Farm Animal Conundrum

[Tarrel]

We also have a woodland, and have had some success in keeping chickens behind electric netting. The main reason we have them is to clear and fertilise areas of open ground ready for replanting with new trees.

We have 50m of specialist electric poultry netting, which gives us an enclosed area of around 150 square metres. The energiser is powered off a 75Ah leisure battery, which lasts about a month before recharging. The coop is sufficient for 12 hens but small enough to be easily moved around. Its door is controlled with an electric door opener on a timer and light sensor.

We have 10 hens and it takes them about a month to reduce all the weeds in their area to bare ground, depositing a good level of fertiliser in the process! After the month we move them on to a new area. So, they are basically free ranging.

The technique with the fence is to bait it (we use beef dripping). Predators are attracted to the fence by the bait and experience the shock. Apparently they then perceive it as am infinite barrier and have no way of gauging how far it extends up or down, so they don't try to climb it or burrow under it. Our dog tried it when we first got it, and he now treats it with the utmost respect! The main predators we have are foxes and pine martens (which are generally more aggressive than foxes). Touch wood, so far so good, even though our neighbouring farmer has lost several lambs to foxes.

We bought the hens at point of lay, and they a now producing 7-8 eggs a day. We're selling them at the door, and basically need to sell 2 x boxes of six a week to cover the costs of feed, etc.

Highly recommended if you have woodland.