All You Need to Know about Electric Fences

The major reason why people install fences is for privacy, security and to define a boundary or to keep animals in and predators out for farmers. Selecting the right fence for your farm can be such a daunting task. An electric fence is one of the surest ways to protect your livestock, whether you are hobby farmer or a more seasoned livestock farmer.

Here is all you need to know about electric fences.

• Plan just right

Before choosing a fence, you need to know where you will erect your fence and what types of electric fence materials you will need to use that will best serve your needs. The kind of charger or energizer that you will use should be able to meet your current needs comfortably and at the same time leave room for growth in the future. Bigger is always better.

• Voltage available

It goes without saying – to have an electric fence serve you right, you must have adequate voltage charge to support your needs. To make sure that you do not make any unnecessary mistakes, it’s important to consult a fence expert to help you choose the right materials that will be supported by the voltage that you have. Proper earth grounding is very important to avoid weak shocks. Proper grounding ensures that electricity is able to complete a full circle back to the charger through the ground.

• Duration of use and flexibility

Electric fences can either be permanent or temporary. If you are looking for flexibility, temporary fencing is the best option since it can be moved at a moment’s notice. Temporary electric fences are preferred by farmers who carry out rotational grazing to help divide up feed and paddock options. For a more permanent solution, you can add an electrified wire.

• Fencing options

There are various fencing options available in the market to suit different needs and you need to know what your options are. You can choose from polytape, polywire and high-tensile wire electric fencing.

• Training livestock

When you start to use an electric fence for your farm, you need to train your animals to respect it. This can be done on a small enclosure of land, usually 3 to 4 acres. It’s not so important to have a strong fence, but it matters how well you have trained your livestock. Cattles are fast learners and once they are zapped by a 5000 voltage wire, they tend to avoid it like the plague. It’s more of the simple cattle psychology than the physical barrier that does the work.

• Test your fence

You need to test the effectiveness of your fence prior to letting your animals loose in the field. There is nothing worse than an unexpected stampede.

• Cost

Compared to other kinds of fencing like barbed wire and woven fences, the initial installation cost and overall maintenance costs are way lower. Another advantage of electric fences is that they are portable and can therefore serve a wide area of land when need arises.