Electrifying our chicken run?

[dlynne1123]

Ok so here's the story:

We are new to chickens, live in Maine and having serious troubles with predators. Raccoons to be specific. we were contemplating completely enclosing the run but it makes it very inconvenient for us to get eggs judging the size of our coop and run. Then I remember a message I read where someone had an electric fence to ward off animals. Will this harm our birds? Thinking of only for nights and vacations. No digging, or tearing, just climbing critters. 6' fence and they've actually bowed a side that they keep climbing. To top it off they have gotten daring enough to steal a bird during the day. We've caught one and shot it but I know there are more. The coop is farely far from our house. What is entailed of getting electricity to our fence? Do they make solar ones?

Dani in Maine

 

[Dogfish]

A solar version is available, and as long as they are properly grounded and set up, they will not hurt your birds.

How far is "fairly far"? 50', 1500'? More than 100 feet, I would suggest a solar charger. Run a wire about 6" up from the ground all the way around, and another about 6" from the top of your fence all the way around. I'm assuming your fence is pretty bullet proof.

 

[dlynne1123]

Yes other than climbers it is. 12" under ground too. Shy of walling if all off like a covered shed I'm at a loss. We've lost half our flock during the late day. When they aren't locked up but running around feeding and digging. Its only 100 sq feet so easy to wrap.

 

[mjuenem]

If you are within 100yds of an outlet I would run extension cords (I get cheap 100' 2-wire ungrounded for peanuts on sale). Most fence chargers use an ungrounded 2-wire cord. For a more permanent installation it is pretty cheap to bury plastic conduit and mount a weatherproof box right at the pen. Solar fencers (actually battery operated but the battery is charged by a solar panel) work great in longer distances but they are usually way more expensive ($200 range) than a simple plug charger ($22 at TSC, $45 everywere). I have a picture of my electric fence top-guarded enclosure on my BYC page. I didn't run the 6" above the ground wire because of children around but I have one wire 6" out horizontal from the top and another wire 6" vertical above the top. So far it has halted our raccoon climbing problem...

 

[bryan99705]

The electric fence on a solar charger can be left on 24/7 since it only takes a warning and one touch to teach kids especially if they are old enough to reach 6'. Step son was a little hard headed, didn't believe me and had to touch (only took once)

But then I grabbed him and then the fence and hit him again just to make sure he got the warning

 

[dlynne1123]

Ok so got a solar box and insulators this weekend. Waiting for the battery to charge for now. Supposed to be 2000 something's and 3 miles. We only need 100' so we shouldn't lose any juice. By tomorrow hope to be zapping some critters. P.S. Just shot a skunk this weekend mulling around during the day! Hope it wasn't rabid! At least there were no losses or exposures. We caught it early enough wandering around the dog yard. Hope to have good reports before we add more babies in two weeks.

 

[BradBentonHB]

let us know if this works

 

[dragonlair]

You can get electric fencing and fiberglass posts that go up easily and surround a perimeter around the chicken area for fairly cheap (cheep?). I keep my chickens in chain link dog pens that I cover with tarps, wooden pallets, and other assorted stuff.

Get a good strong fencer, not a cheap one because they don't put out a lot of power. You want one that will fry their little butts and keep them away. Three strands would probably work.

How about motion sensor lights? Having your hubby and the dogs, pee around the perimeter of the chicken area?

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Supposed to be 2000 something's and 3 miles. We only need 100' so we shouldn't lose any juice.

The only number that really tells you anything about the power of a charger is "Joules"

I'm guessing your's is less than 1 if it's only rated for 3 miles of wire

Here's an example:

Woodstream LIS3 3-Mile Solar Fence Controller

http://www.google.com/products/cata...=X&ei=Qd3-TZuCI4jZgAfXgcntCg&ved=0CFcQ8wIwAg#

Solar powered low impedance 6-volt 4.5 amp gel-cell battery with 0.05 joule output charges up to 3 miles of fence. Ideal for pets, gardens and small pastures.

I hate to tell you, but that is hardly any power at all, at 5/100ths of 1 Joule

http://electric-horse-fence.com/fence_parts/chargers_1.htm#joules

Why Are Joules Important?

Joules are important because they indicate the power of an electric fence charger’s shock.

Specifically, they measure how much heat would be generated if an electric fence charger administered its maximum potential shock. That doesn’t mean that a horse contacting a conductor powered by a 6-joule charger would actually receive a 6-joule shock, it just means that it is theoretically possible if the horse received the charger’s full output.​

 

[mjuenem]

Quote:
The only number that really tells you anything about the power of a charger is "Joules"

I'm guessing your's is less than 1 if it's only rated for 3 miles of wire

Here's an example:

Woodstream LIS3 3-Mile Solar Fence Controller

http://www.google.com/products/cata...=X&ei=Qd3-TZuCI4jZgAfXgcntCg&ved=0CFcQ8wIwAg#

Solar powered low impedance 6-volt 4.5 amp gel-cell battery with 0.05 joule output charges up to 3 miles of fence. Ideal for pets, gardens and small pastures.

I hate to tell you, but that is hardly any power at all, at 5/100ths of 1 Joule

http://electric-horse-fence.com/fence_parts/chargers_1.htm#joules

Why Are Joules Important?

Joules are important because they indicate the power of an electric fence charger’s shock.

Specifically, they measure how much heat would be generated if an electric fence charger administered its maximum potential shock. That doesn’t mean that a horse contacting a conductor powered by a 6-joule charger would actually receive a 6-joule shock, it just means that it is theoretically possible if the horse received the charger’s full output.
​

Be careful while using the joule rating to compare fencers. It is being used as a marketing term to inject more confusion into fencer comparison. When joule ratings are thrown out without being accompanied by a shock duration spec, the term is useless as a decision tool. A high joule rating (all else being equal) is easy to obtain by simply lengthening the shock duration.​