Electric Fence Reality

[currycomb]

electric fencing can be dangerous to your feathered friends. lost a goose and a guniea to the electric fence. ground was wet and found them right below it. now bottom strand high enough chickens really have to stretch to touch it

 

[MysticScorpio82]

Are you talking about using electric fencing INSTEAD of a traditional hard wire / chicken wire fence (run) or in ADDITION to the normal fencing?

 

[cmjust0]

I put 7 strands of 16ga aluminum wire around my 40'x90' sweetcorn plot last year, starting about 4-6" off the ground and going every 6" or so from there.. All total, it was about 3' high and ran a consistent 6,000+ Volts. I also made sure to wrap loops of electric wire around the posts so the smartest coons couldn't use the posts to climb over.

I think we got about six dozen ears, total...coons found a way to get the rest.

 

[Tweeza]

Quote:
Yip, I also tried it with no luck.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

I also made sure to wrap loops of electric wire around the posts

That would ground the fence.
The way to keep predators OUT is to put the wire on the outside of the posts (using insulators)​

 

[Clodbuster]

Quote:
That would ground the fence.
The way to keep predators OUT is to put the wire on the outside of the posts (using insulators)

It does not touch the post, the same technique is used to stop Elephants from pulling up the posts with the trunk.

Poultry may be fenced by 3 wires, not just by 1. It is vital that a higher operating energiser is used as the feathers are excellent insulators so a high voltage is needed to bridge this gap. Chickens certainly learn about electricity but unfortunately many people don't know what voltage is in their fence, probably too little.

 

[cmjust0]

Quote:
That would ground the fence.
The way to keep predators OUT is to put the wire on the outside of the posts (using insulators)

It doesn't if you do it right...which I did.

Like I said, it consistently pegged a 5-light tester at 6,000+ volts.

If there's one thing I know how to do around the farm, it's run electric fences.

 

[cmjust0]

Quote:
Yep...looped from hot to hot, well outside and around the post.

Quote:
Amen. And in a lot of cases, people have spent all kinds of time and money building the fence only to turn around and hook the ground wire up to a rusty piece of rebar they half-heartedly poked in the dirt, thinking it's just some kind of safety feature.

Then, of course, they complain when their animals walk right through it, and they tell everybody that electric fence is a PITA..

To anyone contemplating an electric fence, let me just say this: The ground system is half your fence!!!! Taking the time to set up a good grounding system will help you avoid about 90% of the electric fence problems you hear about.

 

[Clay In Iowa]

Quote:
WOW you must have the dumbest or laziest deer in the world. I have a triple wire 3 D electric fence (out wire at 30 inches 2 inner wires 30 inches away at 24 and 48 inches) and the deer just jump over it.

 

[rebecca100]

My fil lost 3 ducks and a goose to electric fencing. The bit the wire and it killed them. Actually they stretched their necks trough the fence and bit the electric wire strung on the outside and hung on 6 in. spacers. got all 4 of them in within 2 days.