Tell me about portable electric net fencing

[raindrop]

I am planning a small duck/goose yard next to our pond which is surrounded by field fencing. I would like to build a simple shelter that is somewhat portable and surround it by electric field fencing. I looked at the Premier website and found the shortest roll available is 82', which would be quite large enough. I am confused as to which type of fence energizer I will need. Seems like most of them are designed to power much more fence that I will need. There is no power supply out there, so it would need to be battery operated.
Anyone have experience with this setup? I would like a balance between functionality and economy, but figure the budget to be about $250-300 for the whole fence. I am leaning toward a power supply bigger than I think I need so I could expand or use the same one for goats, etc in the future.
Is it really predator-proof for nighttime? I am not worried about owls so much since the geese will be in there, but we have fox, coyotes, raccons, etc.
Thanks!

 

[panner123]

Don't get the battery opperated one, go for the solar powered on. I think the smallest one will be large enough for a 10 mile fence, but don't worry about that. The added cost of the solar unit will save you big money in the long run. The American fence website has an installation guide that will show you how to put up a fence and tell you what you need.

 

[greyfields]

Quote:
I would go with the 164' roll. The smaller one is nice for closing gaps, but once you lay it out square it's pretty tiny. You're then obligated to move the animals more often, which is more work. At first, too, learning to roll and unroll them without tangling will be frustrating. And it will always we your husband's fault, too, if it's anything like our farm.

I have never lost anything inside the poultry netting. So I think they work, as long as they are kept energized and not overly grounded (i.e. keep them stretched nice and tight).

Now, I'm going to diverge from the advice above this post. Neither a solar nor a battery charger is any good at all on netting in our climate. In Nevada, on bare dirt, sure. Up here where the grass can easily grow 12" in a month, no portable charger does the job. Battery/solar chargers are only good for polywire, high-tensile or braids/tape.

I would recommend the Hotshock 300, which will be overkill for one roll of netting - but it gives you room to grow. It's also a very small step up in price from the 150, but with much greater performance. The most efficient way to deal with movable netting is:

Option 1: Screw the energizer to a 2x4 stick about 3' long with a pounty end into the ground. Run an extension cord to this location for the energizer. You then just need a short power clip (the big alligator clips) to the fence and ground rod. Then, use an upside down bucket over the whole thing to keep it dry.

Option 2: Surround your property with high tensile wire, then power tap off it where needed. This should be a longer term plan.

 

[raindrop]

Thanks greyfields. The grass around here is crazy. 5 feet tall at least.
The Hotshock 300 is just the price range I was looking for, now I just need to figure out the power. We may be renting a trencher again this spring since I don't think extension cords lying on the ground for 200 yards and 2 year-olds mix very well... It would be nice to have a light out there as well.
My reason for wanting the shorter roll was to be able to fit it inside the field fencing that is already up, kind of a fence within a fence. I will go check measurements again, may end up expanding the field fenced area, I think I can convince my husband to help as it will mean less grass to keep under control, let the geese do it when they are not free-ranging and getting into mischief!

 

[patandchickens]

The grass around here is crazy. 5 feet tall at least.

So make sure you are prepared to *frequently* move the netting, either to the side where the grass is grazed shorter or move it, mow, and replace it where it was. Or you can just Roundup the heck out of the fenceline but I really wouldn't reccommend it, especially not with livestock in a small pen, and *especially* especially not next ot a pond.

But if you let the grass grow up at all, first it will ground out your fence so it sint' charged anymore (and will kill the battery, if you are using a battery or solar powered unit - once the battery has drained flat-out dead it will never be the same, and replacing batteries can get expensive) and in another week or two it will weld the fence in place and you'll have a heckuva time getting it loose to mow or move. Realio trulio this is a big issue.

The Hotshock 300 is just the price range I was looking for, now I just need to figure out the power. We may be renting a trencher again this spring since I don't think extension cords lying on the ground for 200 yards and 2 year-olds mix very well... It would be nice to have a light out there as well.

I agree with greyfields that the plug-in unit is best as long as you can run a wire out to where you want to use the fence. It sounds like you would be all set, though... just run an electrified wire out to the pond atop that field fence! Use standoff insulators to keep it far enough from the metal that you don't lose current, or if you want to spend a bit more initially, you can use single or double-insulated burial wire along the fence (this would be more child-safe as well). If you use the burial wire, run it thru insulators on the fence just as if it were a naked wire.

A plug-in energizer needs to be indoors or at least have a little box built over it, but should be located somewhere such that if it bursts into flame due to a lightning strike it will do minimal damage - it's smart ot install a lightning choke between the fence and charger, butthat is not 100% insurance). If the fence does not run right up to where you'd install the energizer, and the wire would have to cross (say) an open stretch of lawn, you can run burial wire into an old length of garden hose and bury that just 8" or 1' under the sod.

Good luck,

Pat​

 

[greyfields]

A neighbor of mine has between 800-1000 pastured hens for egg production, which are moved weekly. His enclosure is I think four of the 162' rolls all put together. What he does is mow the perimeter ahead of the pen where it will move next. He's gotten very good at mowing the exact precise shape he needs. It really takes a rhythm to get used to moving the netting. But once you do, you simply can't beat the results. It's far cheaper than permanent fences, it allows you to make the most efficient use out of your pastures and it concentrates the animal manure for future gardening benefit.