Tell me about your chicken mesh electric fencing please.

Honey08

Honey08

Waffled a lot!
Joined
7 June 2010
Messages
19,692
Location
north west
Visit site
After five years of avoiding it, a fox got in our run, and even worse into the coop last week, all 14 hens were killed, bar one that got over the fence and hid. She is now in a stable with three new ex batts and they won't be going back in the run until we get it more secure. Someone suggested electric fencing. Do any of you use it. I'd be interested to know/see how you use it.
 
We are using Rutland's chicken fencing and so far it has worked wonders ....... My only issue with it is that the lovely rodent population have chewed through the non electric bottom strand to gain better / less painful entrance to the run and consequently any food they can get the grubby little paws on !!!!
 
Thanks. How high does it need to be, and does it matter if it touches trees etc? One side of the run (onto our neighbour's land) is bordered by bushes and trees..
 
The fence is a metre high, you need to minimise it how much it touches as this will earth it out, can you not trim your neighbours hedge? Also, make sure you peg the bottom strand down.
 
Mine has been in place for a couple of years - sometimes connected to a fence rope that runs out alongside it and sometimes not connected at all, if I have to re-site the run now and again. Foxes seem to not test it these days and it has always touched the ground or vegetation. It was expensive - green mesh of about 2" squares. It doesn't actually belong to me, as neither do the hens but the owner hasn't been near for months. He did say the fence cost him over £200 a few years ago.
 
Most of the trees are ours but really hard to get at to trim. It might be an idea to put a couple of lines of our rope electric fence from the horses instead or a few strands of barbed wire at the top, and just put the mesh around the more open bits of fence. Hmm..
 
We use mesh electric fence for our hens, I think technically it's sheep fencing, it came from Scats. The squares are big enough for a small rabbit to fit through but not a fox! And it's at least a metre high. Ours earths somewhere as I can open it without getting shocked when it's turned on but we've never had a fox get in.

As someone else said, make sure it's pegged down or the chickens are crafty and can find their way out if they're anything like ours!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top