# Electric Fencing and Goats



## arthurpete (Jun 10, 2014)

Hello all,

Recent and first time goat owner here. Ive browsed some threads here and there and decided to join.

My 7 month old goats have been winning the battle on their entrapment lately, including destroying the chicken and ducks fencing to get at their feed. So, I installed a hot wire on my existing fence this past weekend and was coming to get some advice/help. My perimeter is roughly 150 ft by 50 ft, so a total of 400 ft. I bought a 5 mile Zareba solar low impedance, mainly because the 2 mile wasnt "designed" for goats. I checked the lines all the way around last night and was getting anywhere from 6-7,000k, so its good and hot.

My questions....is the voltage too much for the goats and could i of gotten away with purchasing the 2 mile since i only have one strand atop my existing fence. I also have chickens that are roaming around and am concerned about inadvertently frying up a few, is it too hot for them?

any help appreciated


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

You need a high Joule output. If they have learned to go through strands of electric, they probably won't stay in... period.

I use electric net with a HIGH powered charger.

No, what you have is not too hot.

Here's a chart I just googled for you.

http://fenceandfarm.com/pages/Energizer-Selection-Chart.htm


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## arthurpete (Jun 10, 2014)

They havent gone through the hot wire since it has been on, granted it has only been a few days. I have 4 ft of wooden fence and then the hot wire on top of that. I may run another strand or two above that but even then the total distance would be less than 1/2 mile. The model i am using has .1 Joule output. 

The chart shows that all the high Joule output models are for very large tracts of land, my enclosure is less than .25 acres. Plus the high joule output models are all powered with 110 and i am limited to solar or battery powered.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

The chart (scroll down if necessary) shows which ANIMALS it keeps in. Note that goats do not appear until 3 joules.

Keep us informed if it works.  I'd *like* to build a buck grazing area with a solar charger, but I have sincere doubts that it will zap enough to keep them in.

In addition to the wire at the top, which they won't contact if they jump over, you may want to add a wire at goat nose height on the inside. Goats investigate with their noses.


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## SeaGoat (Aug 17, 2012)

I have the Zareba 5 mile, though its not solar.


My goats learned not to mess with it.
Dont tell them, but it hasnt been turned on in 2 weeks :trollface


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## aart (Oct 20, 2012)

Wish there were a chart the listed the correlation between:
-miles (which I assume means miles of wire?).
-joules
-type of wire(I would think that different types of wires/tapes have different levels of 
resistance-which would change the amount of charge they can carry)

Then there's grounding...and soil type...which could change the level of charge.

....and of course I'd want to be able to test the charge on the wire itself...lol...I don't ask for much.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

We will wait for you to produce that chart.


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## aart (Oct 20, 2012)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> We will wait for you to produce that chart.


  
Wish I knew enough to do so....but I know almost nothing about electric fencing and electricity in general, it's why I need it! 
I can only imagine the data is out there and someone knows enough to produce it....maybe there's too many variables to chart it.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

I agree. Too many variables.

Electricity is a foreign language to me.


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## unregistered41671 (Dec 29, 2009)

"Miles" on a charger are rated at nothing but *ideal* conditions. Those conditions are difficult to achieve and maintain. Always choose a charger with more "miles" than you have. If you have 1 mile of fence with 2 hot wires then your charger has to charge 2 miles of fence. With 5 hot wires it is 5 miles.


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## CarolT (Mar 12, 2009)

I use a high powered charger to train my guys not to challenge the fence, then they tend to stay away from that type of fence with a lower powered solar charger. LOL


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## wintrrwolf (Sep 29, 2009)

I have I think a 6 joules non solar. My goat fencing is 4 wire but am looking into replacing all that with polywire rope seems the higher visibility works even better. Would like to know how your solar one works I might be looking at a few brush clearing jobs for me and my goats


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## arthurpete (Jun 10, 2014)

Well, so far so good.

I left for vacation for a week and they were still in the fence when i got home. I have seen them get zapped and i think they respect it for now. We will see in a few months when they get a bit bigger.


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