Electric fencing for chickens

Electric Fencing has a wide range of uses and the qualitity of the energiser and electric barrier can vary dramatically…as can the price!  Large farms require very different types of energisers to those who are looking to fence a few horses or trying to protect some chickens from the fox.

If you are new to electric fencing it is often best to buy a kit, designed for your type of animal.  This way you will know that it is effective, safe and reliable.  It is best to select an energiser made in Europe, to feel confident of it’s quality and safety.  HotLine is made in the UK and is one of our favourites and is one of the easiest brands to use.  Fenceman, also made in the UK, is known for it’s quality.  Horizont, made in Germany is engineered beautifully and fantastic value for your money.  Gallagher is the most expensive, but a leading brand offering 7 year guarantees on their energisers.

You can select ‘Mains’ kits, ’12 volt’ kits and ‘9 volt’ kits – this relates to how you are going to power your energiser – from the mains or a battery.  The energiser is the starting point of your kit and the most expensive part.  All the energisers work well for small and medium range spaces, so it is really personal preference.  Mains is ideal as you do not have to worry about charging the energiser.  Solar powered energisers which recharge your batteries for you are becoming increasingly popular and would be my pick if I didn’t have access to the mains.  The 9 volt energisers are really handy if you need to move your fence around a lot, as they are light and low maintenance.

Electric fencing tape, rope and twine comes in different quality.  It usually has stainless steal running through it (occasionally with a mix of copper).  The more, thick steel you have, the more conductive your barrier (which is a good thing) but the more expensive the tape will be.  If you buy a kit, they will have selected the most appropriate barrier for that energiser, so you can feel confident your animal will get a good shock from the fence.  It is important to avoid some barriers with some animals – for example, you should not use twine or wire with horses because it will not break easily and can injure the animal.  Tape and rope are the best options for horses.  Chickens need a chicken net, but it is not advised to use a chicken net for some ducks who can get tangled in the net.  You should NEVER use barbed wire as this can seriously injure animals that get caught and trapped on the electric fence.  If you see electrified barbed wire, please report it.

The Gate handles, insulators and connectors do come in varying qualities, but are less important to the effectiveness of the whole fence.  You want something chunky, with a good metal thread running through it.

Most kits do not include a fence tester, and this is an important tool for anybody with an electric fence.  It is worth adding an electric fence tester to your order if it does not come with your kit.

At FarmCare we offer a range of electric fencing kit, especially designed for specific animals.  our kits are flexible, so you can add tape and rope to suit the size of your land.  All of our energisers are made within Europe (mainly here in the UK) and our tape and rope is also made in the UK and is of excellent quality (you’d be amazed by some of the electric tape we have seen on the market).  We specialize in electric fencing for horses – our Paddock Kit and Equine Starter Kits are a great place to start if you are fencing horses.  We also have popular kits for goats, sheep, poultry, pigs and even snails!

If you have any questions about creating an electric fencing kit, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.  We are a family run business and are always happy to help.

FarmCare UK

Clipper and Electric Fencing Specialist

01323 406212