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Electric fences

armorpl8chikn

armorpl8chikn

Colonel Angus
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Aug 17, 2010
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Face Slapping Distance
So I bought a 5 mile battery powered solar buzz box to fence about a three quarter acre. Is one ground rod at the box enough or do I need a couple or 3 spaced out?
Just keeping the dog in. She already has a healthy respect for the neighbors fence, she knows what it is and won't get within 5 feet of it.
I needed a cheap quick way to keep the dog in till I get settled in AL.

How much fence can I do with this box realistically? Can I use the same cheap wire for the ground, or do I need the good stuff?

Never put one up before. School me.
 
One driven down fairly deep.
From mine I’d rate them about 1/4 of what they say.
I had possums and raccoons raiding the chickens. Added a better fence (smaller grid) and the solar zapper with two spaced top and bottom wires. No problems for 2 1/2 yrs now. And it’s hell on curious barn cats too.

Edit: forgot. Keep the low wires above weeds. The solar zappers don’t cook em like the plugged in ones do.
 
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Dewey7271 said:
One driven down fairly deep.
From mine I’d rate them about 1/4 of what they say.
I had possums and raccoons raiding the chickens. Added a better fence (smaller grid) and the solar zapper with two spaced top and bottom wires. No problems for 2 1/2 yrs now. And it’s hell on curious barn cats too.
Click to expand...

So mine should do a mile of wire? Sounds like I got plenty to keep a crazy boxer in the yard.
 
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concerning your grounding rod, its going depend on your soil. when the animal hits the wire, the better the boom the better the ground.
both at the machine and also the animals feet or hooves completing the ground.
i had a solar and it doesnt compete. the, 5 mile or 7 mile 110v plug ins rock for smaller parcels.
 
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oneshot86 said:
concerning your grounding rod, its going depend on your soil. when the animal hits the wire, the better the boom the better the ground.
both at the machine and also the animals feet or hooves completing the ground.
i had a solar and it doesnt compete. the, 5 mile or 7 mile 110v plug ins rock for smaller parcels.
Click to expand...

I don't have power yet, which is why I'm going with solar.

So maybe I'll run another ground about Midway in my fence run? I know, or I think I know, more ground the better.
Dogs don't take as much coaxing as a goat though.
 
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Chikn where are you moving from and what part of bama?
 
Snipe260 said:
Chikn where are you moving from and what part of bama?
Click to expand...

Lower Alabama (LA) from Western NC.
Hard to believe I'm giving up looking at this every day:
IMG_20200221_075459339.jpg
 
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Dang. When I read the title I couldn't wait to say that the best way to test whether you had sufficient ground was to pee on it. Y'all beat me to it. Then he posted that pic of the beautiful mountains of NC with the Waffle House in it, and I was going to post, "Hell, we got Waffle Houses on every corner here in Alabama," but y'all beat me to that, too. This leads me to two conclusions: Y'all aren't any fun, and this job thing is getting in the way of my Hide hang time.
 
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I see I won't have any shortage of "friends" when I build that 22 precision rifle range.
My land clearing guy did some more work last week. I gotta go tomorrow and check it out, pull my septic permit, and I reckon....put up a 'lectric fence.
I figure I'm gonna have a good 275yds to put out steel.

Once I get the septic in, things should roll on pretty quick.
 
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armorpl8chikn said:
I see I won't have any shortage of "friends" when I build that 22 precision rifle range.
My land clearing guy did some more work last week. I gotta go tomorrow and check it out, pull my septic permit, and I reckon....put up a 'lectric fence.
I figure I'm gonna have a good 275yds to put out steel.

Once I get the septic in, things should roll on pretty quick.
Click to expand...
Let me know when your here permanent. I’ll come down and we can have some of bama favorite food and beverage!
 
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Ya, I wouldn’t get too carried away. Just a plano jano one will make a horse jump and fart and run and never get close again. Long haired animals can walk right through them though
 
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I moved from NC to lower MS about a year and a half ago. Should of done it sooner.
 
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I keep 2 160lb + Saint Bernard's in with electric fence. You gotta run 2 wires and put them just under nose level and just above. Once they hit it with a nose they stay way the fuck away and dont piss with trying it again. I use the poly rope with braided wire in it. Its bright yellow, so gives a nice visual to it aswell. I have 5 acres wired with 1 solar fencer. A good ground is imperative. I use a 4 ft copper rod driven down about 3 feet.
We run fencers for our hogs and cattle too.
 
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I have two six ft ground rods about ten ft apart. Wired to the charger with 9 ga solid copper. Use 14 ga or thicker galvanized steel wire. Aluminum will loosen over time. Build real corner assemblies and keep the fence strait. Put ratchets on the wire. If this were for livestock I’d probably run a ground the length of the fence.
 
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MtnCreek said:
Also, blade of grass is a good fence tester.
Click to expand...

This!

Been many years since I messed w/ electric fences but not sure how you'd have additional grounds short of running additional wire. Single ground at box is all I've seen/used.
 
Tractor supply has a lot of info.

In general to harder and or dryer the ground surface, the harder to deliver a shock
Easy to shock on wet grass. Hard to shock standing on dry cement


the harder and deeper the hooves, the harder to shock

so you can get a shock easier than a deer or elk with a thick hoof as insulator



So you get a more powerful system based on
1) ground type
2) distance the fence runs
 
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hermosabeach said:
Tractor supply has a lot of info.

In general to harder and or dryer the ground surface, the harder to deliver a shock
Easy to shock on wet grass. Hard to shock standing on dry cement


the harder and deeper the hooves, the harder to shock

so you can get a shock easier than a deer or elk with a thick hoof as insulator



So you get a more powerful system based on
1) ground type
2) distance the fence runs
Click to expand...
Bloomberg, is that you? :-D
 
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armorpl8chikn said:
I don't have power yet, which is why I'm going with solar.

So maybe I'll run another ground about Midway in my fence run? I know, or I think I know, more ground the better.
Dogs don't take as much coaxing as a goat though.
Click to expand...

If you put a ground midway through the fence the fence won't work because it is grounded out. If you want to add an additional ground, drive another ground rod in about 10' from the first and connect the 2 rods together.
 
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I run 7 strand high tensile to keep the goats in and coyotes out. I run 3 ground rods 8' deep and 8' apart. Preferably in the dripline of the shop roof. keeps the ground wet. That's likely overkill but, ground rods are cheap. just hard to get in the ground. Best thing is a demolition hammer and a ground rod driver attachment. If you don't have that, put a washer on the end of it just slightly larger than the ground rod diameter. It pushes the soil out of the way thus reducing the friction when driving it. After the first rain, the soil flows back and you are good to go. Depending on how you tension the fence, check out the "dynamic diagonal brace" for the corners. Only one hole to dig :)
 
If your worried about the soil conditions not providing a good enough ground, insulate two strands of wire on your fence and connect one to your ground on the charger and the other to the hot leg. Make sure that the fence is spaced close enough together that both strands will be touched at the same time.
 
packratt said:
If you put a ground midway through the fence the fence won't work because it is grounded out. If you want to add an additional ground, drive another ground rod in about 10' from the first and connect the 2 rods together.
Click to expand...

Read what I wrote again. Even I'm not stupid enough to attach my hot wire to my ground.
How bout I put another ground rod a hundred ft from the first, and connect the two rods. That is what I'm saying.
 
I just re-read your original post/question. I think that will be plenty fine. I’m inclined to think after the first zap, them animals can smell or hear that thing and not fully understanding it, they give it a wide berth. 5 mile typically means it’s a no joke real deal. Keep the dead grass away in the fire season. Don’t pee on it on a dare
 
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