is this a good fence charger?

[sdshoars]

i know it is plenty good for my small area, but i keep reading that goats need at least 4000 volt shock to get the point across, and i cant find where it says what its shock power is? i know it says it goes into 115 volt outlet... help my clueless butt please???
http://www.zarebasystems.com/product...ls.aspx?id=274

[sadie6447]

I use an electric fence for my pasture. I have found that if they want out they will put their heads down and charge through it. Once one gets through they all end up goin. Now they dont like to cross it to come back, but a bucket of feed rounds them up. I have an excelent charger so that is not the problem. I ended up putting hog wire on the outside of the electric fence so they cant put their head down and go. Now I am not saying you will have to do this because I have 2 really brave nannies that start the whole thing. I have found however they would not go through the metal wire electric fence. I am assuming it is because it does not stretch like the regular wire. I do think if it were not for those 2 does my fence woulda worked fine and it is 1.5 joule so the one you are looking at is a little stronger than mine. I also noticed it works with heavy weeds. That is good. I would say if you have good goats it will work great!!

[sdshoars]

i think they would be good... they can jump the fence they are in now @ 4 ft tall (they jumped it when a friends dog came over, it scared the bejesus out of them, and they jumped it, it wasn't easy for them, but if they wanted to, they could) and that is the only time they have ever gotten out. as lonf as they are not scared, they are perfectly content. how many strands is your fence?? i read on fiasco farm they do a 4 wire, i am goind to do a 6 wire, just to be safe, with all wires hot.

[hoofinitnorth]

You have to consider the animals you want to keep in and the animals you want to keep out. To avoid charging through, you have to train them to stay within the fence and not to challenge it. However, electric fences are ALWAYS supposed to be on. Don't let anyone tell you that once you train your animals to stay in you can just shut it off. That is a recipe for disaster. From what I understand, it takes very little energy to keep the fence on, if it's properly grounded and not grounding out somewhere like on a gate or a fencepost or a fallen tree. The real power surge occurs when the fence makes contact with a grounded object.

Keeping unwanted objects off the fence (like brush, trees, grasses, snow, etc.) will keep that charge flowing, waiting for a correction of a naughty animal testing that fence.

Grounding, grounding, and more grounding (like with grounding rods, not with unwanted objects) is how you ensure a good, solid charge from your charger.

The way I was taught was that JOULES are the way to measure chargers. They are actually how they calculate that "10-mile" or "5-mile" or whatever "mile" rating; through a conversion of joules and lineal feet of fence. Don't go by voltage except for what type it takes to run it (12v DC vs. 110v AC).

That said, last time I posted this tidbit about joules on HT, someone else posted some different information that I found interesting but I couldn't follow-up on it enough to really get my head around it. Maybe they will post it again here or maybe you can find it in the archives and translate it for all of us.

[ragingbull]

If you do the 6 wire all hot they will stay in if you train them. I use the Zareba also,I use the 150 mile fencer with 9 Boer goats and once they realized what it does they quit testing it. They will continue to check it closely by sniffing it to test and see if the fence is still on. You should get 4000to 5000 out of that fencer. Mine says 10000,but with my meter it shows about 7000. We have it to keep them in, but mostly to keep bears and other dogs out.

[fishhead]

I've got a Zabera charger rated for 15 miles and large animals. It maxes out the tester and the tester goes up to 4650 volts. I can tell you from personal experience that it delivers a jolt.

[Bearfootfarm]

You need to go by the Joule rating. The different voltages are determined by the resistance of the wire in your fence.

I have a 3 Joule that consistantly puts out over 8000 volts, but that doesnt mean youll have that much running through the entire fence.
I would also alternate hot and ground wires instead of making them all hot. That way the hot ones will have more voltage, and the animals will have to touch both to get through, so they will be more likely to get a good shock

[sdshoars]

thanks you guys!!!

[hoofinitnorth]

My last two electric fences (with wide tape of two contrasting colors) was built as Bearfootfarm suggests - hot and ground tapes all the way around, PLUS the ground rods.

[ozark_jewels]

Originally Posted by Bearfootfarm

You need to go by the Joule rating. The different voltages are determined by the resistance of the wire in your fence.

I have a 3 Joule that consistantly puts out over 8000 volts, but that doesnt mean youll have that much running through the entire fence.
I would also alternate hot and ground wires instead of making them all hot. That way the hot ones will have more voltage, and the animals will have to touch both to get through, so they will be more likely to get a good shock

Yes, this is the way to do it. And not just the joule rating, the *output* joule rating. The guy I bought my chargers from was experienced with fencing goats with electric. He reccomended no lower than a 6 output joule charger. I bought the 8 output joule chargers and have been *so* pleased, I wouldn't go for less.
Grounding is also *very* important.