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The right fence charger is the heart of your electric fence system. Finding the best-matched charger for your fence is imperative to successfully contain/exclude animals. 

• Powering your fence charger. The recommended and most reliable choice is AC-power. If you need to power your fence from a remote location, DC or Solar powered fence chargers are an excellent choice for remote locations. Solar powered fence chargers feature the benefits of charging your battery using solar power.

• Type of fence line. Steel wire creates less electrical resistance than poly wire, rope or tape, which draw more power. If you are using poly rope or tape, we recommend a low impedance fence controller. Aluminum wire has less resistance than steel wire.

• Number of fence wire strands. As a general rule for multi-wire fences, divide the charger’s distance rating by the number of strands, then select a charger with a mileage rating that meets those needs. NOTE: 1 square mile = 4 mile perimeter = 640 acres. Remember that poly wire, rope and tape have a higher resistance rating and thus will need a charger with a higher distance rating.

• Amount of weeds. The more weeds touching your fence line, the more draw from your charger. If you have light to medium to heavy weeds near your fence, we recommend a low impedance fence controller as they can maintain high energy on the fence even as power is drawn by weeds.

• Area to enclose. Give some thought to the possibility of your fence area expanding (which may require a more powerful charger). Gallagher chargers list a mileage rating, but keep in mind that rating is for a single strand of steel wire on a weed-free fence.

• Type of animal controlled. Large animals with thicker hide, hair, hooves or foot pads require a stronger shock. Also, determined animals like bulls or stallions require a more powerful fence charger.

Know How Your Electric Fence Works

A fence controller is the heart of an electric livestock fencing system. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. The fence controller is connected to a grounding system as well as the fence wire. This creates an open circuit. The circuit is completed when an animal touches both the fence wire and the ground at the same time. Electricity will pass down the fence wire, through the animal, into the soil, through the ground rods and up to the fence controller. This all happens instantaneously, and the animal receives a shock. Electric fencers are helpful in keeping your livestock in and harmful predators out.

A fence controller will not work effectively without proper grounding. For optimal results, you will need:

• A grounding system of three galvanized six-foot ground rods
• Three ground rod clamps
• Insulated hook-up wire

Ground rods can be galvanized or copper, six or eight feet in length and need to be spaced 10 feet apart.

How Will You Power the Fence?

If you have access to a 110-volt outlet, alternating current (AC) power is recommended. It is reliable and requires the least maintenance.

Depending on what type of power supply you have access to, you may need a battery-powered fencer instead. Different fencers use different battery types, but six-volt and 12-volt are the most common.

The fencer's battery must be kept charged in order for the fencer to operate. For this reason, some people choose solar panels to power electric fencers.

Does power fence cost more to build than barbed wire?
No. Materials needed and labor required to build power fence are both significantly less than for barbed wire – up to $1,000 per mile less.

Isn't power fence intended to be a temporary fence?
High tensile power fence is every bit as permanent as barbed wire.

I'm building a permanent power fence with high tensile wire. Any suggestions?
Don't over-tension the wire. Using high-tensile wire allows for greater line post spacing than conventional wire; usually 50 feet as a minimum. Also, don't over-tighten the wires. Make sure it's a flexible system that allows for wildlife impacts, snow loading, etc. If you don't "over-engineer" the fence, you'll save a lot of money.

What should I keep in mind when using high-tensile wire for a permanent power fence?
The two most common errors we see are using too many line posts, and over tensioning the wire. Remember, this isn't barbed wire. Power fence is a mental barrier for your animals, not a physical one. When using high-tensile wire, it allows for greater line post spacing than conventional wire; usually 50 feet as a minimum. Also, don't over-tighten the wires. You want a flexible system that allows for wildlife impacts, snow loading, etc. Over-building a power fence makes it too rigid, and you lose this benefit. Plus, it costs you more for materials.

What is the best way to configure a permanent electric fence for cattle?
A one-wire cross will contain dairy or trained cattle. A five-wire boundary is necessary for stocker/yearlings or cow/calf operations. Use posts spaced 60-90 feet apart to support the wire. 

