[Foghorn]

Do you find electric fencing suitable for chickens ? and if so what type, wire strand or netting type.
Thanks

[ANHBUC]

I have a 25 metre netting electric fence 1.22 metres high which has the double pronged posts.  Did have to buy extra posts as ours is not a regular shape enclosure and it is on a slope.  Bought ours from smallholdershop.co.uk, they were really helpful when I was choosing and answered all my email questions.

[bantam novice]

I use electric netting to enclose my chickens.  I got mine from Mole Valley Farmers.

[Sassy]

Electric fencing is probably the most effective fencing against the fox and is mobile. The main problem I find is keeping the grass and weeds from growing up and shorting the fence. I do not have time to keep mowing/strimming around it. I do have a large run with ony 6 chooks in which probably doesn't help ie in a smaller run or more chooks would control foliage from one side. I successfully put strips of damp proof underneath my duck run - it does need to be wider than you think though. The damp proof strips under the hens netting is not wide enough and was a waste of money! I was being a cheapskate but you live and learn

[Markw]

Hi Sassy.
I was thinking at getting an electric fence, I am planning on 6 girls, just one question do 6 girls trash the garden much if you keep moving the fence every few days. I would rather let them  free range than keeping them in the pen all the time. the problem is i do get foxes and was thinking how good the fences were.

[ANHBUC]

Markw you would need a really big garden to be able to move the fencing round.  Mine is a small kit at 25m which would need an area 6.25m x 6.25m if you are wanting to give them the maximum area.  I have 6 hens in mine and the grass did last quite well until the winter and now it has no grass left.  Mine is an irregular shape due to existing plants, I do have another area I can put it but it is not as big so I end up with a section doubled up.  It is not as easy as you think to move, collecting all the posts and netting up without it getting tangled.  A 2 person job really.   

[Markw]

Hi Ann
I don have a fair sized garden. with some areas that don't have much grass anyway just scrub and bushes. The thing is could a 4ft fence stop a fox jumping it ? I could double up if I wanted too.

The hens would locked up every night ,it is just for the daytime.

[ANHBUC]

You have to make sure it is not near your boundary fence or something the fox can climb up and jump into the enclosure.  They can jump 4ft but will be put off by the shock they get when testing, usually with their nose.  They should avoid netting as they can get tangled up in it but they are determined so you are never 100% guaranteed.

[Markw]

Thanks Anhbuc.
I need to give this a good think on what would be the best at the end of the day. I would still like to use the electric fence if possible.

[ANHBUC]

Thanks Anhbuc.
I need to give this a good think on what would be the best at the end of the day. I would still like to use the electric fence if possible.

I am going to get a walk in run with coroline roof made this year.  It will make it more secure and easier to manage for hen sitter so we can go away without worrying.  It should also cut down on the mud bath in the wet weather.

[Sassy]

I agree with ANHBUC  about the fox testing the net. You can always bait the fence so that the fox gets a shock and learns that way. Short of building a massive chain link fence run dug into the ground that you can't move around and would be very expensive I feel an electric fence is the best option.

[Mrs Bee]

We have had an electric fence almost since we have had our girls as we are plagued by foxes. It has done the job really well up to now. Must touch wood as I type

It was rather satisfying when we first got it as we watched the foxes test it with their noses and give a yelp and run off

We got it because after buying the eglu cube the girls didn't have enough space so we made a large enclosure with cube inside and then got the electric fence.

We used to let the girld free range in the garden within an even larger net fence during the day if we were at home,  but had to stop that after I left the garden for a couple of minutes and came back to find OH hurtling down the garden, bringing the price of property down with his colourful language, after the fox that had arrived in the middle of the day We had been 1 metre away from losing them

Since then we keep them in the run.

We learned from my sister who lost all her first lot of chickens to the fox
You do need to check it regularly to make sure it works tho' as a fox just got her last chook. We think the fence may have got turned off or malfunctioned.

So a longwinded way of saying yes an electric fence is a very good idea.