Livestock Electric Fencing is a cost effective alternative to traditional physical fences that offers flexibility and security. Livestock quickly learn to respect and avoid an electric fence, and for some animals – like goats with their thick insulating coats – it is the fear of the shock that prevents them from crossing a boundary rather than the actual delivered electrical pulse.

The power source of an electric fence, known as a power energiser, generates a short high voltage pulse along a conductive wire or series of wires. When an animal or predator touches the fence and the ground it completes a circuit and they receive a brief but memorable, harmless electric shock.

Farm Fencing 101: Choosing the Right Fence for Your Property

As a general rule, the longer and thicker an animal’s hair or coat is, the more volts are required to deter them from touching a fence. For example, a bear with its thick fur may require higher voltage than a goat with its thin wool. Wire height, spacing and placement is based on a number of factors including:

Correctly installed ground rods are essential for maintaining proper fence operation. A good rule of thumb is to install 3 feet of ground rod per joule capacity of the charger/energizer. The correct amount of soil moisture is also critical, as dry soil tends to lose conductivity and therefore reduces energizer output. An energizer with the right joule rating should be selected based on your specific livestock needs. This helps ensure a reliable fence that will not cause animal injury, or worse – start a fire.