Why is it best to run multiple hot wires instead of just one?
With more wire there is less resistance to current flow in the wires and less of the voltage is dropped in the line itself, which leaves more to shock the animal.

Is it OK to hook up a power fence energizer to barbed wire?
No. Animals can become entangled and trapped in the barbed wire, and while the shock emitted by our energizers is not sufficient to kill or seriously wound a farm animal, the stress of being trapped and repeatedly shocked can.

Is it OK to hook two energizers to the same line to increase power?
No. The components in our energizers are designed for specific voltage and current requirements. Hooking up two or more energizers to the same line will eventually destroy the energizers.

Which energizer should I use?
It depends on your situation. Gallagher makes many models with different capabilities. The questions to answer include:
-What animal are you controlling?
Domestic stock will take less power to control than fencing wildlife out of an area.
- How big an area do you need to fence?
Obviously, you will need a bigger energizer to carry adequate power on larger jobs. If there is a large vegetation challenge for the fence you will need more power. Plan now for any additions you may need down the road, too.
- What power source is available?
If you can, use a 110 or 220-volt plug-in energizer. If you can't, there is a wide range of battery and solar units available.
- Do you need a permanent or portable system?
If your needs dictate a portable system, one of our solar kits may fit well.

Why does the voltage increase as I move down the fenceline?
The voltage on your fence is greater closer to the end due to what is called the "bounce effect." This means that the pulse the energizer has sent down the fence reached the end and is returning back up the fence. It then meets the next pulse coming from the energizer creating a voltage spike or "bounce." This really means that your energizer joule rating is more than adequate for your fence load and has a surplus of energy, which is exactly what you want in your system.

Why do some small energizers show higher voltage readings directly out of the energizer than some larger ones?
Voltage merely represents a difference of potential between two electrical points and is only one aspect of overall power. The Joule rating is a true measure of an energizers stored energy or true power.

Electric Fencing
Are voltage regulators needed for solar energizers?
They are needed with solar panels 44 Watts or more. If a regulator is required, Gallagher pre-installs the unit prior to shipping any solar products.

What is a Joule?
A measurement of energy. A joule is a unit of work equal to product one watt for one second. It Is the measure of the pop, snap, shock, or kick or the pain/discomfort of the output pulse felt by the animal.

Will my animal get hurt when he hits the fence?
No the energizer puts out a pulse every second or less so there is time for the animal to get away from the fence.

What's the most common cause of power fence failures?
80% of all power fence problems can be traced to inadequate grounding. Your grounding system must be perfect for your fence to perform at its best. After all, it's half the system.

Why does my battery go dead after a week?
Improper grounding. Battery energizers will put energy into the negative side of the charger (green terminal) if not properly grounded, this also is connected to the negative battery post which then shocks the battery with positive electrons. Solution is to use the proper amount of galvanized grounds rods as recommended in the Power Fence Manual.

My animals don't respect power fences when the soil dries out. What can I do?
You have probably used an all-hot system (all fence wires are charged). Gallagher recommends all-hot systems only in areas with 35 inches or more of moisture per year. A hot/ground system might be a better choice. Make the top wire of your fence hot, then the next one down a ground wire, and so on. Tie the ground wires together with galvanized wire and clamps at the ends, then connect this to the ground rods, and the ground terminal of the energizer. This way, you carry the ground system out to the animal, and are not relying on dry soil to make the connection.

What does Gallagher recommend for grounding a permanent power fence system?
A minimum of three, six-foot long, galvanized steel ground rods, spaced at least 10 feet apart, and joined with one continuous galvanized wire clamped to the rods.

Can I use copper ground rods?
No. Copper ground rods are not recommended since copper will react with any galvanized steel through electrolysis, and corrode the connection. Gallagher uses only galvanized steel components to avoid this problem.

Why is it best to use galvanized grounding rods instead of just driving a large copper pole into the ground since copper is a good conductor?
Bare metals driven into the ground, regardless of their conductivity, are susceptible to oxidation and/or rust. Because power fence energizers emit only a brief, powerful jolt, it is very important that the conductivity of ground rods be maximized to insure that the animal receives a good shock.

