# Can't decide on fencing.



## dixiegirl3179 (Jan 20, 2010)

Hey all! 

I'm refencing my old horse pen next week and I need to know what to use. It currently has barbed wire and the goats can go right under it, so I have to replace it. The pen is 100x150. I thought about hot wire. I was going to get the solar charger. I know the electric will cost less, but I don't like the idea of all that electricity, especially after reading some stories on another thread about people getting shocked by the fence. I have a 3 year old who is going to want to come out with me to take care of the goats. I'm so afraid he'll touch the fence. Telling him not to is not enough, that will make him more likely to do it. Would it be possible to turn the fence off when I'm out there? It's so frustrating..I'm think that wire is going to cost at least $100 more than electric and be a LOT more work to put up. I just don't know what to do lol. Any advice would be appreciated.


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## heathersboers (Sep 5, 2008)

I would still go with electric-you can turn it off when your child is outside- If your goats have horns-they can get their horns caught in regular wire-we had a few die like that-thats why we use electric now-Barb wire is the worst invention ever-We had a horse try to jump some at my cousins house and it ripped her hide off the side of her body-She was euthanized. The solar panel box isnt worth a flip- I have been through 3 of them... in 8 months. they arent strong at all and the goats walk right through them. The main thing is teaching your 3 year old that it BITES-we tught our 3 year old that and he has got zapped a few times, but learned his lesson...Also dog fence wire doesn't work good either.. Electric is just so much easier... Good luck!!


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## dixiegirl3179 (Jan 20, 2010)

Thanks for the reply..what about the battery powered boxes? My mom doesn't want an extension cord across the yard and is worried about how much the fence will up our electric bill. Does it cost a lot to run one? I'm probably just going to go with electric since we already have posts in the ground. Trying to stretch field fence is going to be a huge pain, especially since 3 sides of the pen have woods next to them. If I do several wires do they all have to be hot? The charger will come with instructions on how to set it up right?


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## dixiegirl3179 (Jan 20, 2010)

Also..what do I do with the barbed wire when I take it down? I don't want anyone getting cut up on that evil stuff, so I don't want to just throw it in the trash. Take it to the dump I guess?


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I have 4 strands of hot wire on a 5 mile fencer that costs pennies per day to run....it ends up being a 1/4 mile of fencing in a 60x 70 area. I agree with just getting the electric fencer...solar wouldn't put out enough to phase a determined goat.

Depending on how far away your pasture is from the power source, you can run it with a heavy duty extension. My power in my barn comes from the house by way of a 100 foot extension, been that way for 9 years, no problems.


Disposal of the barbed wire is simple, ball it up as tight as you can and take it to a scrap yard....you might even get a few bucks for the weight of it, just be sure theres no plastic or wood attached to it. Or if you don't want to "scrap" it offer it to someone who does "scrap" metal hauling.


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## Epona142 (May 26, 2008)

Liz - how far apart do you set your posts? I hear you can set them further apart using hot tape/rope than with using regular fencing.


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## pennylullabelle (Nov 22, 2009)

The box will come with instructions, but here's the basics: you need a ground rod. It's copper and has a bracket on it to attach wire. The copper rod goes into the ground a few feet, a wire is attached to the bracket, and then attached to the ground socket on the box. It'll take you less then 5 minutes. Ask the associates where you buy your box if they have ground rods. You can also get them in the electric section of Home Depot or Lowes. 

Next, connect the wire and run it. They don't all have to be hot, but a few should. Say you run 5 wires, make the top, middle, and bottom how. TRAIN your goats. Grab their collar, walk them up, let them sniff, they will get a static charge and POP....they won't do it again! But, once they know the wire is bad, they won't want to determine which ones are hot and which ones aren't. 

Definitely use an electric. My power bill runs $9 a year to run mine and it's a 10 mile box. The batteries will doe and you'll spend a lot replacing them. The solar are not strong enough, as mentioned. 

I have a 2 year old, 3.5, and 5 year old. All three of my kids know the "white tape" BITES. My 3 year old touched it, it hurt, she doesn't touch it anymore. Now, take into consideration the voltage. It isn't very strong. It's the static in your (or your animals) body connecting with the current that makes it hurt! I have been shocked several times. Best way to test if it's working...well...touch it... lol. it hurts, sure. And I look like an idiot (mind you, I am quite brilliant hehe). But it works. And I know what my animals and my kids are feeling is not deadly, just painful. 

Good luck!!


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## Epona142 (May 26, 2008)

Thanks penny. I'm looking into electric rope myself for my big pasture, so this is help to me as well.


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## dixiegirl3179 (Jan 20, 2010)

Cool..there's a scrapyard right up the road from me. Hmm..I think the pen is about 50 feet from the house. I believe we have a 50 foot hose attached the house and it reaches the side closest to the house to fill the waterer. We'll just use the plug in kind. It's cheaper anyway. I was going to do 7 strand and have every other strand be hot. Could I do it that way? 

I have this shelter already in the pen from my horses. Will it be adequate for the goats? It's 12x20. I'll be building something for the buck pen that I'm putting up when/if I get bucks.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Epona142 said:


> Liz - how far apart do you set your posts? I hear you can set them further apart using hot tape/rope than with using regular fencing.


I have the round fiberglass posts set every 4 feet...I have 6 foot steel T posts as the corner posts and the fencing is electric on 3 sides as it is run off of the corners of the main pen, a gate is used to access the electric pasture.


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## Epona142 (May 26, 2008)

Do you have a link to an example of that kind of post? I think I know what you're talking about but want to be sure


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## heathersboers (Sep 5, 2008)

We use those fiberglas poles too-every 15 foot with 4x4's as the corner poles-we actually cut tubing to fit around the poles instead of the unsulators-It works great -with polywire-you can tighten it by hand -you may be able to see the posts here -I will take more pics if anyone wants to see. The posts are 1.50 each at Tractor Supply . http://www.whiteoakboergoats.net/aquicktour.htm


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## SDK (Jun 26, 2008)

my friends use the electric mesh fencing for like temporary pastures ( like 2-3 feet high) to keep their angora yearling bucks contained and it works really well, ther's like 10-15 goats in there at a time and only one has every had the will to escape


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## Epona142 (May 26, 2008)

heathersboers said:


> We use those fiberglas poles too-every 15 foot with 4x4's as the corner poles-we actually cut tubing to fit around the poles instead of the unsulators-It works great -with polywire-you can tighten it by hand -you may be able to see the posts here -I will take more pics if anyone wants to see. The posts are 1.50 each at Tractor Supply . http://www.whiteoakboergoats.net/aquicktour.htm


That looks really nice! I would love to see more pictures when you have time. I haven't seen those posts before at my TSC but they most likely have them somewhere.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Those are the exact posts, I do have the round post insulators on them, it was easy to attach them and super easy to run the wire.
TSC carries them in bundles of 20..... I got lucky 2 years ago and got them on sale too..99 cents per post.


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## heathersboers (Sep 5, 2008)

We zip tie ours believe it or not- that is very cheap and works like magic!!! Ill take more pics tomorow for everyone.


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## dixiegirl3179 (Jan 20, 2010)

Thanks for the help all. We went with electric fence. It took a few days of tweaking, but it's working well now. The girls hit it a few times and stay away from it now. It's only reading 1000 volts but it's enough to make them hollar when they touch it..oh and my brother found 5 dead birds around it today. Yay...2 were still on the fence and the other 3 were on the ground. Yuck.


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## Epona142 (May 26, 2008)

Glad to hear its working out for you! I'm still in the planning stages myself


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