portable electric fence unit

[david sharpley]

you guys hav give me lots to thing about thanks Ineed 3 wires to convince the grain farmers that the cows will stay in and keep them from playing with cars on the highway

 

[dcyrilc]

you guys hav give me lots to thing about thanks Ineed 3 wires to convince the grain farmers that the cows will stay in and keep them from playing with cars on the highway

If you are going to have calves in that pasture that are not used to an electric fence, the wire needs to be close enough together that they can't get their heads through without getting bit.

I had the problem that my calves kept tearing down the fence. Finally someone explained to me that if the calf gets bit in front of the ear, they will back up - if they get bit behind the ear, they will go forward.

I spaced my wires closer together and the problem ended. I run five wires for a height of 4 ft.

 

[BHD]

the biggest part is a good charger, do not even mess with the cheap junk ones,

now I know what I am about to say is not usually generally accepted as good electric fence building, but using a good barb wire will increase the effectiveness of the fence greatly,
just one barbed will will do a good job with out power, but power it and it is very effective, as the barbs will get down to the skin and the hair will not be an insulator,

In 2002 we had a very sever drought, only got about 2 1/2" of rain during the growing season, and the corn was tasseling at about 18" we were running cattle on anything and ever thing (even fenced in the yard and grass around the house), but it was so dry I could not keep them in with a bare wire, I went to barbed and it did keep them in, as the point of contact was directed to the skin not the hair.

one small problem with barbed wire since it is a heaver wire the posts need to be closer than on the single light wire.

no one here uses any ting but single wire on the cattle and if they keep the fence clear of weeds and the wire up, and a good charger, very few problems,

I use 30 or more mile chargers, IMO any thing less is junk, any thing less just doesn't seem to work well, I like Parmac chargers I like the read out for instance info on the fence condition, Parker McCrory Mfg Co

also train your animals for electric fence on a good section of pasture with normal fence fence in side the regular fence with a electric (I suggest in 10 to 15 feet, so one can drive between the regular and the electric one), and turn your animals into the fence and if they do get through the electric there not out have a section with a regular gate or fence panels that is not hot so they will have a place they can be let back in,

I find as well, to put up a panel or section of some thing near were the gate area is (some times they will be come so well trained to the wire that one can remove the wire and not even drive them across where the fence once stood, so I use a few Tee posts and put up a section of panel or wire panel so they have a not eclectic place to cross,

If I have to bury a wire (under a path I use a section of Polly pipe and then use some THHN 12 insulated electric wiring wire to feed through the tube, (if you want more insulation use a 1" tube and a 1/2" tube and then the wire, if it temporary some times I use steel pipe to lay down to drive over, other wise I trench it down and bury it,

 

[BrentD]

Something interesting to note... We have an older electric fence charger that has constant power to the wire rather than the pulses that fire every second or so like most chargers I've seen. A few months back, I was was going to go into the area that we have fenced off around our barn to grab a tool real quick so I didn't bother to disconnect that section of fence. I just carefully slid the insulator down the T post so I could step over the wire. I failed to notice the Virginia Creeper growing up the post. A few seconds later I started smelling smoke. Looked behind me and there was fire slowly spreading out away from that post. I could clearly see where the wire touched a vine and started it off. Fortunately I was right there when it happened and was able to stomp the fire out before it had a chance to really get going. I've been really leery of the electric fence since then. A pasture adjoining ours burned three times in about 6 months about four years ago. One of those times it started a fire that burned part of our property, jumped the county road and then burned about 200 acres of the ranch across the road before the fire department got it out. It was finally stopped by the ranch's dozer cutting a big trench across the pasture. The fire department eventually concluded that all three fires were caused by grass growing up into the electric fence on our neighbor's property.