Best electric fence

[eggspecto_patronum]

Last year we bought 7 babies from tsc and about a month after putting them out we lost the entire flock to I'm assuming a fox in one night.
I kept them inside for a little to long and they wouldn't go in there coop most nights and liked to pile in the corner on the bar I had holding their water bucket.
This year I'm increasing security and would like to add an electric fence. The run is made up of a 10×24 dog kennel attached to a 12x10x8 shed. What electric fence to you reccomend. Should I add hardware clothe around the bottom too or should the electric fence be enough?

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

I’d add the hardwire cloth no matter what. I don’t use an electric fence.

 

[Trish1974]

What electric fence to you reccomend.

Do you mean a charger? There really is no "one" electric fence, unless its the Premier electric poultry netting system. You need to decide what kind of charger you want, electric or solar, what type of fence you want (wire, polytape or polyrope), and you will need grounding rods, plastic posts or plastic connectors to attach it to. There are many, many options. As far as chargers go, I really like Zareba products.
Yes, I would put down hardware cloth or welded wire on the ground, at least 18" out from your physical fence so nothing can dig under.

 

[centrarchid]

When I protect something like a run or a chicken tractor using an addition perimeter of hotwire, then the light duty solar charger is pulled off the shelf. The insulators are suspended about 4" above ground and about 4" from the existing perimeter. The hotwire is as a single strand the predator contacts repeatedly if it persist trying to get into the pen. I have been using a grounding rod but see advantages of attacking the ground directly to the wire of the tractor if it is to be moved frequently.

 

[EastmanEggs]

Consider deterring attacks with an electric fence. Check out this info I pulled from my past on electric fencing.

Volts are not dangerous.
Friends, please note that it's important to recognize how many of us are inclined to be afraid of electricity, and how an even greater majority do not understand how it works, its calculation, and the application of what those numbers mean.

HERE IS THE SCIENCE LESSON:
Ampere, or amp (A), is the unit that measures electrical load or strength. Amps can be deadly.

Voltage is the measurement for 'potential difference' inl electrical circuits, thus the intensity Voltages can be very high and still very safe.

Knowing that you can have high voltage with low amperage, you can create intense 'zaps' of electricity that are nearly harmless.

5,000 Volts of electricity sounds scary, but if it doesn't carry a "load" then it can't do much, if any, damage.

HERE IS THE FENCE ENERGIZER BUYING GUIDE:
A small note on distance rating. Energizers limit their effective amount of fencing they can supply to, usually between 1-100 miles. If you have a fence 1,000ft long, with 5 lines, it uses 1-mile (5,000ft) worth of energizer rating in ideal conditions. Always buy more than you need by a factor of at least 2x.

Fencers / energizers are rated in Joules (J), to determine the amount of energy they give off during a "zap."

I've seen energizers with itsy-bitsy ratings of 0.05 Joules, medium ratings of 1 Joule and more instense ratings of 15+ Joules. (Keep in mind that 15 Joules is 300x more intense than 0.05 Joules.)

This leaves a lot of room for variance. Most dog 'shock collars' are less than 0.05 J and have a similar intensity as a static shock from a doorknob in winter. This is pathetic for a containment electric fence. Meanwhile a 15 Joule system can be used as a bear deterrent and usually isn't appropriate for training a dog to stay out of the garden.

0.5 to 2.0 Joules is effective at containment for less-than-stubborn dogs / livestock. Its beneficial for animals willing to obey the boundary in ordinary conditions. Some dogs will still 'run through' this fence to chase rabbit. The zap is uncomfortable, but DOES NOT HARM. I don't personally suggest this for goats as they most certainly fit into a stubborn category. Pigs do fine because of their bare skin and good ground contact.

2- 6 Joules is where you enter the "big boy" league of energizers. These are what deliver a serious zap, that's safe, and keep even the farmer weary of the fence. This is enough to scare off coyotes, raccoon, dogs, and other animals from entering my coop. It's also sufficient for containment of most stubborn dogs and even goats.

8-15 Joules energizers are the top of the line for cattle, deer, elk, and goat containment and work well as bear, coyote, and predator deterrents. These are "arm benders" in the world of electric fencing. Again, low load but very high voltage. Any animal willing to challenge a 12+ Joule system will have a VERY convincing reason to do so.

WHAT TO BUY:

To keep the dog out of the garden: 0.07 Joule system rated for Chicken, Rabbit, and Dog. *Note the decimal placement making this LESS than 1/10 of a Joule* Ineffective when the animal has any desire stronger than the avoidance of a door handle shock. Ineffective as a comtainment fence. Best used to keep animals out of an area WITHIN a different containment system. Available at most local stores and online for $30.

To keep the dog in the yard while supervised, to deter curious animals from your chicken coop: 0.5 Joule. *Note the decimal placement making this 1/2 Joule* Ineffective against animals with strong predatory drive attacking the coop. Best used for supervised dog containment, lvestock interior fencing within a larger containment fence, or spooking off curious coop visitors. Available for less than $90.

To Protect, Contain, or Control:
6+ Joules will create a serious zap of safe high voltage electricity that scares off predators and is startling each and every time your dog or livestock 'checks' the fence. It works well as a containment fence, as it takes a very highly motivated animal to willingly take the zap. If you're shopping for a fence to only come in contact with predators, buy a 12+ joule rating to deter attacks.

Remember, a good electric fence is comparable to a fire alarm; it's intended to be rarely activated, but really overwhelmingly intense when it does its job.