# Question about hot wire



## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Howdy peeps,

Well my riding lawn mower blew up a couple weeks ago and just got the estimate back from the shop. Its not good so am going to have to buy a new one but going to hold off till next spring. In the meantime I have grass that needs trimming and am going to use some of the goaties to do it. I have to much stuff they can get into and to many young trees they could devour to just let them run the back yard. So was thinking hot wire. I have the energizers already from years ago but have never needed to use em. So going to hit the feed store and buy what I need. 650 feet of 1/2 wide white hot tape. Having never seen or felt a electric fence, I want something they can see and recognize after they get their first zap by it. Also getting those white plastic poles you just step on to stick em in the ground.

My question is, how and where should I be looking to put my ground? Is a single T post at the end enough of a ground? If not now many T posts would be? Should I just get a grounding rod? If so, where should it be placed on the fence? I wanna keep the goaties outta the stuff they shouldnt be in but I dont wanna give em a massive shock to do it. I think my smaller charger is like 2.5 miles while my other one is 5 or 10 miles. If that helps. Thanks!


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## ptgoats45 (Nov 28, 2011)

I would get a ground rod, just drive it into the ground right next to the fencer and you hook a wire from the ground rod to the ground side on the fencer, then a wire goes on the hot side to your fence. I think the amount of shock is based on the joules that the fencer puts out. I do know with goats it does need to be pretty strong to make them respect it, but if you are using the tape fencing they should respect that pretty good since it will look like regular fencing.


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

I can't answer your question, but know that some goaties don't care about electric fencing. that's how I got my goats. the lady here has a 3 strikes rule for her herd. first time escapers get a chain necklace that's supposed to amplify the shock. if they go through 2 times after that, they're out. to the slaughter house or to be sold. my two, didn't mine the shock at all...

I also read if you touch their noses to the hot wire, they get the message....


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

How many joules are they? I would think the 5-10 mile one has more joules, but maybe not. Some peoples goats stay in with 0.2 joules, some goats need 2.5+.

For the ground I would use a ground stake, and drive it pretty deep in the ground, and kinda wet spot makes for a better ground. You just lace and wind the wire through the holes in the ground stake (if there is any), if not just wrap the wire arounf the stake, and run the other end of it to the charger.


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## AmyBoogie (May 20, 2013)

Also you need more than one ground stake if you're going a long distance. I can't remember the requirement though. Anyone?


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