Many chicken keepers may not be aware of how easy it is to keep your hens safe from poultry predators with electric fencing. Electric poultry fencing helps keep your girls safe from foxes, wild dogs and feral cats and can also come in handy for people who raise goats, pigs or sheep.
Using electric fencing for your poultry, animals and livestock can seem daunting at first but it is actually easy to set-up and train your chooks, pigs, goats or sheep to keep a respectful distance.
Have a peck at our electric fencing frequently asked questions below and check out our range of electric fencing for your animal protection and containment needs here.
How does electric poultry fencing work?
Electric poultry fencing works by teaching any predators to associate the fencing perimeter with an unpleasant, non-fatal shock. The fence is powered by a solar powered energiser that provides regular pulses of electricity through your fence. When a predator comes into contact with your electric fencing it will receive an unpleasant non-fatal electric shock, deterring it from trying to gain entry again.
Will it hurt my chickens, goats, pigs or sheep? Your chickens, goats, pigs or sheep will only have to come into contact with the fence once to learn that it’s not in their best interest to do so. Chickens and other livestock and poultry are clever creatures and adapt to their provided foraging or pasture space very well.
Will it hurt my pets?
As with predators – a shock from the electric chicken fence should deter your pet dog or cat from trying to get through. If you have an overly curious dog or cat we do suggest restricting their access to the fence netting (whether electrified or not) as they can become tangled in it.
Will it work for other animals and livestock?
Yes it will. Electric fencing systems like the one we provide are suitable for use with goats, sheep, pigs and other small herd livestock and poultry flocks.
Will it hurt my children?
A shock from the fencing is not fatal and is more of a surprise than painful. We suggest making sure your children are aware of what the fencing does so they know (in theory only) that touching it will not be pleasant. As with pets – we also suggest restricting their access to the fence netting (whether electrified or not) as they can become tangled in it.
Is it portable?
Yes – the fencing is completely portable and can be moved to wherever you need it in your garden, backyard, property or if you relocate.
Will it work if it is overcast?
Fully charged, the Solar energiser will last up to 5 days without sunlight.
Will it work if it is raining?
Yes, Rain will not affect the energiser if fitted and hung correctly. Hanging units upside down may cause them to fill with water in heavy rain, always hang the electric fencing energiser upright.
Will it be affected by a storm or lightning?
Heavy rain and wind should not affect the electric fencing energiser, however if the fence or nearby ground is struck by lightning, it will more than likely destroy the energiser, we recommend fitting a lightning diverter if you’re in lightning prone regions or bring the unit inside if you have a local area storm warning.
Will long grass or shrubs touching the fencing make it stop working?
Yes they can, If grass,shrubs or branches touch active parts of the electric fence it can cause a short and send the energiser into overload. Once cleared, the energiser unit and electric fencing should function correctly again.
Curious about other ways to keep your backyard chicken flock safe from predators? Have a stickybeak at our Ultimate Guide to Chicken Coop Predator Prevention here.
