<<In response to the problem of racoons and skunks I worked with Iroquis
wildlife refuge in desinging electric fencing to protect nesting
waterfowl from racoons, skunks etc. We were successful with a hot wire
6" off the ground and another at 12". They were powered by a Gallahger
B-10 portable battery operated energizer and used poly wire and posts.
They even baited the areas near the fence and placed fine sand on the
ground so they could check for prints along the fence. The found that
the animals paced along the fence but did not cross over it. I have used
a 6" wire that the chickens will jump over to go out and cross back in
at night. The use of two wires can keep chickens in.
-- >>
Yup, coons hate electric. I've not used electric to confine chickens--I'll
have to try that. I've seen small birds killed when they perced on the
electric and pecked at a bug or something on the post.
In any case, this is very useful information. It couldn't be used for
chicks, as electric fence can kill them, but my hens never brought their
chicks inside anyway. I plan on encouraging tangles of smilax (cat brier,
green brier, etc.) which they will use for cover in nesting. Bought chicks I
keep inside quite a while anyway, as they lack mothers to teach them the
ropes. By the way, I put scrounged wood pallets in the poultry house when
bought chicks are old enough to introduce to the flock. They hide under the
pallets when the chickens hassel them until the flock gets used to them and
leaves them alone.
I'll think some more about using electric in various ways, now. Thanks
again.
For Mother Earth, Dan Hemenway, Yankee Permaculture Publications (since
1982), Elfin Permaculture workshops, lectures, Permaculture Design Courses,
consulting and permaculture designs (since 1981), and now permaculture
correspondence training with an email classroom. Copyright, 1996, Dan &
Cynthia Hemenway, P.O. Box 2052, Ocala FL 34478 2052. YankeePerm@aol.com
If its not in our food chain, we're not thinking.