This is a grey area! A bit like insurance...if you haven't got it, you can't use it!!  If it is done properly it is ok.

It has to be managed for welfare reasons.
It is usually only used in commercial sheds.
It is to stop the hens smothering in the corners and also helps prevent floor eggs against the walls.
It can only be realistically done before the hens are in.

Nobody pays you for dead hens and only you pick the floor eggs.

9 Line Electric Fencing

This type of electric fencing was introduced some 20 years ago.  Initially developed to keep predators out of outdoor pig systems, always the farrowing units and often around the field boundary.

This is now discontinued, please see below

Coincidently, as outdoor pig production fell into decline, the production of free range eggs started to climb and has been on the up for the last 5 years.

It soon became clear that this method of fencing was an economical way of deterring predators
with the added advantage of controlling the movement of the hens as well.

This is the same overall height as the old 9 line, but the gap between wires is approx 85mm.

The bottom wire is earthed and all the others are live. If a preditor touches any of the top 11 wires it will receive a shock. It also makes the fence maintainence much easier. Unlike the old 9 line preditors are less likely to jump through the wires.