? High tensile electric or high tensile woven

[Disco Paul]

I'm in the process of getting bids on fencing in about 6 acres. Most of the fence companies that I have talked to seem like they are not familiar with goats.
My question is what is better? One company reccomended high tensile woven by STAY TUFF #1348-12. Another said 6 strand high tensile electric. I'm leaning towards the 6 strand high tensile. Let's hear your thoughts. Please take the poll.
Thanks Paul

[Nancy_in_GA]

Since no one has replied I'll give it a shot. Can't really tell you which is better, just the downsides of what we have.

We have high tensile woven wire (48") with one strand of barbed wire 6 inches above it. Our land is *VERY* rough so much of the fenceline had to be graded level before the fence was put up. It has to be stretched tight with no large gaps at the ground level.

Our fence is two years old and so far the downsides are (1) a lot of trouble to fix if a tree falls on it and scrunches it to the ground, ideally it has to be restretched from 'way back, (2) not as predator proof as electric wire, and (3) the goats like to use it as a scratching device---lean on it at a 45 degree angle and slide all the way down the fence line. They also stand up on it to reach tall stuff, and I'm sure that will eventually take its toll.

Some say with woven wire, add a hot wire on the inside to stop the goats, and add hot wires at the ground and top on the outside, to stop predators.

For the upsides, the fence line is always clean, even 2 feet on the other side, and the goats have never gotten out, but they don't seem to try very hard.

I know electric is a lot less expensive and easier to install. In fact one of my neighbors fenced about 100 acres with electric for cattle (5 strands) all by himself. Depends a lot on how your land lies, whether it's rocky, and what's growing on it I guess. Hope this helps.

Nancy

[Disco Paul]

Thanks for the reply,
The fence company that suggested the woven wire said to put 1 wire along the top and 1 along the bottom offset. I figured if I have to do that I might as well put up high tensile electric.
Thanks Paul

[catahoula]

I have six hot wires six inches apart, it keeps the goats in and me out, of all the critters on the farm I've been shocked the most. Good luck.

[Faith Farm]

I have knocked around using electric only but from the dear attacks
I have experienced, the grounded out line from the 200# tree limb,
yelling @ kids trying to cross over to the other side and power outages.
My decision is to use both. Right now I am running 4500 feet of high tensile
woven wire 52" and two strands of elec, One top, one bottom. I can run my
cows and goats, maybe a few pigs and, a horse or two. Deer and Tree limbs
will always be there but for me it should do the job. Have fun.

[ozark_jewels]

For ease and long-term affectiveness for large areas, I'd have to vote for the electric. It is a good idea to "train" at least a few of the boss does before letting the herd loose for the first time in electric. My "training" is simply shoving them into the fence once or twice so that they get a good "POP"...they spread the word pretty quick......

[Disco Paul]

Thanks for the replies,
I'm starting to lean towards the high tensile electric. I like the training method. Think I might try that one.
Thanks Paul

[ozark_jewels]

Originally Posted by Disco Paul

Thanks for the replies,
I'm starting to lean towards the high tensile electric. I like the training method. Think I might try that one.
Thanks Paul

I don't think you'll be disapointed... I actually hang onto the goat as they get zapped, just to make sure. Its not fun, but its a sure thing that way..... And you must have a *hot* fence for goats. None of those namby-pamby chargers. I use a Taylor Fence Brute 8, which has 8 output joules. It packs a wallop! And good grounding is essential.

[bachelorb]

I'm redoing all my electric fences with woven wire over the Christmas holidays. I used a parmak magnum solar charger, and the goats don't even know it exists. I also used the standard 6 strand that is recommended in the books and my billy just jumps the fence (4 foot high). I redid 5 acres in woven wire and will now do the rest.

My advice is to save labor of doing it twice and go with woven wire. Especially where you live, won't the snow short out the fence?

[ozark_jewels]

Originally Posted by bachelorb

I'm redoing all my electric fences with woven wire over the Christmas holidays. I used a parmak magnum solar charger, and the goats don't even know it exists. I also used the standard 6 strand that is recommended in the books and my billy just jumps the fence (4 foot high). I redid 5 acres in woven wire and will now do the rest.

My advice is to save labor of doing it twice and go with woven wire. Especially where you live, won't the snow short out the fence?

