Electric fencing conundrum

[Ridgetop]

My perimeter fence is all woven wire 78" tall to keep LGDs safe. I will be dividing acreage into more pastures with Premier netting so very interested in this thread.

 

[jambi1214]

Yesterday coincidentally went to someones house and saw they have a Parmak 6 solar and asked how that works for them. Terrible! The only thing I changed from my farm (besides some different soil) is the charger (and went solar). SO just got Parmak 8 and its hitting at 12.5 (joules?) on the meter. That seems very high although its only on about 1/2 an acre right now. Parmak did say on the phone none of their chargers can be too strong to hurt animals..... Added low level metal wire and before putting the Parmak 8 on they were getting out. So I truly think solar charger had something to do with it. Some of the posts I have I can only hang 4 lines SO I cannot put a low line ground. The animals are getting under the lowest line so certain I need to have a low hot one. I am going to connect the 2 pastures together tonight (both will be on the Parmak 6) and will see how that goes. Also considering getting another ground post. Looking online seems like I can just wire each one together. We have got minimal rain in months and the ground is hard and very rocky. Near the Ozarks in Missouri. Also got idea to use 5 gallon bucket with pinhole in bottom and cover, place near ground and will let it slow drip. Trying everything I can!

Also I did research turbowire which does seem like a better option (has copper in it) but was pricier. But I do want to eventually go this route
@canesisters @blessedfarmgirl
@gurock244 @Baymule @Mini Horses

 

[Baymule]

What about step in posts to put lower line on?

 

[jambi1214]

Well I cant afford all new posts now. I have been using mostly these with some step in posts with more spots as I add on/as needed. Im using the lower 3 notches on these.

 

[farmerjan]

Solar chargers are not advisable for anything that does not already respect electric. They cannot put out enough "juice" to give an animal enough of a zap... unless the animal is trained and knows it can "sting" them.... They work good for horses, and cattle will do fine if they are already used to electric. I used solar for some hogs and they would not cross over where the 2 strands were after I took them down; until I put their feeder halfway across the spot and they forgot about it in the "rush" to get fed.... They don't work so good for small pigs because they can get under before they get zapped... but after 30-40 lbs or so, they will learn real quick because they like to "lead with their nose" and their nose is very sensitive to electric.
From what I have experienced over the years, goats and sheep NEED a much more visible barrier type fence.... they will try it constantly. But I know some have got them well trained to 3 or 4 wire strands.
I don't know what kind of posts you are using, but we had a hot wire 4 inches or less off the ground for the pigs years ago. The bottom wire needs to be hot if they are trying to go under now... and they need to get a couple good zaps before they get put out against this wire.
I would not have electric as perimeter fence because we have too many places that are too close to the road. But we have had it as part of the fences that run through some wooded areas that also have constant deer.... the deer will get it torn down because they go "through it"... and usually at a da#@ed run it seems.

Ground rods should be wired in succession... 3-6 ft apart, often using 3 ground rods, and driven in the ground so that only about 6-12 inches sticks up to attach the ground wire to it. Run a wire from one ground to the next... right at ground level. Yes, the wetter the area around the ground posts, the better. Take a couple of 5 gal buckets and get the ground good and wet around each/any ground rods... then using your idea of a slow drip bucket will keep the ground wetter and give you a better ground.

I run 2 hot wires for the cows and don't run any "ground wire" inbetween.... but they don't do alot of "reaching through like goats and sheep. For your situation I would run 3 hot... plus a 1 ground wire near the top... So from the bottom up I would run hot, hot, ground ,hot... but honestly, I would consider not running any ground strands..... they are going to be standing on the ground so should make a decent contact normally.... If they are going under, or through near the bottom, make those 2 hot.

We had an older Parmak solar 6 v battery charger that was hot.... and it worked for over 20 years.... but some do not seem to put out what is needed...

If you go to buying more posts... get the metal ones that you slide the insulators down on them.... you can adjust them to any place on the posts. They are heavier than the step in kind.... the step in kind are all the rage... NO THANK YOU... we have some and use them in between other posts... But we get the metal ones... slide a couple of insulators down on them, they have the screw backs so they can be made good and tight to stay where you put them on the rod, and adjust to whatever height we want. The posts last ... if they get bent, they can be straightened.... you might need a hammer to tap them into real hard ground... and they can be a bi#@h to get out if the ground is real hard... If the insulators break...you just add another on the top... slide it down and re arrange the wires if needed....rather than take everything apart, until you have time to take off the broken one; got a low spot in the ground, you can slide the insulator down further. They are a smooth metal, with a piece on the bottom to help stick in the ground, to stablize them in the ground...You can "step them in" with the metal "wing" on the bottom but they will get bent a little. No big deal.

 

[farmerjan]

Just saw the picture of the posts... so I understand that the wires are not "adjustable height"...

 

[jambi1214]

Lots of good info. Thank you. The guy who put our ground it but it about 2 feet in but we have about 3-4 ft out of the ground so def working on that tonight (if I can get it in further) Fingers crossed. Appreciate everyones advice.

 

[jambi1214]

Just saw the picture of the posts... so I understand that the wires are not "adjustable height"...

@farmerjan Correct we cannot adjust those.

 

[farmerjan]

Also, if you do use any posts that you put on insulators... get the ones that the wire is OFFSET from the post a couple inches... the further from the post the wire is, the less likely it can get grounded out on the posts or have a stray charge jump to the post. I know that many prefer the fiberglass or plastic posts because they don't conduct the charge if the wire touches them... but I just am not a fan... they are easy and light... but I think they also seem to "break down" and wind up grounding out the wire as the post composition deteriorates... that is my person thought.... not proven....

 

[farmerjan]

Because of the hard ground sometimes you can't get them in very deep... so add another couple of ground rods... Some places they will lay a ground rod almost horizontal to get more of the post to "ground"... I have heard of as many as 6 ground rods in very dry hard non-conductive ground... 6-8 ft apart and all wired from one to another...
And we have a ground rod that is about 2 ft in and it is good... but it is near a downspout on the house there, and so the ground is more damp than other places... and it is a plug in charger, and I can tell you that it is hotter than the hinges of he// when I have hit it accidentally.... ....