Considerations for Electric Goat Fencing, Part 1

Reader Contribution by Mary Powell and Barnyard Weed Warriors
Published on May 14, 2020
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There are two things a goat rental professional must have, to contain the goats on a work site: fencing and a working energizer. Remember, goats need to be trained to the fence prior to taking them out on the road or you will have problems, so set it up at home first and practice setting up and letting the goats graze in a mock situation.

What type of fencing do you use?Most goat rental businesses use electro-netting from Premier1Supplies.com, which is a low-impedance fence that requires low-impedance charger, or the fencing will melt. This fencing is perfect for setting up in any situation.

With my business, I use the 164-foot long ElectroStop 10/42/12 single spike. The number 10 represents the number of strands in the fence, nine hot strands and one dead bottom strand, 42 represents the height of the fencing, and the 12 is the length of fence between the single spike posts.I use single spike, because the ground in Kansas can be hard and a double spike would be a nightmare to pull out of the ground. You want to be careful putting the post in the ground and use a rubber mallet to pound the posts. The fences have pigtails on each end to clip one fence to the other. 

What kind of energizers and ground posts do you use for the fences?Energizers are also called chargers, or in some cases that “darn shocking box!” Remember they must be low-impedance chargers!There are two types of chargers that include two Parmak Magnum Solar-Pak 12 12-volt chargers that are rated at 1-3joules that can handle five fences and an Intellishock 120 that is rated as a 1.2 joule charger. The Intellishock 120 can handle about 8 fences easily. You need ground rods for either type of charger. Many use copper ground rods but you can also get aluminum, either work well if you use them properly.

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