Hi guys...anyone have any recommendations for electric fence setups? I know nothing about them but I need to keep some animals in (goats, sheep and eventually horses and maybe a donkey etc), but more importantly I want to keep OUT coyotes which are a problem in the area.
Do I go steel or aluminium wire ( or one of the new plastic/mesh/tape) ones I see around...what about chargers? How big, how much? Solar sounds like a good idea to keep it simple, but do they really work...what about prices and recommendations for on-line dealers and brands to buy or avoid? [img]/forums/images/icons/confused.gif[/img]
I was going to recommend Horse Guard Fencing until you mentioned keeping coyotes out. To do that I imagine you're going to need some type of wire fence. I use a Parmak solar charger and it's worked great. Once the horses get zapped, they leave it alone.
I have a Parmak 50 mile fencer and it works well.
Stay away from the Dare brand electric insulators,they are junk insulators.
here is a link to the best insulators on the marker http://www.redsnapr.com/redsnapr/
Most all of the fencers work really well. Personally I don't like the solar chargers as they will lose a charge. Alot of animals won't mind a small shock and regardless of what they tell you the solar fencers do not give the shock that an electric one does. Go to www.kencove.com. They have a number of diagrams and ways to do fencing. If you have any questions after that let me know. I have put up every type of electric wire that I think there is [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]
OK, I am finally moving along with my fence construction , but need some details. To keep my question simple, I am making a pasture 300x100 feet using 6 foot cedar posts driven in (or dug in) 2 feet leaving 4 foot exposed.
My plan is to brace the four corners using 2 additional cedar posts per corner buried at 45 degrees facing the pull direction. The corner posts were dug in 2 feet and filled with concrete for extra strength (I hope).
It appears that all the stress of the system will lie on the 4 corners, and in fact all the other posts (which I am going to place at 25' intervals) are really just to keep the wires seperated?
I plan on using 3 wires.
Questions:
What would be the best order to start stringing the wire? I rigged a "spiinng jenny" to my tractor and was just going to drive it around the outside to lay the wire, but then figured I couldn't really tenstion the whole thing all at once...now I am not sure what to do? Should I lay one side at a time, cut the wire and then add the tightners, one per wire per side?
Where is the best place to put the tightners...I was originally thinking at the corner posts, but then it occured to me that one set of tightners near the middle of each of the 4 sides might work better?
How do you know when it is tight enough? Do I need to be careful about breaking the wire (I am using 14 guage.
What is the purpose of the insulators with regards to the corner posts? especially if they are made out of wood, are they necessary? I was thinking that I would make a loop out of one end, hang it on the posts, make a loop at the other end, hang it on the posts, cut the wire in the middle and insert a tightner to tenstion the wire and then connect it to all the other posts with insulators...do I need some sort of insulator at the ends? wood doesn't conduct electricity anyway?
Thought this would be simple, but then I started doubting myself as I got into the details.... [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
Ok easy. First you need to start at the bottom and work to the top. I always put my corner posts in and then string my bottom wire so I know exactly where to put my posts. On your corners for that long, 300', you are going to need a minimum of an 8" post sunk 3' in the ground. What type of wire are you using? If it's high tensile they have tighteners that you use and just tighten them to the length of the tightener. If you are using barb wire you use a fence tightener and just tighten her as tight as you can get it. You want to tighten the wire at the corner. Don't try and do more than one line at a time. Make sure you have good top and cross bracing as well.
In my opinion 25' between posts is too far. What are you planning on keeping inside the fence? I would go with at least one metal or another wood post in between.
Yes you need to use insulators. The wood is not an insulator and will ground out your system. They make insulators to wrap around your posts. See www.kencove.com
Thanks again for the help...in answer to your questions, for now I plan on keeping in goats, sheep, perhaps a donkey or two and down the road maybe other animals, (horses), but I can't see any very large animals like cattle anytime soon.
I am using high tensile 14 guage wire. I decide to go with 4 wires spaced roughly 1 foot apart (a little closer together at the bottom and farther apart near the top). Probably could have used less wires, but each run only adds about $20 to the cost and 1 dead animal will cost me a lot more than that (lots of coyote attacks in my area [img]/forums/images/icons/ooo.gif[/img] )
Starting at the bottom was a good suggestion...posts are all in after a long weekend (dug them all by hand...I need to find a used post driver if I am going to put a lot more fields in!).
A few more questions: I have yet to order my charger, but need to do that very soon as my fencing is almost done...I am wondering if the fact that I have 3 small children should affect my decision about what charger to get? I was leaning towards the PARMAK 50 mile one that kencove has, I figured the bigger (more powerful) the better, but if my kids come in contact with this...how much of a "shock" are they going to get? Should I get a less powerful one instead? ANy risk that the shock from a fence will cause more than temporary discomfort?
Also, as far as testing the line once it is up...can I use a regular voltmeter (that I already own) or do I need to purchase a specialized unit?
As far as the unit itself...does it make any difference if I install the charger unit inside the cellar and run an underground line to the fence, or should I install the unit near the fence and run a 110 line to the unit? Does it make any difference?
With regard to the charger. Yes they will get a bigger shock but not enough to hurt them. My girls have touched ours numerous times and I"ve got the hottest one you can buy. No risk of anything more than temp. discomfort.
They make a fence test for a few bucks. Never tryed a voltmeter. I don't know if it would work or not. On the one I have you just ground it, to the post or stick it in the ground and put it on the wire you want to test. Also your fencer will have an indicator that will tell you if the fence isn't working properly.
Doens't make any difference where you install it as long as you run the same size wire to the fence that you are electrifying. They make special underground wire for this. MAKE SURE you put in enough ground rods though. For your size fence put in a minimum of three at least four - five feet into the ground.
ejb, if you don't want to run electricty to the fence you can use one of the solar chargers. We use the Parmak Model DF-SP-LI (6v) to electrify a fence that encloses an area that's roughly 200' x 600' for our horses. It's been running great for over 10 years.
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