May I ask about the ouput joules your charger put out and do you have several 6 foot grounding rods in the ground all the way?? Those are the two most common reasons goats don't stay in electric fence. I was in the "my goats just CAN'T be contained by electric" camp until I spent the time and money to do it right. Since then, I have had no escapes. I have a four strand electric fence and they don't go near it. The top strand is short enough I can step over it if I am careful. Granted, I have long legs, but still thats pretty short. Its keeping 80+ goats behind bars with no escapees. Now, my buck who runs with the does respects the electric. The other bucks are behind cattle panels so haven't been tried, but I am sure if I took the time to train them to it, that they would stay in too. Now, I would never separate two bucks with just electric.
I suggest when you put up woven wire, you still run a strand of electric around the inside about a foot off the ground to keep your goats from running the fence down by standing on it. Been there, done that. And for affectiveness and ease of putting up, I am very happy with the electric. But IT MUST BE PROPERLY GROUNDED WITH A GOOD, HOT CHARGER. The solar charger I bought at first, the goats just laughed at. Now my fence not only zaps with a loud "POP" and a blue spark, it will leave a red mark where is zaps you. They don't argue with that after they get a taste of if it....... It keeps my LGD's in too......

Oh, and the answer to growth or snow shorting out the fence was given to me by a very helpful man at Grassland Supply in Licking, MO(I reccomend them to anyone haveing electric fencing questions or needs, very helpful!). He said to only connect your one or two bottom wires to the rest by a removable piece of wire. Then when the spring growth comes up thickly over your bottom wire/s, disconnect it from the rest so that it doesn't short it out. If the weeds/snow is tall enough and thick enough to short out a good charger, then the goats aren't going to dig through it to get out. It worked!! If you have a good charger thats well grounded, it takes a lot to short it out. My fence actually kills back the grass that grows up to touch it. So it takes a very fast spring growth spurt to short out this fence.

[bachelorb]

The parmak charger I use has 2.7 joules. I use 3- 8 foot grounding rods. I have a problem where electricity isn't readily available so I have to use a solar charger.

I like your idea about the electric wire a foot off the ground, I'll give that a try. If anything it will make me feel better about the using all those t-post insulators for something.

I went there the other day, and 8 of my goats were on my neighbors deck!! Oh what a horrible feeling. I'm glad the lawn chairs weren't out, I'd of never got em back

[ozark_jewels]

Originally Posted by bachelorb

The parmak charger I use has 2.7 joules. I use 3- 8 foot grounding rods. I have a problem where electricity isn't readily available so I have to use a solar charger.

I like your idea about the electric wire a foot off the ground, I'll give that a try. If anything it will make me feel better about the using all those t-post insulators for something.

I went there the other day, and 8 of my goats were on my neighbors deck!! Oh what a horrible feeling. I'm glad the lawn chairs weren't out, I'd of never got em back

Yes, that was probably the problem. I was told to never use less than 6 output joules with goats and more is better. And it must be *output* joules. not total joules. Also, they reccomended 5 grounding rods, and all the wire and the grounding rods must be of the same type metal. Don't mix steel and copper. And aluminum is just about useless with goats.....
The strand running around the inside of the woven does a very good job and you don't need an extremely hot charger for that, just enough to make them uncomfortable leaning on it. I know how frustrating it can be when the goats keep getting out.......its almost enough to make me go get my gun! But thankfully I haven't had any escapees to speak of now that my fence is truly hot. Heres wishing you better luck with the woven!!

[suzyhomemaker09]

*chuckles*
Ozark_Jewels...a common friend reccommended this method for training goats to a hot wire.

Take a bit of aluminum foil..tie it to the hot wire...put molasses on it and let em go....

[ozark_jewels]

Originally Posted by suzyhomemaker09

*chuckles*
Ozark_Jewels...a common friend reccommended this method for training goats to a hot wire.

Take a bit of aluminum foil..tie it to the hot wire...put molasses on it and let em go....

My goats would scoff at the molasses and head for the far distant green hills........ Hence the shoving into the fence method. They have yet to scoff after that one! Good tip though. I have heard good things about the bacon method of traing dogs to electric fence. Hang strips of bacon over the electric wire and turn it on.........