Electric Fencing --- Net, Mesh, Wire?

[Diggin It]

I've got pretty much anything most others have in ground walking or hopping plant nibblers, rabbits, squirrels, groundhogs, skunks, raccoons, deer and so on. I'm considering a way to keep at least some of them out of crop areas. I could use traditional wire to try and deter deer, but that won't even slow the little critters unless I run a couple of low strands.

I don't want to inhibit mowing and trimming though either. Last thing I want it grass conducting and sparking in dry conditions.

I see some mesh/net options available, but they're kind of pricey. Area to be surrounded is probably 150' x 150' give or take.

Ideas?

 

[nybirdman]

We use plastic coated 1 inch chicken wire;last many years and will keep the small mammals out.Deer will jump up to six foot or so that is another problem.Electric fence with a strand set out three feet from the main fence and another on the top.
You can do electric for about a $100 total.We used poly-weave wire and plastic stand-offs(6") or you could use free standing fiberglass poles.Mine is on a dusk/dawn timer;so off during the day.

 

[Chaos USMC]

Diggin It, Take a look at "Kencove Fencing". Easy to put up, easy to take down. Works great.

I went to the factory and picked up "seconds", it was the wrong color for the customer! ;-) Great deals on seconds. They also produce the lengths you need if you have specific requirements.

Not sure where you are at, but if you visit the company you can also get a "walk about" and check out how the fencing is actually made; interesting...

Good luck.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

In my experience electric works best when you have a visual barrier and then hot wires set so that animals have to withstand a shock to get close enough to check it out. When it's just a wire by itself animals will figure out how to go under or over it, or even just rush through and take the hit. If you have field fence that they have to dig under or climb over, and there's a wire that's going to shock them continuously while they try, that will deter them.

Deer have poor depth perception and don't like to jump over something if they can't figure out how deep it is. A chest-high wire a few feet out from the fence keeps them from being able to come up to it and check it out.

The big problem with electric is keeping it from shorting out. It's most reliable when it's firmly attached and stretched tight. I don't like the netting because it's so hard to keep working, the poles are flimsy and it's not meant to be stretched tight. It also tends to get covered in weeds if left in place for more than a few days, and there's no way to mow under it. I've been using 1/4" electric rope a lot lately, while it's more expensive than wire it's just a lot easier to work with. It's lighter, you don't have to worry about a coil going "haywire" if you drop it, and it works like rope -- you can splice it by tying a knot. It seems to be less affected by weeds than wire.

With any kind of electric fence you have to keep the weeds off of it. This is a particular challenge when you're trying to keep small, digging animals out because it needs to be low to the ground. You need to either mow weekly or spray roundup a couple of times a year.

 

[Chaos USMC]

Quicksand, good discussion points. I apply/spray a small swath below the fence. Works as advertised. I also utilize several additional poles that act as anchors in the corners and then the poles woven into the fence work fine. No perfect solution but one that works for me. Have some left over wire so it is going around the wives grapes and raspberries very soon. Deer hit them hard this past year.

 

[Diggin It]

I'm wondering about attaching a charger to standard welded or woven wire fencing. I'd have to find a way of insulating it, but there are plastic posts. Then a ground wire along the bottom.

Might not do anything this year. I'm trying some other deterrents to see how they work..

 

[quicksandfarmer]

I'm wondering about attaching a charger to standard welded or woven wire fencing. I'd have to find a way of insulating it, but there are plastic posts. Then a ground wire along the bottom.

Might not do anything this year. I'm trying some other deterrents to see how they work..

I had very good results building chicken "tractors" -- portable coops-- with steel chicken wire that is electrified. They sit on a base that is made of 4" pvc drain pipe. The pvc pipe insulates the entire structure from the ground. It also makes it confirm to the ground so it's harder to get under, and makes the tractor easier to drag.

I've also had good results sliding a piece of 1.5" pvc pipe over a t-post to insulate it around electric fence. I've never electrified field fence but maybe those are some ideas to start with.

 

[aczlan]

I had very good results building chicken "tractors" -- portable coops-- with steel chicken wire that is electrified. They sit on a base that is made of 4" pvc drain pipe. The pvc pipe insulates the entire structure from the ground. It also makes it confirm to the ground so it's harder to get under, and makes the tractor easier to drag.

Any pictures? We have been talking about growing meat birds in "tractors" in the pasture and that might be the ticket...

Aaron Z

 

[Maxify]

The Mrs. and I built our place with Centaur HTP fence 12 yrs ago and keep stallions in check.
Of course, we're talking 10Kv of attention getting.:laughing:

 

[RalphVa]

I've 3 strands of electric fence that keeps most of the critters out. Top strand is 4' on teflon posts from TSC. Bait it every so often with peanut butter on aluminum foil for the hooved rat education.

Lowest strand is lowest position on the teflon posts, about 2". Once had a problem with rabbits and ran a dead, ground wire right on the ground for a while. Wire on the ground was nuisance, as it kept getting caught in whip for grass cutting beneath the lowest hot wire. Finally removed it. Rabbit threat was over.

Need a middle strand to keep the hooved rats from going between the bottom and top.

Been my experience over 18 years.

Ralph