Help with electric fence decision??

[louky]

I am fencing a garden I'm developing on a piece of property that is not where I currently live. The garden is about 100 x 70. I've installed a farm gate in one corner on the 100 foot dimension for entry with my tiller etc. I have the idea that I will do a 4 wire electric fence, making it permanent on the long sides and treating the short sides like gates, with the plastic gate handles to undo the wires, pull them back out of the way so that I can plow it in the spring and fall. Electric Fence Gate Handle This way I can turn my garden tractor around outside the plowed area without losing a lot of space.

I've never put up an electric fence before so I need basic advice. Will this setup work as far as taking the wires down on the 70 foot side twice a year? Is there some particular way I need to handle the corners where the fence gate handle hooks up?

I also have a choice to buy a solar or a regular charger. If I go with the regular charger, I can keep in in the camper I have on the property, plugged into 110v. This would require burying about 80 feet of wire to get from the trailer to the garden. The other choice is to just put a solar charger on top of one of the fence posts. Has anyone had both and have any input on whether the line charger would be worth the trouble of burying the wire. Also, is the wire that runs from the charger to the fence some kind of special wire, or can I just buy it at a box store?

Thanks for any help!

 

[Ted Summey]

What animals are you trying to keep in/out? That can help with the type fence you need.

I'm keeping deer out mainly so I have a 7 foot high tensile fence with 8 strands of wire. I turn my tractor inside my fence.

If deer are the target you should consider a double fence. Do a search online for deer fence solutions. A double fence using poly tape or poly wire is a good solution. I didn't have space at my garden location for a double fence but I do use double fence to keep deer out of food plots until I am ready for them to have the food plots. Double fences work very well.

Essentially a double fence uses an inner fence of two or three strands and an outer single strand 3 feet outside of the inner strand. Deer will not jump the double fence even if it is only 36" to 40" high on the inside. The outside strand only needs to be 30" high.

For a garden fence a solar system will work since you are powering a relatively short distance. I have had better luck with a 12 volt battery powered fence with a solar charger connected.

Using poly tape or wire with the spring gate handles works well and is manageable

 

[Jimbrown]

Electric fences are primarily intended to control livestock. Horses, cows, sheep, ect. If you are trying to keep out rabbits, deer, coons, ect. Forget it and build a real fence.

 

[Ted Summey]

I have had good success in using electric fences to keep deer out of food plots but they are double fences. After over 30 years of hunting deer, they more often crawl under a fence than jump. An electric double fence prevents both. The only single fence that has ever worked to keep deer out has been my current 7' high tensile fence.

 

[louky]

Ted: Thanks for the feedback, I think the double fence is worth pursuing. Since I just started the garden mid season last year, I just put up metal posts on the corners and stretched orange baling twine at 4 levels with the highest at about 5 1/2 feet. I didn't have any incursions with this setup but I know it was weak re. deer. This year I set wood posts at the corners, they are about 6 1/2 feet out of the ground. I also added 2 more wood posts in line on the long edges but didn't add any on the 70 foot dimension because of wanting to be able to turn around as mentioned above.

When you suggest polytape, is this because of visibility for the deer? I haven't purchased anything yet so the tape is doable. I could do a 4 wire polytape on the posts I have already set, then make another fence 3 feet out with polytape and plastic posts.

Is the visibility factor of just the polytape enough for the deer to take heed, or do you have to add strips or something for them to notice?

Also, since you mentioned crawling under, at what height would you put the lowest wire on the inner fence?

Thanks

 

[Ted Summey]

The tape does help with visibility for both the deer and inattentive humans. A small breeze tends to make the tape flip a bit especially if there is a slight twist in the tape. I've had success with the poly cord as well. The outside fence can be done with t post corners and step in plastic or metal posts. My neighbor found 6 foot step in posts and used them for his line posts with wood corners.

No need to add strips although you may want to tie the tape vertically in spots. That helps support the tape, aids in visibility and ties the strands together electrically.

There was a youtube video on building double deer fence made by one of he electric fence equipment manufacturers. I watched that before I built my double fences for my food plots.

 

[joshuabardwell]

For temporary or portable setup, I suggest mesh net fencing. The hook handles won't put enough tension on the wire over 70 feet.

 

[Gunny]

You could put a couple of T post along the 70' dimensions just for wire support, it doesn't take much to steer around a post, then make your turns.

 

[Ted Summey]

Step in posts on the 70' ends should be simple enough to solve the support problem. They are easy to move for opening the ends and in 20 minutes the fence will be bavk in place.

 

[joshuabardwell]

For your short distance, I think a solar charger would be a good choice. Totally self contained, and will power the fence for weeks without sun if need be.

The charger will have a small leadout wire with clips, as well as a ground clip. If you need more wire, most anything rated for outdoor use will work: 12 gauge or thicker.

 

[whistlepig]

I would think the solar charger would be enough also. The white poly tape is highly visible except against snow. It's white tape against a white snow background. Sometimes the horses get running and go through the white tape after a fresh snow. But that rarely happens.

 

[ustmd]

I would think the solar charger would be enough also. The white poly tape is highly visible except against snow. It's white tape against a white snow background. Sometimes the horses get running and go through the white tape after a fresh snow. But that rarely happens.

We used to use solar chargers for the fences, but they never seemed to last. Either I was replacing a bad battery or the poly silicon solar module would give up the ghost or the "plastic: covering over the solar module would get so degraded that the solar cell would not get enough light to charge the battery.

We have switched over to electric chargers on any fence we can.

One grain of salt, I am using solar chargers in Central Texas where 90 days of 100 deg + temps are not uncommon. Very few electrics left out in that sun hold up well over time.

 

[whistlepig]

We use electric chargers. They run 24/7 year round. But for a seasonal garden I think a solar would do the job.