Cheapskate fencing diy...?

[notasnowballs]

So I have this portable pen my husband built me for sheep and alpacas. I also have this electric fence yellow and black tape stuff leftover from the electric fence option that we don't use any more. I also have this two ft by one ft solar panel that was used to charge a car battery.

So I'm wondering why I can't hook up the solar panel to a piece of that electric fence tape stuff and use it as part of my portable pen? The solar chargers for electric fence are way past my budget right now. The portable pen is working great... except my one sheep thinks the grass is greener elsewhere and keeps trying to walk the fence down so she can get out and go wander. I think just a little zap on her nose will probably do the trick.

I'm not finding the info I am looking for on how the solar panel works and how the electric tape or wire works? Just how to set up an electric fence. I already did that and that's fine, but it's time for lambies to move again.

[Bearfootfarm]

So I'm wondering why I can't hook up the solar panel to a piece of that electric fence tape stuff and use it as part of my portable pen?

You "CAN" hook it all up

You SHOULDN'T though, since it's not going to do anything except run the battery dead very quickly, or set something on fire

NEVER hook up an electric fence to anything other than a REAL fence charger

"Solar powered" chargers are really "battery powered", with a solar cell to keep the battery charged

The cell itself only puts out a SMALL amount of power

[plowjockey]

The pen must not be working too well, if animals are getting out. When one gets out, the rest usually catch on pretty quick, since they like fresh grass, too.

Sheep are the worse animals, on electric fences.

Putting up something cheap, is not much better, than putting up nothing, IMO. They need a strong shock.

Fencing is the last place to be cheap, since real liabilities, can surface when animals get loose.

If you're forced to use solar, cut the budget elsewhere, IMO .

[jwal10]

Sheep do fine in an electric fence once they know it is and is always hot. We pastured sheep all over the valley with it. Temp with little pushin fiberglass posts and 2 small aluminium wires. Just never crowd the sheep if that is all you have. Best to use woven wire and T posts. Find used fencing and posts. My DS gets it all the time....James

[rambler]

An electric fencer takes electricity, greatly bumps up the voltage, and greatly reduces the amperage, and creates a pulse of electricity, on and off.

This creates a spark, like the static shock one gets in dry weather, that hurts but does not harm anyone.

Different fencers will use wall current, battery current of 6 or 12 volts, or a solar charger to keep the 6 or 12 volt battery charged.

You cannot safely or effectively rig up an electric fencer without the actual gadget that creates the high voltage, low amperage, and on off pulse!

The pulse is needed so animals and humans can get away from the fence. Under the right conditions, wet dew or so, even very low amounts of electricity can 'freeze' muscles so they wil not relax, and the critter or human will stay locked on the wire and die. You need the pulse, not constant electricity.

You could use your solar panel to trickle charge a battery only electric fence charger.

But you cannot wire up the panel directly to a wire and get any sort or results. The voltage is so low as to not even be felt so it would be useless, tho it would be ever so tiny bit dangerous because it has no on off pulse.

Paul