How do I carry the hot and ground past all the gates in my fence?
The best way is to bury heavy-duty insulated cable in a trench about 10 inches deep. Make sure it's rated to 20,000 volts minimum or it may leak current with today's high-power energizers. Do not staple it to the post. Remember to carry the ground wire across the gateway also, using the same type of cable. It can be buried in the same trench as the hot cable.

Can I use bare wire to carry the ground under my gates?
No. Use heavy-duty insulated cable for the ground wire. Even good Class III galvanized wire will corrode rapidly when in contact with the soil. Corrosion leads to electricity resistance and soon there is no connection at all.

Will the electric netting work for free range poultry?
Yes, in most cases as long as the birds are clipped wing or are a non-flying species like Cornish. The netting will also act as a predator deterrent. It doesn’t take much of an energizer to contain a chicken, but a mid-range charger is needed if there is also a predator issue.

Introduction

Building a good electric fence is like anything else, you get out what you put in. If you use the proper equipment and maintain the fence the result will be a permanent structure just like the barb wire you use to use. The advantage of using ‘electric’ or ‘high tensile’ fences is on average they cost less than a barb wire fence, since less materials are required (ie posts, staples and wire) and they take less time to install. The electric fence option is also more versatile; you can take it down quickly and re-install somewhere else. This is particularly useful during times of drought when there are pasture shortages and producers are looking for additional grazing options.

Electric fences are mental barriers not physical barriers for all classes of cattle and grazing situations. When livestock are trained properly and the fence is working the way it was designed to (ie with the proper voltage on the fence), cattle will touch the fence once and than leave it alone. This includes all seasons of grazing or pasture confinement such as spring, summer, fall and winter.

Equipment and Installation Recommendations and Tips

Fencer/Energizer

All equipment should be purchased from a reputable company, thus ensuring good materials that will be backed by your supplier. When purchasing the energizer you should think ‘bigger is better.’ Meaning, purchase a fencer that is a little bigger than your requirements. This will allow for ensuring enough voltage is flowing through the wire to deal with brush and wet grass taking some of the power and for future expansions. A basic rule of thumb is you need no less than 2000 volts in the summer and 4000 volts in the winter due to thicker hair coats on the livestock and you usually do not get a proper ground because of snow.

Tips

• Install fencer where rodents can not chew on the wires (preferably in a building)
• Install a lightening diverter

Ground Rods

The grounding system is the most important part of the fence. Ensure you have installed your ground rods properly. You will need a minimum of 3, 6-8 foot long, rods placed at least 2 meters away from the energizer and 3 meters a part from each other. The rods and clamps are connected back to the energizer using galvanized wire.

Once the fence is installed you should check to see if the fence is properly grounded. This is done by ‘grounding’ out the fence with a metal bar and than checking the ground rods with a volt meter. If the reading on the volt meter is higher than 200 volts you need more ground rods. There should be no volt reading on the meter with a properly grounded fence.

Tips

• Use galvanized materials – they do not rust.

Wire

Tips

• Use 12½ gauge galvanized high tensile wire.
• Tie wire properly.
• For a two wire fence the first wire should be 22 inches from the ground and the top wire 40 inches.
• The top and bottom wires should be connected together at least every 1/2 mile.

Insulators

Tips

• Buy high quality insulators - they require a nail at top and bottom/insulators requiring a single nail will draw power from the fence.
• Many different manufacturers provide a multi year warranty on insulators and will replace broken ones at no cost to you.

Corner Strainers

Tips

• Tie corners properly.
• Porcelain or plastic strainers are acceptable.

Gates

Tips

• Use a good quality gate kit.
• Underground coated wire is required to transfer power from one side of the gate to another.

Braces

Braces are the backbone of any good fence.

