Electric Fence Recommendations Needed

[mrbstephens]

I need to put up electric fencing around the animals in my yard. The housing is very secure, but I don't like the raccoons coming around and trying to get in like they have been. I stresses me out and I'm losing sleep chasing them away in the middle of the night. I have cats and don't want them hurt, so low voltage is what I'll need. I also need something inexpensive, but still reliable. I'll need some help in how to set this up too, so any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!

 

[Beekissed]

Premier or one of the other electric mesh dealers is a good place to start. They really are not a bad price for the job they do and they work well at both keeping chickens in and preds out, last from 7-10 years with good maintenance and are easy to install, move, etc. They won't permanently damage a cat but I'm betting the cat won't come within a hundred yards of the mesh....my dog was unpleasantly surprised at the juice the fence had and avoided it like the plague.

 

[Denim Deb]

I've never used the electric mesh, but unless you're wanting to put up some type of wire mesh w/electric at the top, the electric mesh is probably your best bet. If you use single strand wire w/nothing between the strands, it won't really keep the predators out.

 

[mrbstephens]

I've never used the electric mesh, but unless you're wanting to put up some type of wire mesh w/electric at the top, the electric mesh is probably your best bet. If you use single strand wire w/nothing between the strands, it won't really keep the predators out.

I have wire fencing around the chicken run and duck pen. I also have a rabbit in a hutch. I don't like that the raccoon can pester my rabbit even though it can't get in. I'm thinking of wire lines around the chicken run and duck pen and maybe put up a fence with more wire line to go around the rabbit hutch.

 

[MuttlyCrew]

We have had good success with using 4 strains of hot wire space 6 inches from the grown then 6 inch then 6 inch and then 1 foot. We also have a high-powered charger so if something hits it once they don't try it again in most cases. It also pulses instead of staying on all the time so if something does hit it they can get off the wire. By having it so close it catches the animal in the nose or head before they get in so they tend to back up instead of moving forward. It only took our dogs hitting it once to not go anywhere they see wire now.

 

[Andy J]

Same here,MuttlyCrew.I have only two strands of wire,but it works great.I can't tell you how many fine laying hens I lost to raccoons until I put up the wire.One shock for the dogs and they're good forever.

One bad experience:I was working near the wire once when my cell phone rang.It was on vibrate and it scared me so bad I thought that I was dead meat!

 

[pinkfox]

from what im reading 6" apart on a wire based electric fence will stop all but THE most deterimed predators... and the cat will only have to catch it ONCE and hell not go neer it again.
unfortunatly anythign high enough to let the cat UNDER is also high enough to let racoon and possum under...so if you need to give your cat acess to the pen youll have to figure out some kind of Climb through area.

i looked into the electro-net myself and it looks awesome for smaller spaces so definatly might be an option, but cost prohibitive if trying tocover ALOT of ground with it.

im in the process of putting in an electric fence myself for keeping the goats IN and the wildlife (inc the neighbors dog) OUT, ill be putting my bottom ine at 6" which should be low enough to eep even the small critters out...

 

[isaac carlson]

We use 5 strand electric and it works GREAT. It is run by the biggest solar fencer we could get.
The first couple strands are 6" and the rest get spaced out wider and the fence top is at about 5 feet.
The cats tried it once and never again. The dogs respect it, as do the deer.
We used two copper ground rods driven into a spring that is near the surface, so the fence is VERY well grounded.
I know it can bite because I grabbed the fence without shoes on and woke up on my back!

I use a hybrid high tensile setup. 5" posts for corners and 6' t-posts every 20 feet or so for line posts.
I use the high tensile tensioners, but only tension to about 80-100 lbs.
We also use the corner bearings so the fence can tension evenly without binding. These are worth their weight in gold. The fence just rolls right around the corner.
Each strand goes all the way around the pasture and has to make no less than 8 turns.
There is only 1 tensioner on each line and the tension on the wires is the same at one end as it is on the other.
The wires do not sag and are taught. We do not brace our corner posts, but lean them out a couple of inches so they stand up straight when under tension.
We are working on building two more fences, one to close in more pasture and one for the garden. They will all be the same.
Good luck

 

[pinkfox]

now mine is up (and its seriously NOTHING fancy, if i can do it anyone can) and working (invest in a good charger, used is great IF they work...ask me how i know lol.
but yeah, i love it. the goats tried it a coupe of times but now...uh heck no, they wont go closer than 6" to the line...
dozer got a bite from the charger itself (i think the nut tried to lick the hot terminal) got enough of a zap that even as a dopey bulldog hes decided that area is off limits and wont let the small dogs go neer the area the charger is set up now lol. he'll even chase the ducks/geese off if they get too close to that section of the deck and gets realy tense if i go close to it lol.

i got zapped by it once...thankfully i was wearing my seriously heavy duty rubber soled work boots and it was my leg (under thick denim) that hit the line, even so...definatly no plans to try that again lol.

 

[Beekissed]

I've had strand fencing before and the only animal that blew right through it was...you guessed it...the chickens. It doesn't help me much to protect chickens who are going through the fence, out into the road, onto the neighbor's land, etc.