An electrician showed me how to do this. It's pretty simple, even for electrically-challenged folks like myself.
DISCLAIMER: I am not a pro and all that other stuff I should say <insert here>.
This is set up on a post, to jolt a climbing predator. I first used it on my bird feeder post. Raccoons kept climbing it to get the sunflower seeds and steal the suet cakes. I installed this hot wire set-up on the post. *They don't climb it anymore*.
I'll try and explain it...
But first you will need:
staple gun
3 pieces of bare copper wire at least 4' long depending on the diameter of the post you are installing this on
wire cutters/ strippers
wire nuts
electrical tape
one piece of insulated wire about one foot long
power source
daring critters
First, you have to have a 120 volt power source (any standard power outlet). Run a drop cord from the house, barn, pump house or garage to your coop. But DO NOT plug it in until you are finished with the set-up.
Next, find an old extension cord you don't mind cutting. The easiest and cheapest are the indoor versions, usually brown, with two wires. One wire will be the "hot" and the other wire will be the neutral. If you use a drop cord, they usually have three wires (hot, ground, neutral).
So you have a post, in this example a cedar post 5" in diameter and 5 feet tall.
Take the three pieces of bare copper wire and wrap them around the post about midway up, with the top wire about chest high, leaving a few inches between the bottom wire, the middle wire and the top wire. This is where a pic is needed..
Now, bring your power supply close to the bottom wire on the post and staple it to the post. If using an indoor two-wire extension cord (what I used), separate the two wires and strip a half inch of each end to expose the copper. With this type of cord, the wire with ridges or markings on it is the neutral. The other one is the hot. Attach, using a wire nut, the neutral wire of the extension cord to the bottom wire on the post. Bend the wire nut upright so rain doesn't get in.
Next, attach the hot wire of the extension cord to the middle wire on the post, again using a wire nut. Bend it upright also.
Next, you will use the "one piece of insulated wire about one foot long" to create a "jumper" wire between the top (third) wire and the bottom (first) wire. You want this wire insulated so it doesn't touch the middle (2nd) wire and create a short, tripping your breaker and doing other bad things... Another pic here...
The idea here is for the critter to touch the middle (2nd) wire and either the top (3rd) wire or bottom (first) wire at the same time, completing the circuit and getting shocked.
I used the electrical tape to wrap around the wire nuts. The wire nuts I have are orange, and I didn't want them to attract attention from passers by.
So this is best for a post. To make this work for a chicken coop, you would want to target the area where critters are getting in. Or maybe on all four posts of the run, etc.
Wait until you are completely finished and not touching the wires. Then plug it in. You will see nothing.
I am not a pro and I am not responsible for you getting shocked. If you don't feel comfortable trying this, don't do it.
DISCLAIMER: I am not a pro and all that other stuff I should say <insert here>.
This is set up on a post, to jolt a climbing predator. I first used it on my bird feeder post. Raccoons kept climbing it to get the sunflower seeds and steal the suet cakes. I installed this hot wire set-up on the post. *They don't climb it anymore*.
I'll try and explain it...
But first you will need:
staple gun
3 pieces of bare copper wire at least 4' long depending on the diameter of the post you are installing this on
wire cutters/ strippers
wire nuts
electrical tape
one piece of insulated wire about one foot long
power source
daring critters
First, you have to have a 120 volt power source (any standard power outlet). Run a drop cord from the house, barn, pump house or garage to your coop. But DO NOT plug it in until you are finished with the set-up.
Next, find an old extension cord you don't mind cutting. The easiest and cheapest are the indoor versions, usually brown, with two wires. One wire will be the "hot" and the other wire will be the neutral. If you use a drop cord, they usually have three wires (hot, ground, neutral).
So you have a post, in this example a cedar post 5" in diameter and 5 feet tall.
Take the three pieces of bare copper wire and wrap them around the post about midway up, with the top wire about chest high, leaving a few inches between the bottom wire, the middle wire and the top wire. This is where a pic is needed..
Now, bring your power supply close to the bottom wire on the post and staple it to the post. If using an indoor two-wire extension cord (what I used), separate the two wires and strip a half inch of each end to expose the copper. With this type of cord, the wire with ridges or markings on it is the neutral. The other one is the hot. Attach, using a wire nut, the neutral wire of the extension cord to the bottom wire on the post. Bend the wire nut upright so rain doesn't get in.
Next, attach the hot wire of the extension cord to the middle wire on the post, again using a wire nut. Bend it upright also.
Next, you will use the "one piece of insulated wire about one foot long" to create a "jumper" wire between the top (third) wire and the bottom (first) wire. You want this wire insulated so it doesn't touch the middle (2nd) wire and create a short, tripping your breaker and doing other bad things... Another pic here...
The idea here is for the critter to touch the middle (2nd) wire and either the top (3rd) wire or bottom (first) wire at the same time, completing the circuit and getting shocked.
I used the electrical tape to wrap around the wire nuts. The wire nuts I have are orange, and I didn't want them to attract attention from passers by.
So this is best for a post. To make this work for a chicken coop, you would want to target the area where critters are getting in. Or maybe on all four posts of the run, etc.
Wait until you are completely finished and not touching the wires. Then plug it in. You will see nothing.
I am not a pro and I am not responsible for you getting shocked. If you don't feel comfortable trying this, don't do it.
Last edited:
