Best solar charging battery for electrified poultry netting

[MontanaChickDoc]

We have 2, soon to be 3, 150ft lengths of electric poultry netting from Premier 1 making a large yard for the chickens and ducks. Right now I have a Zareba solar powered battery (from TSC) that is on its last legs. I think it lasted about 2 years (is that typical??). I need to replace it, but most of the batteries I am seeing will electrify 5 miles of fence or more. I don't need that kind of juice for my little chicken yard, and don't really want to spend $200-$300 either for "more battery" than I need. Is there a brand of battery that someone can recommend? Should I forget the solar idea? They don't seem to last any longer than just a "regular battery". We have a lot of ground borne predators so electric fencing is a must and it has to work consistently, preferably with little maintenance from me Thank you for any recommendations!

 

[BuffOrpington567]

Get a less powerfull battery

 

[humdinger]

Mile ratings on an energizer is a curious manufacturer's rating. It applies to a single strand of conductor w/o any grass contact, excellent soil conditions (moist/conductive) and proper grounding. It does not apply to real-life fences or netting with its many conductors and potential for grass contact. For an energizer w/ netting, you need a joules of output rating of at least .25J.

For an energizer, you have a few options:

1. If the Zareba unit has at least 1 joule of output—I would replace its internal battery and use w/ the third roll of netting. Then measure the voltage of the fence to ensure it has at least 3000v running through the strands.
2. If the Zareba's output is less than 1 joule—source a battery or plug-in powered energizer of at least 1.0 joules of output. These units have less up-front cost than solar units.
   • The battery powered unit will need 2 batteries to power it. One large battery power the fence, one smaller power to power the fence while the larger battery is being recharged. Size the larger battery based on the energy consumption of the unit, and how often you want to switch out batteries. A company like Premier should be able to answer those questions for you.
   • The Plug-in unit can be powered at a nearby outlet, then run insulated electric fence wire (not house wire) from the energizer to the fence. Do not run an extension cord from the outlet to the energizer. Use electric fence wire, not house wire because fence wire is designed to carry high voltages, unlike house wire.

 

[Molpet]

I have this one
only problems have been lack of sun in the winter and in summer little ants made a home in the controls and shorted it out. https://www.premier1supplies.com/p/intellishock-120-solar-fence-energizer?cat_id=245

 

[humdinger]

I think folks have sprinkled terro or another ant killer around the controls of energizers to knock back ant infestations.

 

[BuffOrpington567]

We have 2, soon to be 3, 150ft lengths of electric poultry netting from Premier 1 making a large yard for the chickens and ducks. Right now I have a Zareba solar powered battery (from TSC) that is on its last legs. I think it lasted about 2 years (is that typical??). I need to replace it, but most of the batteries I am seeing will electrify 5 miles of fence or more. I don't need that kind of juice for my little chicken yard, and don't really want to spend $200-$300 either for "more battery" than I need. Is there a brand of battery that someone can recommend? Should I forget the solar idea? They don't seem to last any longer than just a "regular battery". We have a lot of ground borne predators so electric fencing is a must and it has to work consistently, preferably with little maintenance from me Thank you for any recommendations!

Why can't you use a normal battery?

 

[humdinger]

Why not use a normal battery?
That's not how an electric fence works. Connecting directly to mains or to a 12v battery source does not safely or effectively energize a fence.
The fence needs to be attached to an energizer, which takes a little bit of low voltage energy, and pushes it down the fence at faster (time) and with higher pressure (voltage).

Think of this as water pressure. In this instance, water flows at 60 gallons per minute (one gallon per second). The energizer will take it and change the flow to 60, one second, one gallon bursts. Each burst lasts 1/10,000th of a second. What was originally one gallon flowing slowly over one second is now one gallon flowing quickly over 1/10,000 of second. The pressure is significantly increased. That is what's felt when you touch a fence, a little bit of energy with a big slug of pressure. Using just a battery will not provide the pressure.

The OP's energizer is a solar unit that's been in use for two years. In the electric fence world, it's due for a new battery. They can replace their battery and hope that the energizer is large enough to power the netting.

To determine whether or not it's large enough, look at the joules of output. Joules indicates the size of the pulse sent from the energizer. As the pulse travels through the fence, it's eroded by the fence's resistance. If you start with enough pulse at the energizer, once it's to the end of the fence, it should (when combined with adequate voltage of at least 3000v) deter any animal that touches the fence.

With netting, good manufacturers use low-resistance conductors (Premier quotes 35 ohms of resistance over 1000ft, which is v. good). Electric poultry netting has 10-11 electrified conductors over a short distance (100-164'). Net comes into contact with a lot of grass (lowest conductor is about 2-3" off the ground). If you combine a lot of conductors with grass contact (which drains energy from the fence), you need an energizer that has enough output to have a pulse make it to the far end of the fence line, with enough energy to knock back predators.

The OP's original unit likely lacks the energy to operate 3 rolls of netting. I hopped on Z's website and their highest output solar unit is .5 joules. I'd use that on one roll of netting, maybe two, but not 3. MontanaChickDoc needs a larger energizer to power their fence.

 

[Howard E]

Don't be bashful about using a powerful charger rated for more fence than you think you have. Better too much than not enough. I use a parmak 12 volt DC fence charger, which is 3 joules and sells for somewhere around $100 to $125 depending on where you look. It packs a wallop to those unlucky enough to feel it's wrath.

I then power it with two 12 volt deep cycle group 24 marine batteries from Walmart. You need in inexpensive battery charger to go with them. One battery is in use, the other is on the charger being maintained. If there are no shorts in the fence, nothing grounding it out to bleed off the charge, a freshly charged battery will last about 2 months between charges. So you could get by with one battery.

AC chargers offer the most bang for the buck, but have their issues, chief among them is they must be protected from weather, so you either have to mount them inside a building or somehow protect them while outside. If the power goes off, they go off.