How do I dog-proof my chicken fence?

[OlliOlliOlli]

My pitbull has dug under my chicken fence twice (made with chicken wire) and killed one Orpington, got caught in the act with the second one. She digs under the fence and then pushes up and gets in.

Should I bury hardware cloth on both sides of the fence? How can I prevent this from happening again?

 

[BirdBrain]

An all chicken wire fence won't keep any dog out for very long. You might consider getting some welded wire fencing. It has holes that are 2 inches by 4 inches. We just built a run for Mom's chickens and used a layered fencing idea that we learned here on BYC. You can get 3 foot tall hardware cloth in 25 foot lengths at Lowes. Bend the bottom one foot of hardware cloth out away from the vertical fence in sort of an L shape...this part will stick out from the fence and eventually have the grass grow up through it. You could also weight it down with rocks. Firmly attach the hardware cloth to your fence posts. Then on top of that you would add the welded wire fencing. We used the chicken wire instead of hardware cloth since that is what we had on hand and have no dogs...just coyotes. I suppose the chicken wire would probably deter digging as well but just don't know. The reason you would layer the two is: Welded wire for strength and chicken wire or hardware cloth to deter digging and make sure the silly chickens keep their heads where they belong (inside the run instead of in dogs mouths).

 

[CMV]

You could also try some electrified fencing (with solar chargers if you don't have power nearby). It's pretty cheap these days. Then you "bait" your fence- make a little envelope of tin foil, open on the ends, and stuff it with peanut butter and staple it onto the fence. Dogs go up to investigate the PB and get the surprise of their life. My dogs will not go within 100 feet of our electric fences. It took 2 pops each to educate them. Very effective.

 

[Namble]

You could also just dig about 10 inch trench around your chicken run. Then get a 2 x 10" pressure treated board and lay it in the trench you made. Then lastly cut some 2 x 4" stakes about 2 feet long and stake it in right up against the 2 x 10. then just nail the stakes to the boards. Thats what I did. its quite affective. Then theres nooooo way a dog can get through that!

 

[nnbreeder]

Run a hot wire about 6in off the ground or closer and get a fence charger made for horses, they don't pulse. After you get it all set up test the fence after a fresh morning dew or wet the ground around the pen and then let the dog have at it. It should only take once.

 

[cmom]

I had a neighborhood mutt kill one of my hens by digging under the fence. Now I have an electric fence. I have hardware cloth around the bottom of my coop as well as the windows, door and vents. I have chicken wire around the run and yard but I also have an electric fence outside of the fence and run. I had a possum awhile back try to get under the fence until it made contact with the electric wire.

 

[chickachickadoo]

I'm reading this thread with interest as we recently lost our entire young flock to someone's 2 wandering dogs who managed to dig under the coop and squeeze up between the dropping pit and the wall. It was awful. We're still devastated, as we had spent a lot of extra time with them working on socializing them and I'd spent extra one-on-one time with the particularly obnoxious cockerel who couldn't wait to be cock of the walk.

If the electric fence does not pulse, does that mean it is a continuous charge no matter how many animals touch it at the same time? For example, if one of the dogs is being zapped, can the other one hit the fence and not be zapped? Is the charge delivered to the second animal reduced because the fence's power is already being taxed?

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

No one makes a GOOD charger that stays on all the time
.
The best ones pulse, and are stronger. It doesnt take a lot of power for most predators.

 

[nnbreeder]

The non pulsing type is only to be found in 110v. plug in and not in the battery powered. Mine will jump a spark 1/2in and turn the horses when they get into one of their moods, you know the kind. Curl the top lip up and test the wind. Now they may not make a charger like this one any more, it was bought in '90 and has seen a lot of use!


Premier makes good chargers as does Gallagher and Zareba


http://www.premier1supplies.com/c/fencing/

http://www.gallagherusa.com/default.aspx

http://www.zarebasystemsinc.com/rutland.html

 

[Eggie and Me]

We dug down and buried bricks and then completely lined the inside of the girls yard with logs and stumps, the outside is lined with big bricks used as planters for our blackberry bushes WITH BIG THORNS

to climb on the yard fencing. They love it and so far so good. On yeah and the dog HATED getting stuck in the nose.

They have tons of places to sun bathe, it looks good AND the most important everyone is happy.