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Re: research ideas



>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. 

That pretty much matches my experience.  I had some pullets in a
chicken tractor (an 8'x4'x3' bottomless shelter with chicken wire
walls on the south side), and the raccoons reached through the wire
and dismembered several birds while they slept.  I nailed fence insulators
near the bottom, put one turn of electric fence wire about 4" off the
ground, and hooked it up to a conveniently placed fence.  No more
raccoons.

I'm intrigued by the idea of using low area fencing against raccoons,
since they climb but don't bound.  You'd have to be careful about trees,
though, since they'll drop into an area from a limb.  In my case,
though, it's not a complete solution, since it wouldn't exclude the
owls, the coyotes, or the cougars.

	-- Robert
-- 
Robert Plamondon, President/Managing Editor, High-Tech Technical Writing, Inc. 
36475 Norton Creek Road * Blodgett * Oregon * 97326
robert@plamondon.com * (541) 453-5841 * Fax: (541) 453-4139