Electric fence question

[buggymuffin]

Hi! We have to enlarge the pen we keep the geese in so that they can stay penned all day. We have been having predator issues and have lost 2 geese over the past month to a bobcat so we are not letting them free range anymore. They are currently in with our ducks, but it is a tight situation and the ducks aren't happy. They currently have a 13 x 13 ft pen with a three sided shelter that they spend the night in. We are going add another 100 ft or more of fencing to enlarge it so they have more space and they aren't with the ducks come spring. We are hoping to relocate next summer, so we want to keep expenses low for now, but are thinking that we want to run electric tape across the top of the fence of the enlarged pen. We haven't had any issues with predators trying to get into the pens so far and the bobcat has been in the vicinity for several years without incident. All of the attacks have been in daylight hours in open spaces, but the new fencing will take the goose pen pretty close to the tree line and we don't want to lose any more this year.

So, my question is, what should I expect to purchase other than the charger, tape and insulators to run it along the fence? The pen sits about 100 ft in front of the house, does it make sense to go AC or Solar? With solar I need to buy a battery as well, right?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi.

Sorry for your losses.

What kind of fencing are you going to be using? The wire needs to be at nose height of the predator, I think. If it doesn't get the bob cat in the nose probably won't be much of a deterrent. I can easily touch mine and it feels like a little pinch or a flick at best. If it hits them behind the eyes they will lunge forward to get away. Verses the nose in front of the eyes will make them back up is what it says in my info book that came with my charger.

The battery comes with the solar charger usually. I went solar because my power is not stable during storms. It was a lot pricier than the plug in models, but suits my need best. I also didn't have power near my fence so the convenience was important. I might consider using that sheep type electric netting instead of more fencing. Other wise I suggest a wire at bob cat nose height baited to make him sniff and let him get a taste of the charge along the outside of the fence. Along the top would be secondary in my experience.

Other than the things you mentioned, you will need a grounding rod/wire kit.

 

[buggymuffin]

The fencing we are using is just horse fencing. Right now everyone is fenced in with 4' fencing. I like the idea of running a second strand of tape at nose level for predators. I don't think that would be too hard or expensive. My concern with sheep netting is that we get a fair amount of snow in the winter and netting isn't as sturdy or as easy to shovel or plow around. I prefer the idea of solar. Electricity is outrageous out here, about twice as expensive as the west coast. Is the battery that comes with the solar chargers built in, or separate?

 

[Molpet]

The solar one I have has 2 replaceable batteries inside. https://www.premier1supplies.com/p/intellishock-120-solar-fence-energizer?cat_id=159

 

[EggSighted4Life]

The battery in my charger is housed inside a metal case that is easy to open with the little solar panel being on the top. It connects with a little wire, but is replaceable... because all rechargeable batteries only have a certain life span and will eventually need to be replaced. We pay about 18 cents/ 1000 watts. Electricity would probably be cheaper in the long run than replacing batteries since they seem to be very low drain devices. I don't yet know the longevity. But I know we have to replace our car batteries every 3-5 years.

That is the same kind of fencing I have and so, yes.. I will stick with my predator nose level wire suggestion. I use the 2" offset t-post insulators because I had a hard time pulling my fence tight and so if it sways in the wind would ground out my wire. They were affordable and very easy to install or change if needed. I have severe anxiety and over think things very badly. This went surprisingly smooth and so I don't have to contemplate fence changes for months before finally approaching the change!

Yes, I understand netting not being a good thing to weed eat or plow around. I guess maybe I better consider that too as I think about housing ducks separate from chickens because it SEEMED like an easy solution.