Electric fence?

[TomR]

Is it possible to contain sheep in electric fence?

Thanks in advance,

www.pondvuacres.com

TomR

[Maura]

Yes. If they are scared enough (like a dog chasing them) they will make a mad bolt through it. We have used wire and el netting. Both work.

[derekv]

i would run a five or six strand on the outside of your field with hot then cold then hot etc, and watch out for those few that seem to watch magic show and get through by any means

[Bearfootfarm]

Use a STRONG charger, and keep them fed well and they will stay inside (most of the time!)

[Goatsandsheep]

Is it possible to contain sheep in electric fence?

Lol not for me. Shelly

[Judy in IN]

It's called Electronet, and it's sold by Premier. Goes up easy, and if you pair it with a low-impedence solar charger, you can make a pasture anywhere. I'm planning on using mine along a creek this summer.

Right now, though, I'm using it for horses.

[Elsbet]

Originally Posted by Goatsandsheep

Lol not for me. Shelly

lol, I was going to say the same thing! We always had found that directly after shearing the sheep showed a LOT of respect for the fence, but as the wool grew back, they were better insulated against the shock. About the only time they even seemed to notice the fence was if they put their nose directly on it, and sometimes not even then.

Woven wire seems to be the best bet. The electric seems to do better at keeping things OUT of the sheep pen, not keeping them in.

[plowjockey]

We have a 5 wire high tinsile fence, with the top, middle and bottom wires hot.

We have had both Suffolk and Katahdin. Never had a sheep or lamb go through the fence. Mostly they don't even go near it.

The key is the electric fence charger. Sheep will walk right though a fence with a cheap charger.

[leon]

Yes. Well-made electric fence can stop a bear.

Most of the times when electric fences don't work the problem is either a wrong charger (too weak) or more often the grounding is poor. Sticking one portable 3 feet rod in the ground will NOT work on animals with lots of wool/hair, unless your pasture is a swamp.

A friend complained that his sheep do not respect electronet. I poured a bucket of water on the ground where the grounding rod was and - oh, magic! - they suddenly started to jump after touching the fence. Just goes to show the importance of proper grounding.

If your land is very dry (the grass turned brown) no charger/grounding combo is strong enough but that can be easily solved by using POS/NEG setup.

Premier has lots of good tutorials on their website and they also will answer questions by phone and help to choose the right fence for you.

[Maura]

The first year we had electric fencing, the sheep went through it. It was a dry time and we needed a longer pole for grounding. Once we did that, the fence worked properly. It doesn't take long before they will respect a fence with no charge. However, to keep young lambs in and dogs out, the fence needs to be charged.

[John Hill]

Hang something tasty looking on the hot wire, they will never go near it again!

[Bret4207]

Judy, how are you using the electro net? I'm considering trying it for rotational grazing.

[chickenista]

Will electric tape work? I know electric net is better, but seeing as how I ahve several hundred feet of tape....?

And if I were to get the electric netting.. would the 35" be tall enough or do I need 48"?

[Judy in IN]

Originally Posted by Bret4207

Judy, how are you using the electro net? I'm considering trying it for rotational grazing.

Bret4207,

I first bought the 20b charger from Premier, and 7 rolls of electronet. That charger will power 4 rolls of 'net. The next 3 rolls would be used to make 3 sides of the next enclosure for your sheep. After that, you would take a section down between the two paddocks, move your sheep through, and take down the 3 sides of the old enclosure that you aren't using anymore. Those become the next pen.

My sheep are at home right now. I'm not moving them up to the farm untill after lambing. So, today, I set up the 20b with 2 sections of electronet, to train the Anatolian pups (10 months) to a hot fence. Within 10 minutes of being inside the new pen, they had both made contact with the fence, and ran yelping back into the original pasture. The sheep are cleaning up all of the creeping charlie, dandelions, and clover that they can stuff into their mouths. The dogs lie behind the gate and tell the sheep that fence will bite them.

You need to use small t-posts at the corners, and anywhere you might want to change direction. That makes the fence much stronger. Use a good ground. I bought another ground rod, in addition to the one they provide with the kit.

The chickens hit this fence, and THEY sure didn't like it either. Now, I'm only using 2 sections, so I'm pretty sure it's plenty hot.

I bought the 52b charger for the farm. I was using the 20b up there for the horses, but the 52b will power 10 rolls of 'net. I bought a marine battery, and the 20 solar panel. Let me tell you, THAT charger is REALLY hot! I'm using
35" electronet both places, and the horses respect it as well as the pups. I have yet to see a sheep make contact with it.

Chickenista,

I have hair sheep, so I would say tape would work for them. Wool sheep might need the electronet. Wool is a great insulator.

Having a good ground is REALLY important. If you don't have a good ground, your fence will not be very hot. You can use multiple ground rods or pour salt water around your ground rod to increase the contact.

[Bret4207]

Thanks Judy. I already have a lot of high tensile fence but the sheep and goats aren't like horses,cattle and hogs. I like you idea of 7 sections, but that's a lot of $$$! We'll have to see how that goes.

I have to mention Judy is 100% right on the grounds. I use at least 3 real ground rods for my permanent fences and try and keep them in a damp area.It's worth it.

[Judy in IN]

Bret,

One thing--if I had it to do over again, I wouldn't bother getting the 20b. I would go directly to the 52b with the size 20 solar panel. I'm very happy with that one!

[ShortSheep]

Judy, can the Premiere netting run off electricity, or does one have to purchase Premier chargers?
I'm debating an investment in temporary electric fencing, would like to make the correct purchases the first time 'round. This thread had been very helpful, thank you!
Does everyone feel that Premier is the way to go, or are their less pricey alternative companies to go with?

[LibertyWool]

You can use any low impedance charger with Premier electro net. The big think to remember is that you have a lot more wires, so it is going to take a larger charger. I use a 30 mile chargers on my 1/2 mile of sheep netting (So that would be about 3.5 miles of fence wire as I think they have 7 lines each). And even with that, if you don't keep the fence clean, it is going to ground out. I really do like it and use it every year. It goes up fast and comes down fast.

[madness]

I've never used the electronetting and I have a question about how it can be set up. Does the fence need to make a complete circuit to be hot or has it been wired in such a way that a straight section is "on"? Could you use one already existing fence and make a three sided enclosure with the netting? Thanks!

[Judy in IN]

Madness,

No, you don't have to make a complete circuit...I've got 3 sections set up at home right now....4th side is field fence.

Short Sheep,

You mean 110? I'm thinking the amperage would be too hot. I'm thinking it might melt the fence. I'd either go with a charger and a deep cycle marine battery. You don't really need the solar panel if you're willing to swap out the battery and charge it. Otherwise, I'd use the charger and plug it into an outlet.

The folks at Premier are VERY knowledgeable. You might check with the folks at the sheep production list also. They are great.