Semi OT: Electric fences - Page 4

 

a_nonny_mouse@mousehole.invalid said...
:
:On Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:00:41 +1100, Jeßus wrote:
:
:> Just wondering what your experiences have been with electric fences?
:
:<snip>
:
:> So, back to my question: I'd like to hear of your experiences with
:> electric fences - both pro and con.
:>
:> Cheers.
:
:Only experience we have had is with horse
:Wired tape rolled through loops on fibreglass "posts"
:No problems
:Horses got the message quickly - ie after 2 or three sniffs
:And or the odd forgetful moment swinging around too close to the tape.

Concensus seems to indicate the they work well on horses by the looks of
things.

:Friends tell me they are not absolutely reliable for cattle
:Particularly bulls
:If there is a cow in season on the other side
:The bulls forget where they are and concentrate on the end "game"
:ie they go straight through the fence!

Yep. The main animal problem for me on that avo farm was indeed the
bull. He'd be the one to render the electric fence useless - then the
rest would follow.

:Best "human" story I have heard
:Is from a friend whose family had a round yard set up for horses
:An "old timer" visited the man of the operation mid winter
:And in no uncertain terms suggested that electric fences were useless
:To prove his point he grabbed the wire
:And stated there was no effect
:
:Friend's hubby suggested the the "old timer"
:Dispense with his insulating rubber / wellington boots
:And then grasp the wire
:
:The "old timer" took off his boots
:Wriggled his feet into the damp earth
:And grabbed the wire
:
:The end result was described to me as
:The loudest explosion of flatulence ever heard
:Followed by a stagger
:And an apology ;-P

Heh :)

:The other "human" / "feline story
:Involves my then teenage son
:We had to carry him into the house on a stretcher
:He had split his sides laughing
:
:Apparently one of our cats had been under the electric fence
:And there was a broken wire in the tape
:Which caused a short circuit "crackle"
:The cat listened and watched for a while
:And then leapt up to grab the wire
:
:The weight of the cat of course
:Caused the wire to sag
:To the degree that its hind legs made contact with Mother Earth
:
:The ruts in the earth under the wire
:As the cat tried to get traction
:Were quite deep
:And of course, it was sometime before
:Said feline was again seen
:And never again under that wire ;-P

I'd pay to see something like that, as much as I love cats :)


:As others have stated / insinuated, goats are, apparently, another story

Indeed...

I was highly sceptical that electric fences would work on chooks - but I
found quite a few references online claiming it works. Well, it sure
didnt work for me!

Anyway, lesson learned - I'm gong to fence off most of the creek
frontage (with a few gates added)so they still have access to water but
can't get across to the other side via the dam wall (no doubt illegal
but I didnt build it...) and bridge.

Cheers

 


We've had different experiences with bulls.  They certainly do test it
though and what a glorious sight that is.  They turn their rump to the fence
and then ease onto it very cautiously.  Once they know it's working, they
lose interest.

We have had them destroy gates though rather than go over the fence.  A gate
with a huge V shape right in the middle of it is a very disheartening sight
given how much more a gate costs than a bit of fencing wire.  We now have
electricity on certain gates too.

 

FarmI wrote:

The smarter horses tend to test with their whiskers, a bit like the grass
blade trick.

David

 

Jeßus wrote


I did use one in a research operation at one time, to keep some sheep contained.

One very wet day the dog got bitten by it and he would never go anywhere near it
again.


Ours worked fine with the sheep.


Bet the dog will when its very wet.


They arent all that effective when its very dry with some animals.

I'd be amazed if they worked with chooks, they're too well insulated.

They work with sheep because of their snouts.

Never bothered the dog normally, presumably it could
detect the fence well before it shocked him in dry weather.

 

said...
:
:Jeßus wrote
:
:> Just wondering what your experiences have been with electric fences?
:
:I did use one in a research operation at one time, to keep some sheep contained.
:
:One very wet day the dog got bitten by it and he would never go anywhere near
it again.

Wish my Blue Heeler would get bit with my electric fence. Then again,
he's crazy enough that he just might like it.

<snip>

:They arent all that effective when its very dry with some animals.

Yep. It has been pretty dry here, even though the fence runs parallel to
the creek and about 30ft away, perhaps the geology/dryness is too much.
But that is why I also ran neutral wires along with the live wires -
just for added effectiveness. The ground stake is definitely well
earthed beside the creek!


:I'd be amazed if they worked with chooks, they're too well insulated.

Yeah, as mentioned previously, I was pretty sceptical that the fence
would work on chooks. But I came across plenty of info online indicating
that they can work. So much for that :)

:They work with sheep because of their snouts.
:
:Never bothered the dog normally, presumably it could
:detect the fence well before it shocked him in dry weather.