, don't know if worked tho, hope so.  I think we are going with the ebay option otherwise the poor dog is confined.  I feel mean that he's going to get a shock but if we want to keep the chooks then there's no choice.  Hopefully he will only try it once!

[Bantymad]

Have replied to your pm, send pics in the morning.

[Sassy]

you could try borrowing an energiser from your local farmer as you suggested earlier (sorry i have only just caught up with this thread), they will still only be 12 volt charges as the ones you are considering. The farmer doesn't want his cattle cooked too early!!!

The reason for using a leisure battery instead of a car battery is that the leisure battery will hold its charge for much longer. However, that may not be important in this instance.

[Happy-Hound]

Thanks Sassy, I did try the farmer but he doesn't use removeable fencing, he just has mains wired perimeter fencing unfortunately.  Never mind I have purchased a kit from ebay now which comes with DCell batteries that should apparently give approx 8 weeks life to the energiser.  I hope it will come today as the dog is almost there!  I'm not sure if he wants to eat them or play with them though, the way he was acting yesterday was almost playful, however either way he is not to be trusted.  He's a powerful dog and I got a bruise from putting my leg in his way when he was dashing round the coop like a mad thing.  Anyway, thanks for your help.

[Thingy]

Hi, , Some advice for you

If you keep the chickens seperate from the dog and do not allow him near the coop, the dog will rapidly become obsessed with the chickens, as they will be something special. My dogs (although to be fair, are livestock guarding dogs) are sometimes allowed access to the chickens, and there can be some chasing (Which is quickly corrected, no chasing allowed) but they get on quite amiably (Although the cockerel can attack the dog, which is always funny to see, as the cockerel is a silkie and the dog weighs 12st) . Is there a run for your chickens? Your dog can get used to them through the wire.

HPR dogs do have the natural instinct to hunt, but you can try and redirect this behaviour on other things, is your dog clicker trained? You can use the clicker and treats to teach your dog that the chickens are not to be attacked and correct behaviour that is undesired.

It can take a while so do not give up hope. Don't be afraid to PM me if you want to know anything and have a motivational picture to show you, it can be done!!!



EDIT: Just to clarify, I wouldn't let your dogs and your chickens actually mix without supervision. ^^

[joyfull]

lurrvly dog 

[Happy-Hound]

Amazing picture!  No he isn't clicker trained.  He is trained to come to a whistle, to sit to a whistle (although he will not sit for me with a whistle) and to sit, stand and down as asked with a verbal  command.  However, when he gets near the chicken coop he will not listen to a thing!  It has been electrified since this morning and he has one shock and not gone back so far although I will be keeping an eye on him still.  Thanks for your advice.  Wendy