You are correct. Snow is one of the weak links in an electric fence. Pure water.....and fresh snow.......lack any electrolytes that conduct electricity. So a fresh snow can insulate the critter from the soil. Hot wire is the positive, soil is the negative and the varmint is the switch that closes the circuit when he touches the hot wire while standing on the soil. Anything that insulates him from the soil will defeat the process. A hot wire on a wood fence, for example, does not deliver much of a shock.....wood being a poor conductor of electricity. Still, I would not want to chance touching it with a stick.....at least not my fence.
Last winter, I noticed tracks in a fresh snow of what I think was a fox. He came straight in, went under it and judging from the tracks, did manage to get himself popped as he was coming out. His feet probably went through the snow to the ground as he gained traction. Tracks then jumped about 5 feet or so. He then snooped around a bit, but quickly headed back to the fence where he cast up and down the line trying to find a way out. (Apparently wasn't going to crawl back under it to get out). He eventually jumped over it near where he came in. I checked daily until the snow melted (about a week later) and he never came back.
And you are also correct about the other weak links. Those are mainly keeping all weeds, leaves and other debris from contacting the fence to short it out. Essentially, giving each jolt sent up the line an alternative pathway to ground, resulting in a weak, ineffective shock. In my case, it is worse, as mine is a 12 volt powered unit. Lacking anything shorting it out, charge will last 2 to 3 months. But let some weeds fall on the line and it bleeds down the juice in a few weeks.
With a small section of hot wire fence, you can use a weed eater on it if you are careful to stay under the wire. Just buzz up and down it removing anything down to bare ground. You will quickly kill out any grass or weeds, leaving only bare ground. Just give it a touch up trim every couple weeks to keep it clear. But move that up to a larger area and it gets to be more of a problem. Then you may want to consider chemical solutions. Something like Roundup if you are not adverse to that, or a solution of water, vinegar, table salt and dish soap if you want a less harsh option. The latter will burn stuff down, but it will quickly come back from the roots. But keep at it and it will eventually die out.
In my view, maintenance of the fence.....keeping it clear of stuff that would short it out and weaken the shock..... is the biggest issue with electric fences. But in my mind, still far and away the best option you have for protecting your yard ranging flock. Nothing else even comes close.
Last winter, I noticed tracks in a fresh snow of what I think was a fox. He came straight in, went under it and judging from the tracks, did manage to get himself popped as he was coming out. His feet probably went through the snow to the ground as he gained traction. Tracks then jumped about 5 feet or so. He then snooped around a bit, but quickly headed back to the fence where he cast up and down the line trying to find a way out. (Apparently wasn't going to crawl back under it to get out). He eventually jumped over it near where he came in. I checked daily until the snow melted (about a week later) and he never came back.
And you are also correct about the other weak links. Those are mainly keeping all weeds, leaves and other debris from contacting the fence to short it out. Essentially, giving each jolt sent up the line an alternative pathway to ground, resulting in a weak, ineffective shock. In my case, it is worse, as mine is a 12 volt powered unit. Lacking anything shorting it out, charge will last 2 to 3 months. But let some weeds fall on the line and it bleeds down the juice in a few weeks.
With a small section of hot wire fence, you can use a weed eater on it if you are careful to stay under the wire. Just buzz up and down it removing anything down to bare ground. You will quickly kill out any grass or weeds, leaving only bare ground. Just give it a touch up trim every couple weeks to keep it clear. But move that up to a larger area and it gets to be more of a problem. Then you may want to consider chemical solutions. Something like Roundup if you are not adverse to that, or a solution of water, vinegar, table salt and dish soap if you want a less harsh option. The latter will burn stuff down, but it will quickly come back from the roots. But keep at it and it will eventually die out.
In my view, maintenance of the fence.....keeping it clear of stuff that would short it out and weaken the shock..... is the biggest issue with electric fences. But in my mind, still far and away the best option you have for protecting your yard ranging flock. Nothing else even comes close.
