Electric Fencing

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But gone are the days when you had to drive big metal or wooden posts into hard, rocky ground and wrestle with heavy reels of stiff wire that always wanted to go anywhere but where you wanted them to go. Permanent high-tensile electric fencing still has its place for perimeter fences, corrals and other applications where the fence is meant to last, but the new temporary styles are gaining popularity quickly on many farms and homesteads.

Most of the temporary equipment fits together easily with just a rubber mallet, screwdriver, pocketknife and a pair of pliers. And you can buy it at just about any farm supply center or from a variety of specialty companies, which often offer application and installation tips on their Web sites.

THE POWER SUPPLY

You'll need an adequate charger to control the electricity flowing to whatever type of fencing you choose. Chargers running on 110-volt AC (household) current provide maximum shocking power, so many people run an AC supply wire from their house or barn into their fields, and then connect their temporary fencing onto it wherever needed. Chargers range in price from $60 to $400.

In remote locations, battery-powered chargers are almost as effective. Batteries range in size from flashlight to deep-cycle marine, and optional solar panels will recharge them even on cloudy days, which can double a battery's life. Prices for batteries with solar chargers range from $180 to $280.

To really boost shocking power, especially on dry ground or snow, use " Pos/Neg" fencing, now available in a variety of styles.

Traditional electric fencing has a positive charge in each electrified wire. It relies on the animal making good contact with the soil in order to ground the charge and receive a shock. That doesn't always happen when soils are sandy, rocky, dry or covered with snow. Having both positive and negative (grounded) wires manufactured right in the fence increases the chance of an animal receiving a convincing shock.

Weeds also can complete the circuit when they touch the wires, sometimes shorting out the fence so it can't shock anything. Today s fence chargers can carry what the catalogs call a "heavy weed load," but don't expect to just setup an electric fence and forget it. The more you keep grass and weeds in check, the better your fence will work. Keep all electric fences free of branches, grass, weeds and debris that can short out the whole fence.

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