Chickens and goats together in electric net fence?

[happyhens]

Long story short, we had a batch of about 10 meat chickens that were ready to go (almost 9 weeks old), that were in a A-frame type tractor with hardware cloth walls. Something (still haven't figured out what) pulled the hardware cloth off the side a little, and somehow made a hole THROUGH it, big enough for them to get in. Whatever it was killed every single chicken in the pen

. We even spent extra to go with the hardware cloth, and it STILL didn't keep the predators out. We now have around 75 (2 week old) chicks in the brooder, and we are needing to set up some sort of housing that they can eat grass and bugs and dig in the dirt, but apparently plain wire isn't going to cut it.
So now we are looking at this type of electrical fence netting-
http://www.kencove.com/fence/Electric+Net+Fencing_detail_NSPCG.php
I did some research on BYC about it, and have read mixed reviews, but most people who have them seem pleased with it. What are your opinions on it?
Also, the link says the netting works for goats as well, would it be ok for me to run a goat or 2 in the same pen as the chickens? They are miniature goats, will they hurt the chickens? I plan to have a sheltered area for the chickens with doors too small for the goats to fit through to feed and water them in. Thanks!

 

[patandchickens]

Poultry electronet is great IF (AND ONLY IF) you are willing to keep the grass really, really, really short under it. It's not at all difficult to move over a few feet to mow where the fenceline goes and then replace (or move, if you're moving it)... but you have to actually *do* it. When the grass is growing fast, even just a couple days' delay can make the difference between an effective fence and something utterly useless, especially if you are not using a real big fence charger on it (I would recommend getting something with AT LEAST 0.5 released joules for even just one length of fence; a bit bigger would not be a bad idea, either). Expect to have to tie the corners back (I use tentpegs attached to old baler twine that I loop around the upper part of the fence's built-in post) and possibly might need some additional step-in posts if your ground is not entirely even.

I do love my electronet; but if you are not going to set it up so it is well-electrified and maintain it so it stays that way, it is useless or worse-than-nothing, so it isn't for everyone.

I've not tried putting small stock and chickens in at the same time (although I do use it separately for sheep and, occasionally, for chickens)... but I would be concerned about the goats getting Playful and forcing the chickens into the fence where they could get hung up and possibly fatally zapped. (They pretty near never do that on their own, but being chased is different). For regular chickens, not cornishX meaties, you'd also have to worry about the goats harassing the chickens enough to make them go over the fence (chickens can easily fly over it) and escape. I guess you'd have to know your animals to know how likely that'd be to be a problem.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat, going out right now in fact to move the *sheep* electronet

 

[philiph]

I have 4 goats in with my chickens. The goats sometimes try to headbutt the chickens but they move to quick. They have been in the same pen for about 4 months with no problems. Don't know anything about the fencing you talked about we have ours in a chain link fence. Also the goats have been keeping anything else out of the pen including my dogs.

 

[Kaitie09]

It would probably work fine if you use a high enough voltage. We let our chickens out with 120 lb boer goats and there has been no injuries to the chicken, even when the corn is brought our and we have 20 chickens and 3 goats trying to jump us at the same time.