Rebar Electric Fencing for Ducks and Geese

chrisngo

We have a fox and pine marten issue; they are trying to take our ducklings and goslings. I've read a couple of thread that you can use a rebar as your posts. We have come to the conclusion that we'll need to put electric fencing on our 3 acres but the poultry net option is not permanent and very costly. Would the rebar work for a 10 wire lines electric fence setup? We are trying to follow thie poultry fencing guideline by the Rutland (sorry, they wont allow me to post a link ) Also, would a galvanized wire better or a poly wire better?

Kovu

Moved to Smallholding as there tends to be more Poultry conversation here.

chrisngo

Kovu wrote: »

Moved to Smallholding as there tends to be more Poultry conversation here.

Thank you!!!

Base price

Firstly can you restrict your fowl to a smaller area to graze or do you HAVE to fence the entire 3 acres.
If Pine Martins are the problem then quit rearing poultry :mad: Pine Martins are a protected species and there is feck all fencing to protect your stock from a attack.
If foxes are your problem (protected by a regulated season) then you can deter them with 2 or 3 strands of electric fence. Ensure that your ducks are locked up at night in a safe secure house.

chrisngo

I can restrict them to graze in 1 acre. Muscovy ducks fly and we didnt want to clip them in case the fox gets to them when they are out. We keep them in the shed at night. I was told that no fox nor pine marten would attempt to go after a flock of 40 geese in the open. We wanted the electric fencing as good measure . Pine marten visits our house every month from Oct to Dec, they have not yet taken any fowl so far but we are planning ahead. Fox has been visiting daily, even taking drinks out of our dog's water bowl with us watching it 20ft away, and sneaking in to take a goose egg every few days. Not a fear in him, he just walks away as leisurely as he came in.

Base price

Clip one wing of your Muscovy ducks. By clipping one wing it deters them from flying a distance but can still keep them out of harms way from an attack.
Who ever told you that a pine martin or fox wouldn't visit a flock of 40/50/100 geese/ducks/mixed fowl with ganders/roosters to guard the flock is talking crap.
A vixen feeding her young or a single hungry dog fox will test any fence over and over and over again and again and again.....
At present you a fox stealing goose eggs... and getting away with it

chrisngo

Base price wrote: »

Clip one wing of your Muscovy ducks. By clipping one wing it deters them from flying a distance but can still keep them out of harms way from an attack.
Who ever told you that a pine martin or fox wouldn't visit a flock of 40/50/100 geese/ducks/mixed fowl with ganders/roosters to guard the flock is talking crap.
A vixen feeding her young or a single hungry dog fox will test any fence over and over and over again and again and again.....
At present you a fox stealing goose eggs... and getting away with it

Thank you for responding. So I guess I neednt bother with electric fencing then? or keep 40 geese even? I was dreading the thought of having to face 20 ganders during laying season, one was hard enough LOL

Base price

Proper electric fencing from a mains fencer with 2 to 3 strands will deter most fox attacks. However you need to ensure that the fencing around the goose/hen night time enclosure is also secure in case the fox manages to overcome the electric fence. Most recommend that the enclosure fence is buried at least 14" underground with an outward slope of 12" to 16". Chainlink fencing is preferred.
As far as I know there is no pine martin proof fence.
If there is a local problem with pine martins then I suggest that you forget about rearing fowl and buy your eggs from another supplier.

chrisngo

we were thinking of 10 strands main operated electric wire fencing, so it's unnecessary you think? we clad the ceiling of our shed with steel cladding sheets, the shed is block and the floor is concrete. we also cover the 3 small window openings with multi layer of chicken wires.

Base price

I would use steel mesh rather than chicken wire. Pine martins are strong and will pull at chicken wire, all they need is a small hole to get in.

chrisngo

Thanks. Will put a layer of welded small mesh on then. Do you think we dont need 10 strands electric wire fencing and just 3 would do the job just as well in detering fox?

Base price

Are you only going to rely on electric fencing. Are you using any permanent fence. Good idea is to have a strand of electric fence about 2 foot back from main fence to prevent a fox from jumping.

chrisngo

we are wiring the electric fencing about 6f inside the old permanent fencing. It's hard to put a standoff line there because it borders my neighbour's land and it's covered with trees, hedges, overgrowth etc. We were thinking of doing a 1st strand as a stand off line for the electric fencing, would that work?

Base price

chrisngo wrote: »

we are wiring the electric fencing about 6f inside the old permanent fencing. It's hard to put a standoff line there because it borders my neighbour's land and it's covered with trees, hedges, overgrowth etc. We were thinking of doing a 1st strand as a stand off line for the electric fencing, would that work?

I reckon it would. Just ensure that you keep hedging well trimmed back so that it doesn't earth the fence. 6' will give you a nice working width for a hedge trimmer, slash hook. Also keep the grass trimmed under the first strand.

chrisngo

Thank you! really appreciate the advise.

ganmo

Base price wrote: »

Firstly can you restrict your fowl to a smaller area to graze or do you HAVE to fence the entire 3 acres.
If Pine Martins are the problem then quit rearing poultry :mad: Pine Martins are a protected species and there is feck all fencing to protect your stock from a attack.
If foxes are your problem (protected by a regulated season) then you can deter them with 2 or 3 strands of electric fence. Ensure that your ducks are locked up at night in a safe secure house.

I thought foxes were classed as vermin therefor no restricting on shooing them, other than your own concious that is

chrisngo

ganmo wrote: »

I thought foxes were classed as vermin therefor no restricting on shooing them, other than your own concious that is

I think there's no shooting foxes during breeding season? not sure though.

ganmo

http://www.wicklowmountainsnationalpark.ie/Fox.html

Are foxes protected?

Foxes are not a protected species under wildlife law. However, they do benefit from limited protection from animal cruelty laws. All hunting activities are regulated by law(even when the hunting activity targets species which are not 'protected species').

thats the best info i have

chrisngo

I remember talking to a wildlife officer few years back, asking them to take away the fox, they says they dont handle pest. We were advised to find someone with a gun.

Genghis Cant

ganmo wrote: »

I thought foxes were classed as vermin therefor no restricting on shooing them, other than your own concious that is

That's my opinion too.
They're not protected.

Pine Martens on the other hand are.... But they're in population explosion mode in many areas and could be controlled with a Section 42 permit, if they're doing damage.