A few questions regarding electric tape fence

[nuthatched]

Hi there,
I need to install an electric fence around both my chicken run and my garden to keep out the elk, they are about 12-15 ft apart. I'd prefer an AC (plug in) tape style top strand.
Now, I'm pretty sure I've figured out how to set it up BUT I've been told a few times that they won't work around here since the dirt won't ground it properly. Our dirt is mostly red clay and rock, it's also very dry except during the monsoons. (north-central AZ high desert, low alpine).
So my questions are: Is is possible to split the wire to two different fences and is it possible at all with my soil?
Thanks!

 

[Folly's place]

The ground rods do need to be damp, not an issue here, but adding a bucket of water to them should help.
Premier1supplies.com! Good products, great advice on the phone too. And post on your state's thread. Ask other livestock/ horse owners in your area, and the place where you bought your charger. For elk, check with your state DNR.
Mary

 

[Percheron chick]

No problem. Go with a 4-6' grounding rod. Copper is best. You can daisy chain 2-3 together if the ground is too hard to drive them the full depth.

 

[nuthatched]

The ground rods do need to be damp, not an issue here, but adding a bucket of water to them should help.
Premier1supplies.com! Good products, great advice on the phone too. And post on your state's thread. Ask other livestock/ horse owners in your area, and the place where you bought your charger. For elk, check with your state DNR.
Mary

Well, I haven't bought the charger yet. So, my ground does not absorb water readily, do I have to be frequently watering around the ground rod for it to work?
My state's dnr is a joke as they only don't even cme to my county unless it's an emergency.

 

[TOR]

You can get a electric fence checker and check your fence for voltage. Do not use a multimeter.
If you have clay you may have some moisture down deeper, I do not know. Grounding rods are 6 or 8 foot long which I use.
You may need to use water, could not tell you.
As mentioned you can daisy chain grounding rods and use the correct gauge wire.
Yes you can run 2 fences.
I run a fence for cattle then when the time comes I splice into the fence and make a fence inside a fence for raccoon to protect about 1/2 acre sweet corn.
I use 14 gauge aluminum into a polytape splicer then run polytape around sweet corn.
The polytape I find is easier to tension and set up and I use a electrical cord reel for storage. I unroll the polytape and then roll it up when finished.
The polytape electric fence is only used for a month at the most and put back away for the next year.

 

[saysfaa]

Land grant universities may be more help than DNR on something like this.