OneFineAcre
Herd Master
I put 1 strand about 12 inches high inside my woven wire just to keep them from rubbing on it and stretching it out. Mine learned really quick and give it a lot of respect.
goat fence issue: goats on the loose
- Thread starter blueberrygirl
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blueberrygirl
Chillin' with the herd
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We don't have any problems with the goats we got when they were older, but the ones that were younger are always going through the wires no matter how much we shock them. It's a 1 J energizer & my husband tests it regularly by grabbing it (I think he's crazy). The idea behind alternating hot & ground wires is that goat feet don't give sufficient grounding to get an effective shock.... so if the touch both hot & ground wires when they try to go through then they get a stronger shock. The bottom 3 wires are hot then it alternates upward between hot & ground. From the bottom the wires are (approximately) 3", 6", 9", 15", 21", 29", 37", 48". We only have 3 ground rods though, in a triangle 3 feet apart by the energizer. Should I add ground rods by each corner as well? Yeah I think our plan is to add more posts to get the wires tighter because I think the biggest problem is the slack. We ended up putting the biggest offender in an old dog kennel for now & that has helped. We have another that still gets out sometimes but the dog is able to get her back in.
greybeard
Herd Master
1 joule is not much, especially if you don't know whether that is stored energy (joules) or actual output energy (in joules) at a specified impedance (usually 400 ohms). Stored joules means the energy that is stored in the unit's capacitors. Output joules is the energy that is actually on the fence during each pulse along the wire.
As far as the hooves acting as an insulator, that's very unlikely, especially if the ground is wet, there is a dew on the grass, or snow and ice on the ground. If hooves were truly offering any resistance or insulation, no charger would work very well and they do in fact work very well all over the world even in very dry climates and rocky areas as long as they are properly grounded.
An all hot wire fence especially works on the principal that the voltage travels from the hot wire, to the animal, out the animal's hooves and thru the ground to the ground rod and there are millions of these type fences in successful use around the world.
A dry winter hair coat would offer more insulation than hooves, but even then most energizers emit plenty of voltage to penetrate a hair coat. According to Zareba (a well known fence energizer used globally) :
Studies conducted by PAMI, a Canadian testing organization, indicate that it requires approximately 700 volts to penetrate the hair, hide and hoof of shorthaired livestock. Less than 700 volts and the animal will not feel a shock because the voltage is too low to break down the impedance of the animal’s body. Zareba recommends a minimum of 4000V at all points along the fence wire
If your husband can grab the wire and hold it, it either carries way too little voltage or you don't really have 1 joule cpability on the fence. Tractor Supply sells a little fnce tester for less than $15 and it's indicators go from 1kv up to 9kv.
Even in a dry land fence, or rocky terrain, using multiple hot wires and ground wire return, the ground rod is still instrumental and necessary.
Keep in mind, that any mammal that gets touched, hit, or shocked behind his eyes or ears will almost always instinctively move forward, not backwards. If your goats are getting their head past the wire before getting shocked, the will instinctively move on thru the wire, especially if the wires are not good and tight.
I suspect, you have too little voltage at the wires. One of the ways people lose volatge is placing the energizer a distance from the fence and using common household or even industrial wire and cable to run from the energizer to the fence. These type insulated wires will usually carry the modern pulsed voltage of an electric fence, but the insulation is only rated for 600V. Above that, voltage can bleed off thru the insulation and your fence won't be very efficient due to voltage loss. The lead out wire from the charger needs to be the type specifically made for electric fences--it's insulation is rated at 20,000V.
20 ft spacing should be fine--I have mine spaced more than that, but the wire MUST be taut enough not to sag and allow the animal to easily get their head thru. That means the corners must be good enough to be able to withstand the strain of tight wires.
As far as the hooves acting as an insulator, that's very unlikely, especially if the ground is wet, there is a dew on the grass, or snow and ice on the ground. If hooves were truly offering any resistance or insulation, no charger would work very well and they do in fact work very well all over the world even in very dry climates and rocky areas as long as they are properly grounded.
An all hot wire fence especially works on the principal that the voltage travels from the hot wire, to the animal, out the animal's hooves and thru the ground to the ground rod and there are millions of these type fences in successful use around the world.
A dry winter hair coat would offer more insulation than hooves, but even then most energizers emit plenty of voltage to penetrate a hair coat. According to Zareba (a well known fence energizer used globally) :
Studies conducted by PAMI, a Canadian testing organization, indicate that it requires approximately 700 volts to penetrate the hair, hide and hoof of shorthaired livestock. Less than 700 volts and the animal will not feel a shock because the voltage is too low to break down the impedance of the animal’s body. Zareba recommends a minimum of 4000V at all points along the fence wire
If your husband can grab the wire and hold it, it either carries way too little voltage or you don't really have 1 joule cpability on the fence. Tractor Supply sells a little fnce tester for less than $15 and it's indicators go from 1kv up to 9kv.
Even in a dry land fence, or rocky terrain, using multiple hot wires and ground wire return, the ground rod is still instrumental and necessary.
Keep in mind, that any mammal that gets touched, hit, or shocked behind his eyes or ears will almost always instinctively move forward, not backwards. If your goats are getting their head past the wire before getting shocked, the will instinctively move on thru the wire, especially if the wires are not good and tight.
I suspect, you have too little voltage at the wires. One of the ways people lose volatge is placing the energizer a distance from the fence and using common household or even industrial wire and cable to run from the energizer to the fence. These type insulated wires will usually carry the modern pulsed voltage of an electric fence, but the insulation is only rated for 600V. Above that, voltage can bleed off thru the insulation and your fence won't be very efficient due to voltage loss. The lead out wire from the charger needs to be the type specifically made for electric fences--it's insulation is rated at 20,000V.
20 ft spacing should be fine--I have mine spaced more than that, but the wire MUST be taut enough not to sag and allow the animal to easily get their head thru. That means the corners must be good enough to be able to withstand the strain of tight wires.
babsbag
Herd Master
Zareba makes a chart for thier chargers telling what animal they will repel. I have a 1 joule charger that is rated for 25 miles and for goats. It works and there is no way on God's green earth I am testing it by grabbing it. It will sit you on the ground. We have 3 grounds rod as well.
You really need to get a tester that gives you a real reading.
You really need to get a tester that gives you a real reading.