Tips

• For a one wire paddock division a lighter brace can be used.
• Ensure the horizontal brace is 2.5 times the height of the vertical brace post.
• There are many options to build braces; most critical is to have corner posts (4 to 5") at least at 3.5 feet in the ground. In addition the horizontal brace and straining wire have to be installed correctly.

Posts

Tips

• Post spacing can be up to 60-75 feet with high tensile wire on level ground.
• On hilly ground spacing should not exceed 30-40 feet.

Training Livestock to Respect an Electric Fence

When training livestock to respect an electric fence it is a good idea to use a smaller pasture, approximately three to four acres in size, with a 3 to 4 electrified wire fence. The goal is to shock the animals once and to do this you may need to attract the animals to the wire by tying tinfoil or ribbon to the wire. Cattle are usually quick learners, when shocked once with a 5000-volt fence, they rarely touch it again. After about three to four days all animals should know to avoid the fence. Another way to train livestock to electric fence is to use electrified corrals during the winter feeding period.

Fence Maintenance

One of the most useful tools will be a volt meter or a fault finder. This will help you ensure the proper voltage is being delivered on a regular basis and if you have a fault finder it will speed up the repair process by indicating the direction of the problem.

Every spring it is important to walk the fence line to ensure the insulators are still in place and then wire is tight. As well you can check for debris such as fallen trees which will decrease the power running through the wire. In the winter, if the energizer is not in use, it should be stored in a clean, dry place. If you are using a solar powered electric fence you will want to charge the battery prior to storing it for the winter.

Solar Option

When trying to graze livestock in remote areas, where power is not available solar panels are an option. If you are already using solar water pumping system in a remote area or elsewhere you can hook your energizer up to the existing structure.

Ensure the solar panel is installed properly and facing the sun a high noon. If you place a pencil vertically on the panel at this time of the day there should be no shadow. With this done the solar panel will charge your battery which in turn powers the fence.

Temporary Fencing

Electrified, high tensile wire can be used as an economical, easily install and portal fencing option. his option provides producers with flexibility in rotational grazing systems to divide up paddocks and feed options during periods of drought. Equipment recommended for this type of fencing includes a reel with wire (temporary wore should have at least 6 wires in the tape to carry enough power) and step-in posts.

Dont's of Electric Fencing

• Do not power barb wire.
• Do not use barb wire on gates.
• Do not use your gate wire to transfer power from one side of the brace to the other.
• Do not leave your fence tight over winter; the wire will contract and pull your braces out of line.
• Do not overtighten your wire when installing - just take out the slack.
• Do not turn cattle out into a strange pasture or with cattle that have not been trained to electric fence. It is not a physical barrier and they will run through it.
• Do not run electric wire in conjunction with barb wire.
• Do not use copper wire to connect ground rods to fencer because they corrode.
• Do not tighten high tensile wire if it has been kinked. It will break. Tie proper knots to reconnect.
• Do not use low quality/power robbing supplies - you WILL replace it ALL over time and will not be HAPPY.

Troubleshooting

The most common problem with electric fence is low voltage. This could be due to one or more of the following problems.

• Vegetation/trees on the wire.
  Solution: Ensure fence is free from debris
• Missing and/or poor quality insulator
  Solution: Check insulators and replace missing and/or poor quality
• Inadequate grounding
  Solution: Add more ground rods or replace corroded ground rods
• Low battery in solar system
  Solution: Charge or replace battery or replace solar panel with a larger one
• Too small of a fencer/energizer
  Solution: Buy a larger fence

 

For most installations of electric fence chargers, the ground connection is required for the shock to be effective. If the Fence and the Ground terminals of the fence charger are connected to different strands of the fence then, the ground connection would not be required to get the shock. In this case the full shock of the fence charger would be felt between the different strands of the fence but not necessarily from the fence to ground. This method is primarily used when the ground is very dry (desert conditions).

