Electric Fence Basics

[aart]

Would an electric fence around a coop with hardware cloth walls and roof be sufficient to keep bears out?

Doesn't matter what the coop is made of,
if HOT wire is placed, powered, and baited correctly it should keep bears away.

 

[shineandrise]

svh: We have fairly rocky soil and the electric wire is still fine. But probably not as much as U so not sure. Actually, our biggest problem is weed-whacking down all the grass and weeds from the fence, as this shorts the circuit. We use an electric fence for our chickens and have always used it. As long as you can still put the steaks down in the ground easily, then you would probably be fine. I hope this helps.

 

[jspurr318]

svh: We have fairly rocky soil and the electric wire is still fine. But probably not as much as U so not sure. Actually, our biggest problem is weed-whacking down all the grass and weeds from the fence, as this shorts the circuit. We use an electric fence for our chickens and have always used it. As long as you can still put the steaks down in the ground easily, then you would probably be fine. I hope this helps.

We have REALLY Rocky soil. Granite, and red dirt. Area used to be a lava bed from a volcano. We usually can get stuff deeper into the ground early spring after rain soaks the soil.

 

[shineandrise]

Wow, that is cool. I would love to help more, but I wouldn't be the one to give U the 100% Let me try and tag someone for U.

 

[Jerhanner]

THANK YOU. You just saved us from having to kill a poor mama fox whose only crime is wanting a winner winner chicken dinner....

 

[cmom]

Mama fox will teach the young where the chicken dinners are.

 

[McChooky]

Think of the fence charger as being similar to the wattage of a light bulb. I can buy a 10 watt night light.....weak light....just enough to see my surroundings......or a 300 watt flame thrower that will illuminate the entire interior of a large shed.

Fencers are like light bulbs in that you buy the power level you need to get the job done. For most of us, that ought to be at least 1 joule.....or a fencer rated for 10 miles of fence. And once it is up, when tested with a voltage test meter designed for electric fences, the fence ought to have at least 7,000 volts minimum. That ought to repel all boarders.

The light bulb and flame thrower comparison is a great way of describing how much power you want to throw at them!

 

[McChooky]

People like to steel copper also. Its the theft of choice for wandering drug addicts.

A "copper" ground rod would be worthless to "wandering drug addicts" who didn't have the proper tools to disconnect it or the patience to dig it up. Just saying...

 

[McChooky]

An extension of the snow issue is if an animal....say a fox... is standing on pure or fresh snow, he may be insulated from the ground, and thus not get much of a shock, if any at all. So effectiveness of an e-fence may drop off during periods when there is heavy, fresh snow on the ground.

Snow can stay on the ground for a week or longer depending on where you live. Nice to know your fence may not be effective in heavy snow.

 

[1Bigloop]

We use a solar fence charger on ours and the steel fence post acts as the ground. Then we just clip the wires 1 to the electric fence wire and 1 to the steel post.
They're great and easy to just pick up and move to a different area if needed.
We have to keep 1 on our hay yard since my milk cows have figured out how to get in. I've used it on a pen around my sows even.