Electric welded wire fence

[Gary Kenyon]

Has anyone ever tried using welded wire fencing for an electric fence? I am thinking about giving it a shot. I have not been able to find any information on anyone else that has done it, nor any reason why it would not work.

I am thinking that if I attach it to the posts the same way the high tensile electric wire fences are attached and use the fiberglass posts there certainly would not be any shorting issues. Also, I have no issues with weeds growing where my fencline is, so shorting out would not be an issue there.

According to the fencing demonstrations I have been to, I believe it would be less resistance than just running a four or five strand electric fence.

If any of y'all have tried this, or have some reason why you think it wouldn't work I would be interested in your thoughts. Thanks in advance.

 

[azygous]

I can speak from personal experience about what happens when you are touching metal fencing that is touching a charged hot wire. The effect is a shock much more intense than just touching the strand of hot wire. It won't kill you, but it might kill your chickens if they are standing on the ground and contact the electrified metal fencing.

The reason I would be concerned it could kill chickens is that a friend kept finding dead birds under his hot wire running around his coop and run and figured out that the wire was too close to the metal fencing and birds touching both at the same time were getting electrocuted.

I can testify how much it hurts to touch a metal fence that is touching a hot wire. It not only feels like getting hit with a 2 x 4, but it feels that way inside your body, too. It keeps hurting for half an hour.

There may be a way of rigging up a charge to metal fencing safely, but I can't see how. Any human or animal standing on the ground and touching the metal fence will get a very bad shock. It might not kill a chicken, but I wouldn't want to test it.

 

[aart]

I can speak from personal experience about what happens when you are touching metal fencing that is touching a charged hot wire. The effect is a shock much more intense than just touching the strand of hot wire. It won't kill you, but it might kill your chickens if they are standing on the ground and contact the electrified metal fencing.

Wonders what kind of charger was used here.

 

[azygous]

Wonders what kind of charger was used here.

Just your regular 10,000 volt fence charger.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Azygous I cringed when I read that story.

Gary, what are you trying to do with that fence? Why do you want to set it up that way instead of the tried and true traditional way? Am I missing something. I assume you are trying to keep predators out?

For electricity to work the critter has to complete the circuit between a hot wire and a ground. If the hot wire is partially grounded already it doesn't work well if at all. Those fiberglass poles will work well when dry, but how do they do if they are wet in a rain? Dried leaves or other trash may stack up against the fence in a wind or wash against it in a heavy rain and short it out when wet.

In a traditional electric fence with wire mesh the metal mesh and the soil are both grounds with the hot wire insulated from them. The mesh fence stops critters from going through and pretty much assures that anything trying to climb it gets shocked.

 

[Gary Kenyon]

I can speak from personal experience about what happens when you are touching metal fencing that is touching a charged hot wire. The effect is a shock much more intense than just touching the strand of hot wire. It won't kill you, but it might kill your chickens if they are standing on the ground and contact the electrified metal fencing.

The reason I would be concerned it could kill chickens is that a friend kept finding dead birds under his hot wire running around his coop and run and figured out that the wire was too close to the metal fencing and birds touching both at the same time were getting electrocuted.

I can testify how much it hurts to touch a metal fence that is touching a hot wire. It not only feels like getting hit with a 2 x 4, but it feels that way inside your body, too. It keeps hurting for half an hour.

There may be a way of rigging up a charge to metal fencing safely, but I can't see how. Any human or animal standing on the ground and touching the metal fence will get a very bad shock. It might not kill a chicken, but I wouldn't want to test it.

Thank you for the response. I currently have an electric fence to protect my goats and chickens. The problem I am running into is that the chickens don't seem to be affected by the fence unless it touches their combs. They have figured out how to dip their heads down almost to the ground and the wire just runs along their back as the go under. I think the feathers are insulating them. My hope is that using the welded wire fencing instead will provide a physical barrier for the chickens while still providing a psychological barrier for the goats.

 

[aart]

I currently have an electric fence to protect my goats and chickens. The problem I am running into is that the chickens don't seem to be affected by the fence unless it touches their combs. They have figured out how to dip their heads down almost to the ground and the wire just runs along their back as the go under. I think the feathers are insulating them. My hope is that using the welded wire fencing instead will provide a physical barrier for the chickens while still providing a psychological barrier for the goats.

E-fence is not meant to keep chickens in, but predators out.
WW fence can keep chickens in, depending on height and mesh size, it doesn't need to be electrified.
Goats are a whole other ballgame...I've read the old adage, meant for humor:
If a fence won't hold water, it won't hold a goat.

 

[Gary Kenyon]

Azygous I cringed when I read that story.

Gary, what are you trying to do with that fence? Why do you want to set it up that way instead of the tried and true traditional way? Am I missing something. I assume you are trying to keep predators out?

For electricity to work the critter has to complete the circuit between a hot wire and a ground. If the hot wire is partially grounded already it doesn't work well if at all. Those fiberglass poles will work well when dry, but how do they do if they are wet in a rain? Dried leaves or other trash may stack up against the fence in a wind or wash against it in a heavy rain and short it out when wet.

In a traditional electric fence with wire mesh the metal mesh and the soil are both grounds with the hot wire insulated from them. The mesh fence stops critters from going through and pretty much assures that anything trying to climb it gets shocked.

Thank you for the input. You have a good point about the leaves and stuff piling up. A typical electric fence would let them just blow through, while 2" x 4" squares would likely allow them to pile up. Maybe if I keep the fence a couple inches off the ground that would alleviate the problem for the most part. Then I could address "problem areas" with a rake. I have a little over an acre fenced in for my 5 goats and 50 chickens. I only mention that, because I think having a larger area would help dissipate the leaves piling up issue. As far as the wet fiberglass short issue, I don't see how it would be any different than the typical plastic insulators on a T-post or wooden post except that the water would have to carry the current even further to reach ground.

You are correct in your assumption that I am trying to keep predators out, but I am also trying to keep the goats and chickens in. My hope is that the welded wire will provide physical barrier for chickens while also providing psychological barrier for goats. My current set up is doing great for the goats, but my chickens are a bit adventurous, inspite of having plenty space and foraging goodies around their coop.

 

[res]

Using electrified poultry netting, like Premier1 or FarmTek sells, would be MUCH easier.

Traditional welded wire is not meant to be electrified. You would have to figure out how to mount it so that it is insulated from the posts AND not touching the ground anywhere. Also, it has too many wires and too much "resistance". A successful electric fence is a lot like a river... the power needs to "flow" uninterrupted. Mesh has too many intersections to allow the power to flow.

I kept my chickens out of my flower beds using 2 strands of smooth wire, one at 3" and a second above it at 5". This was mounted on 18" rebar driven into the ground, spaced about every 8'. The chickens had to step over it, and every single one of them contacted it trying to step over, and never ever tried again. Your solution may be to change the spacing of your current fencing so they cannot step thru easily, ensuring they make contact on a leg or comb.

 

[Gary Kenyon]

E-fence is not meant to keep chickens in, but predators out.
WW fence can keep chickens in, depending on height and mesh size, it doesn't need to be electrified.
Goats are a whole other ballgame...I've read the old adage, meant for humor:
If a fence won't hold water, it won't hold a goat.

I have been pretty fortunate with my goats. They seem to be content to just roam around in their pasture. They have tested out the electric fence a few times and I think they have resigned themselves to being contained. The chickens, on the other hand like to wander the entire farm in search of coyotes, raccoons and other predators. I have a coon hound that roams freely and seems to keep most predators at bay, but I am worried that the chickens will find something she missed.