For the more normal electric fence charger installation, the ground terminal is connected to one or more ground rods. The number of ground rods required for the installation is determined by the power of the charger and by the condition of the soil. The pulse from the fence charger goes out onto the fence and must complete the circuit by returning through the animal and into the ground and then traveling in the moisture in the soil and back up the ground rod and to the ground terminal of the fence charger. If this is a poor circuit then the shock will be weak. As a rule of thumb, one ground rod is needed plus one additional ground rod for each 4 joules of output power (ex. for a 8 joule output charger you would want 3 ground rods). These ground rods should be 6 to 8 feet deep. Ground rods are normally galvanized and are sufficient but copper rods are better. They should be spaced at least 10 feet apart and should be connected with a good conductor ( at least 12 ga. copper or 12.5 ga fence wire) with clamped connections to the Ground terminal of the fence charger. It is preferable to use a good antioxidant paste on the connections.

The ground rod connection is not only needed to get a good shock but is also required for lightning protection. If you purchase a fence charger that has good lightning protection circuits inside, then the method of lightning protection used is normally to short the energy from the lightning to the ground rods to protect the rest of the circuitry from damage, bypassing the rest of the circuit boards and sometimes blowing a fuse. If the fuse is available to the customer then often an inexpensive fuse replacement will save damage on more expensive circuit boards and the transformer (the most expensive part and the heart of the fence charger).

I hope this is helpful in explaining the importance of the ground rods and their connection to the fence charger.

An must-see TED talk by Alan Savory, originator of Holistic Planned Grazing



How is it that flocks and herds can grow so fast? Ten ewes turned into 20 and starting with one steer we suddenly find ourselves with 15 head! Well, okay, it wasn’t that sudden, but it didn’t take that long either, with one phenomenal Jersey milker and a supply of dairy bull calves.

Now what? Now we need some permanent fence around our fields to make grazing easier and to keep the animals out of the swampy areas & sugar woods. A visit with Nick Commerci from the St Johnsbury NRCS office assured us that they could help fund some fences so we delved into the first challenge of the project – pouring over maps and areal photos and countless walks around the fields to figure out the best fence layout around buildings, determining exactly where gates and corners would go, counting posts and measuring field edges so we could order the ~12,000′ of fence that NRCS agreed to help with.

 

What kind of fence to choose? That was the easy part! Several years ago I saw an article in David Kline’s Farming Magazine about an electrified, high-tensile woven wire. My parents have used it on their farm with great success so without hesitation, we decided to use that for a large percentage of our farm as well. This wire is really fantastic because it is easier to hang on Vermont topography than regular woven wire but it is much more effective than 5 or 7 strands of HT smooth wire.

The specs on this fence are 7-36-24, so it has seven strands of horizontal wire at a total height of 36” and verticals every 24”. We put a ground wire on the ground and hang the fence up 6”. This amount can vary with the terrain, but we try to keep it less than 9” and more than 4”. We also string a hot wire 8” above the top of the wire. So the total fence height is about 48”. Insulators must be put on each post, however we don’t insulate every strand, just 3-4 per post. On corners we slide a piece of 3/4” pvc down between the post and wire during tensioning or staple a few 3/8” fiber rods around the outside of the post before tensioning.

The fence is wired with maximum flexibility in electrification options. We can just make the top wire hot to keep cows & horses from reaching over and to provide an electricity source for electronet subdivisions. This gives the animals a chance to eat down grass right along/under the fence. Or we can electrify the whole fence whenever needed to keep them from rubbing on it, to train livestock and/or predators. Because it is woven wire it provides a visible physical barrier for the animals.

Because there is so much less wire in this fence than most woven wire, it is less expensive so it fits into an NRCS budget more easily. Given that it holds animals more effectively than smooth wire, is easier to install and less expensive than woven wire, it is a clear choice for a large variety of fence applications. 

In the interest of full disclosure, I’ll tell you that I’m not affiliated with the company in any way. I think that there are folks in the Northeast who could really benefit from knowing about and taking advantage of this fantastic fence. We’re installing over 7,000′ of it this year. My folks have had theirs for almost 5 years and they love it for sheep, goats, cows and horses.

Now we’re on to the biggest challenge of any fencing project – installing it. We’ve got about 1200′ up, only ~6,000′ to go!