Red Snap'r 'Lectric Fence ???

[chickenwhisperer]

So I was cleanin out my fathers rental house for him as the tenants left alot of junk . . .
Happened to come across the control head to a Red Snapper electric fence.

All I have is the actual red box that has a cord out of it, and the 2 thumbscrews where I assume the wire attaches to.

The model is, I believe, 33B(?), but most of the stickers are faded and/or scratched off. On the back it reads - model:115v04j(then a few illegble numbers/letters)
The thumbscrews say "fence" and "ground" . . . pretty self explanatory.

I was wondering can anyone tell me the ins and outs/ups and downs to using a lectric fence?
1-What kinda wire do I use, I have tons of regular old "baling" wire, will that work?
2-Do I need to make sure that the fence wire doesnt touch anything like a plant or the wood fence or a branch?
3-Can the ground wire just be attached to the ground that the cable/dish guys have out there?

4-Is this Red Snapper basically a plug-and-play item, or do I need alot more parts?
5-And can I test it by plugging it in and using a test light to the thumbscrews?
6- On average, do these thing significantly increase the electricity bill???

I dont consider myself to have a predator problem, but why not try to utilize this thing as a backup, emergency, safety measure?
"Better to be looking at it than for it", I always say!
Thankyou so much!

 

[cmom]

After I lost my first bird to a neighborhood mutt that dug under my fence and killed one of my birds I put up and electric fence. Since then I haven't lost any more. (2 years now) I have heard critter come in contact with the wire and I guarantee once they touch that wire they may come around but won't get near the fence. I did loose one of my birds last night but somehow she got out. I usually turn the fence off during the day and on at night.

 

[chickenwhisperer]

To combat a digging predator, how/where did you put the wire?
I wouldnt think it could just lay on the ground . . .

 

[Dogfish]

6" up from the groud.

 

[chickenwhisperer]

Do I need to go buy special stakes, or can I use garden stakes and wrap the wire around them?
( i would think that is like making a big ground wire)

Ive been trying to find info online, but all I can find is a place that will sell me a red snap'r . . . .

 

[mdbokc]

http://www.ehow.com/how_2097607_install-electric-fence.html

How to install an electric fence. You will need insulators to run the wire through...I would buy electric fence wire and not use baling wire. You can use the small electric fence posts $1.30 each or T posts $3.50 each....attach the insulators and run the wire.

using standard elec fence posts along chain link fence.

insulators attached to wood posts along run

 

[chickenwhisperer]

Thanks mdbokc, that was very helpful!

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

We've lost no birds to predators in the coop since installing the electric fence last summer. I turn it off every morning before I let them out to free-range. We have lost a couple to daytime predators but believe that they are so much happier free-ranging that we are willing to take that chance. For us, we'd rather chance a daytime predator and know that they live a happy life...

Like cmom...critters may come hear the coop once...and we can usually hear the yelp...but they don't come back.

 

[Bunnylady]

My birds free-range inside my goat pen, so I have an electric wire to keep the goats off the fence (they rub, and climb, and will break it down and get out otherwise). We added a wire about 6" off the ground, and about 6" to the outside of the fence (insulators come different lengths), to keep foxes and what-not from digging in. We have had the Fi-shock controllers in the past, but they seldom lasted more than a year or two. We got a Red Snapp'r unit a few months ago. The Red Snapp'r is a pulse-type, which means it sends brief surges of current through the fence, about 1/10 of a second, every second (I think). The Fi-shock kept a steady current going all the time. The big difference is that you can't touch the Fi-shock without being shocked, if you tap the Red Snapp'r in between pulses, nothing happens. But if you hit it when it pulses, you'll feel like you were kicked in the shoulder by a mule! With the Fi-shock, I got in the habit of unplugging it during rainy weather, because it has killed frogs, snakes, squirrels, small birds, anything that could touch the wire and ground when wet. Alas, that has included a few of my ducks and chickens, too. With the Red Snapp'r pulsing, I'm not sure if it would still be a problem, but I'd rather not risk it.

The Red Snapp'r unit has a light that flashes as it pulses. It makes a "snap" sound, hence the name (I suppose). I wouldn't try to use a test light on it, these things put out so much (is it voltage, amperage? I forget) that it would likely burn out your tester. If the fence isn't grounded properly, or is grounding out because something is on the wire, you can't hear the "snap".

One last tip. The wire must not connect back on itself, it has to run to a sort of dead-end. If it is connected in a loop, it won't work.

 

[bakerjw]

I am getting ready to put in a large run for some birds that I have and an electric fence is a definite must imho.

My plan is to go to tractor supply and get some of the fiberglass rods to make an outer perimeter fence. They sell plastic insulators for the fiberglass rods which are very inexpensive. I figure 4 runs of wire spaces 6" or so up from the ground and then every 8" or so. The inner fence will be 5' 2"x4" welded wire fencing installed on T bars. with another run or 2 of wire above the fiberglass wire as a just in case measure. Electric fence wire is also pretty cheap. May as well make use of it.

Grounding is very important. Read up on the link given.