Hoping for some tips from any electric fence pros!

[bakerjw]

My girls are in a tractor with an attached electric fence that we leave on all the time unless we are tending to them. We have at least one fox in the area and they do hunt during the day so we think that it is prudent to run it 24x7.

The charger that you have there should be more than enough for the area that you're covering. Just make sure that you have it well grounded. I try to get a few ground rods put in at the extreme edges when I put a charger in place. When an animal touches the wire it completes a circuit from the charger through the wire through the animal through the ground through the ground rod and hookup wire and back to the charger. The highest resistance in the circuit is the ground itself so using extra ground rods shortens this distance.

 

[ijon1]

Use at least three ground rods. Copper rods are the best.

 

[robk0220]

Might want to consider running 2 x 4 welded wire fence around the inside of the run and having the electric wires on the outside. for the minimal cost it will be worth it. also, put the other 2 ground rods in... and be sure to space them 10 feet apart.

remember, an ounce of prevention...

 

[carolinasculpture]

Hi! We have put up our electric fence outside of our coop. The coop/run is for 7 2 month olds and is about 16' x 7'. The fence is about 2' away from the coop/run everywhere except for the front, which is about 4' so I have room to get in and change water and get new food...and play with the chickens.

Currently I have 1 5' ground rod in at the back. From what I am hearing, it seems that I should put in a couple more? Where do you run your wires? Above ground, below ground? Does anyone else have any pics of their set-up or suggestions? Thanks for all the help you ALL have been with our chicken adventure so far!

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

The red wire attached to the charger is a lot smaller than it should be.

Normally you'd use a heavily insulated wire of the same material as the fence, or even better would be aluminum at least
12 1/2 GA.
Use the same thing for your ground connections.

The charger itself is plenty big enough for that small a fence, but you're losing a lot of the power with the small "lead in" wiring

http://www.afence.com/Electric_Fence/how_to_elecfence/elecinstall.htm

THE SEVEN SINS OF
FENCE CONTROLLER INSTALLATIONS

1. An insufficient ground system for the fence controller. (Refer to Step 2 of the installation instructions.)
2. Stray voltage may occur when the fence controller ground system is located within 50 ft. of a utility ground, buried water pipe, or buried telephone wire. (Refer to Step 2 of the installation instructions and Radio Interference Section.)
3. Inadequately insulated lead-out wire and jumper wires (wire must be insulated to 20,000V minimum). (Refer to Step 1 of the installation instructions.)
4. The ground wire is not adequately insulated and is located 20 ft. or more from fence controller. (Refer to Step 2 of the installation instructions.)
5. Inferior connections and splices of the fence wire, ground wire, lead-out wire, and jumper wires. (Refer to Step 3 of the installation instructions.)
6. Substandard fence wire insulation: cracked insulators, poor quality insulators, water hose, plastic tubing, or the use of wood posts without insulators. (Refer to Step 3 of the installation instructions.)
7. The fence controller is underpowered for the condition of the fence being energized (i.e., rain, snow, ice, vegetation, rusty wire, and length of fence). (Refer to "How Electric Fencing
Works" in this manual.)​

 

[bakerjw]

Most stores that sell chargers also sell hook up wire rated to 20,000 volts. I got mine at TSC.

 

[VA Lady]

Quote:
I'll let you know of anything that comes up too (btw - how many ground rods did you end up using?).

 

[carolinasculpture]

Thanks! Just got ours completely running today. I have 2, one at each end. Am really lucky it has been raining A LOT here or I don't think there would have been any way to pound those things that far into the ground! Good luck with the raccoons!!