# Goats 3, Electric Fence 0



## showme (Apr 28, 2015)

3 days putting up an electric fence, and the goats run straight through!

*** disclaimer***this was my first experience with electric fencing and hopefully it won't take 3 days in the future (if we actually use it at this point...grr)

Started with a 32x16 cattle panel pen for my two Boer crosses. They pretty much cleaned out the very heavy browse in a week so we were excited to introduce them to their new digs complete with much fancier partially enclosed lean-to shelter. We decided to use 14 g. galvanized instead of polyrope due to conductivity and longevity, but boy was it HEAVY! 

The local TSC set us up with a Zareba® 25 Mile AC Low Impedance Charger, 1 Joule output. We ran 5 hot strands of a little less than 1/2 mile of wire total. This is a very weedy area. We drove 3 6 ft galv. grounding rods (silver, so i think that's what they) 10 ft apart as the grounding system. Spacing from bottom is 6", 6", 8", 10" 12" (pulled from a goat fencing how to online from swampy acres farm). 

They ran right through like they didn't even get shocked the first time. The second time, they obviously got shocked but kept trucking. The third time, my smallest doe tentatively tested the wire with her nose. I saw the spark and expected she'd back up like I read would happen when the shock was in front of the eyes. She didn't, she went right through! The second doe wasn't exactly sure what was happening cause she was busy eating, but saw the other running off and ran through the fence right after her. 

My husband has quickly gotten disenchanted with my expensive and apparently futile goat project and I am quite discouraged. I can't afford to put up a super large cattle panel or goat wire fence and I can't move the cattle panel pen by myself and he won't always be around to help (or in the mindset at this point)

Where did I go wrong?


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## chelsboers (Mar 25, 2010)

I don't think 1 joule is enough. We run 5 stands also but our fence is 3 joules and while we have had some babies go through none of the adults have. It's all mental once they get shocked and realize it hurts they won't try again. Yours have learned that they get shocked but it only hurts for a second and to keep going so it might be harder to keep them in. Definitely look into a different charger though


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## LibertyHomesteadFarm (Feb 1, 2014)

I had the same problem when I put up my electric fence with 6 wires. Now I have 8 wires with abour 3-4 inches between wires.
Hope that helps!

I read that if they get shocked in front of their eyes they will back up, but if the get shocked below their chin or behind their eyes they will charge forward. It does take a few "pops" before they are fully trained though.

BTW, I use a 50 mile charger for about 2 miles of wire. My fence runs at around 20,000 volts at a time. It hurts! (I know from experience! LOL!) 

I use the Parmak Super Energizer 5 charger from Jeffers.


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## chelsboers (Mar 25, 2010)

I was wrong mine is 2 joules, heavy weeds similar to this one http://www.zarebasystems.com/store/electric-fence-chargers/ali50c
It is 50 mile but I figured I would rather have too much then have to go back and buy another


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## showme (Apr 28, 2015)

I had the 50 mile 2 Joule in hand because I had read "find want you think you need & then buy bigger" but the guy at TSC talked me out of it!

I guess I will take it back and buy the bigger one before I try again.

Were your goats used to electric fencing before you put them in or did you turn them loose and they figured it out themselves? Any tricks to introducing older kids?

There was only hotwire on the exterior perimeter fence where I got them and I don't think they ever encountered it before our disaster.

Thanks,

Jamie


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## chelsboers (Mar 25, 2010)

Some were used to it and others weren't. We have 2 pastures, the one at our house is woven wire with 2 strands just to keep them off the fence and from getting their heads stuck. The kids are at the pasture at my house until they get older. They do try to climb the fence and will get zapped but since they can't go forward they learn not to touch the fence. The one at the other pasture is 5 strands with nothing behind it. This is were the older kids and any new goats that aren't bred go. I tear up plastic grocery bads and tie them every couple feet to the fence. I think it helps them see the fence better and it also teaches them that the fence will shock them. The new ones always go up to the bags and then they get shocked and learn to stay away. Any time I'm working on the fence and have to turn it off I put them up, I don't want to take a chance that they will touch it and not get zapped then think it's ok to go through. I haven't had to do any training once they get zapped or another herd member does they yell and everyone runs the opposite direction. You get your herd leader to stay in and typically the rest will too.
1 joule would work for normal animals but we all know that goats aren't normal. They are incredably smart and stubborn so when it comes to fencing you have to put more into than you would other livestock. 
Keep in mind that an electric fence won't keep predators out so that's another reason to get the strongest one you can. I had a neighbors dog go through mine one and attack my buck the neighbor saw it happen and jumped the fence after the dog. The buck had some scratches, the dog got horned pretty bad, and the neighbor got shocked pretty good. The fence didn't stop the dog but after getting shocked by a charger that's said to stop a bear the neighbor was more careful about keeping his dog penned up.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

What I did to train them was to put a couple rolls of the cheap plastic snow fence on the back of the posts. It gives them a visual barrier without being too expensive. Mine just have a little 2 mile dog pen charger and they stay in.


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## LibertyHomesteadFarm (Feb 1, 2014)

showme said:


> I had the 50 mile 2 Joule in hand because I had read "find want you think you need & then buy bigger" but the guy at TSC talked me out of it!
> 
> I guess I will take it back and buy the bigger one before I try again.
> 
> ...


None of mine had any previous encounters with electric fencing; they learned fairly quickly though!


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## showme (Apr 28, 2015)

Attempt #2 seems to have gone off without a hitch!

Swapped out my fence charger for a bigger version and moved the wires closer--about 4 inches apart-- added two more wires to the top for added height. Now we have 7 strands running good and hot. 

And you know what? No one has even tested the fence! They are perfectly content even when I go out to visit. No fence rushing at feeding time (the norm was for their heads to be outta the cattle panels at supper time). Just wait to mob me when I get clear of the fence now 

However, neighbors dog got lit up pretty good! He hollered half way home!


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## MustBeeKiddin (Dec 21, 2014)

We run 7 strands of smooth wire on the exterior of our 10 acre farm (3 miles of line) and have a 6 joule charger on it (speedrite 6000) and we have net fencing for rotational grazing on the interior and have a 3 joule charger on that (speedrite 3000). 

I have no first hand experience with the 6 joule, but have been blasted in the girly bits stepping over the net fencing. Not.fun.at.all!

It's all about the joules!

ETA: we also run a pos/neg set up on net fencing and have good grounding on the smooth wire.


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

I have 9 joules...


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