Solar electric fencing - any suggestions?

[SteveA]

We're getting ten ex-commercial hens next month and will (initially) be housing them in two chicken tractors (a mobile hen house with mesh run).

 

The plan is to cordon off a large area with electric fencing to keep the foxes out.....

 

....so we need to buy an electric fence kit (posts, wire, battery, etc).

 

Anyone on Arbtalk using a solar powered electric fence kit?

Any advice or links to manufacturers appreciated.

cheers, steve

[Goaty]

Never used solar but have used electric fencing. Make it routine to check battery and fenceline for earth. Probably switch fence off on a night if you lock them in the run. That way it should keep the solar charge in the battery. If you suspect fox is nosing leave it on odd nights.

 

Man wee is suppose to deter foxes, but don't urinate on a live electric fence unless its being videoed:lol:

[njmusk]

Bought a solar panel to attach to a dry cell battery unit for the horse fence and around a partridge pen a few years ago, and think i may have tried it on a 12v wet cell, was not overly convinced that it lengthened the battery life. Wouldnt rely on it. They may have improved them. I would invest in a good unit, caravan battery and a tester that hangs on the fence to show battery life. I used to switch the unit off during the day around the pheasant pens.

 

Also, and i cant remember where i got it from, a battery operated ultra sonic cat deterrant thingy, which i switched on at night.

[SteveA]

Never used solar but have used electric fencing. Make it routine to check battery and fenceline for earth. Probably switch fence off on a night if you lock them in the run. That way it should keep the solar charge in the battery. If you suspect fox is nosing leave it on odd nights.

 

Man wee is suppose to deter foxes, but don't urinate on a live electric fence unless its being videoed:lol:

 

Haha! I'll definitely remember that advice!

cheers

[njmusk]

Never used solar but have used electric fencing. Make it routine to check battery and fenceline for earth. Probably switch fence off on a night if you lock them in the run. That way it should keep the solar charge in the battery. If you suspect fox is nosing leave it on odd nights.

 

Man wee is suppose to deter foxes, but don't urinate on a live electric fence unless its being videoed:lol:

 

Gamekeepers of old used to pee regularly into a jam jar and hang it from a post near their pheasants. I just used to pee as i went round the pen each time:001_smile:

[Daniël Bos]

Electric fencing won't stop*foxes!

[SteveA]

Electric fencing won't stop*foxes!

 

Damn, won't it?

[njmusk]

Nothing will deter a vixen feeding hungry cubs. And its getting to that time of year. We lost all bar four last year and that was at midday. She was facing up to the very large cockeral until a .22 put paid to her little game.

[SteveA]

Nothing will deter a vixen feeding hungry cubs. And its getting to that time of year. We lost all bar four last year and that was at midday. She was facing up to the very large cockeral until a .22 put paid to her little game.

 

That's food for thought - Sounds like we'd better use some decent weld mesh for the chicken tractor.

 

This ultra-sonic fox deterrent gets some good reviews: https://howtogetridoffoxes.wordpress.com/2013/10/08/does-the-foxwatch-ultrasonic-fox-repeller-work/

 

cheers, steve