OT electric fence installation grounding

I purchased a gallagher pulsed electric fence charger on e bay - it shows the positive side going to the electric fence (or in my case a wire I am going to string around the perimeter of the chicken run) and the negative side going to ground - it says a good ground is needed and that it works best in wet soil conditions (shows 3 stakes in the ground)- well, this is California and for the next 8 months the ground around the chicken run will be bone dry - it shows a way to run a separate wire which would be grounded - my question is - do I put a ground stake and one wire to ground and then run the other 'ground wire' around the perimeter just below the positive wire and then ground this as well? Or would this wire need to go to the negative side of the charger after running the perimeter of the run?

Hope my question makes sense.


Lee

There are two ways to get the "electrical" message through to your livestock....either through a hot wire routed around the perimeter of your area in the hopes that the critter will be "well" grounded through their hooves and be subjected to the zapping commands of your charger passing through their bodies out their feet and back to the charger throught the ground and your ground system at the charger. Or....you can run a hot wire and a ground wire(isolated and separated from one another)around the perimeter in hopes that the animal will ultimately touch both simultaneously once again providing the path for the current to flow from the hot wire throught the beast to the ground wire and back to the charger. In either event some other things to think about....if your trying to corral goats, mohair is an excellent insolator and you'll probably need to run multiple hot and ground wires to improve the chances of the goat hitting the wires on areas of their bodies that will conduct the electricity....such as the nose, ears, and lower parts of the legs. As a safety measure we always tie the ground side of the fence charger to the building electrical ground system be it an electrical system ground, metallic water pipe, or telephone system ground. In a good installation all of these will ultimately be bonded together and I would add that if you plan to install your own ground field that it should also be bonded to these other systems to avoid potential differences in the grounds.

If I read this correct heres how they have worked for the last 40 yrs,I mount the unit on a wooden post. Next to the unit I drive a electric fence metal rod about a foot and a half into the ground. They make a grounding clamp that you clamp the ground wire to the ground post with. The post and clamp can be found at a farm store. Run a bare wire from ground side of your unit to the ground post. Make sure its all very tight. The perimeter wire can be bare wire, nylon with metal wire impregneted type, you choise. The nylon is easiest to work with. You then run the hot wire from the unit around what you want kept in or out area. Making sure it touches nothing that will ground it. They make a multitude of insulators for every type of perimeter. They can help you at your local farm store and they can help you get what you need. Just pour water around your ground post and keep it wet.

Your house will have a copper ground rod driven into the ground for several feet depending on the ground conditions. If I remember correctly, my ground rod is driven 8 feet into the ground here in Colorado. We also get very dry in the summers.

Can you run a ground wire to your existing house ground? Or you can buy a new ground rod at Home Depot (fairly expensive) and drive it by the chicken coop.

Danny

Lee.........do you know what a "hog-panel" is??? ittza 16-ft x 4-ft galvanized panel. Just bury it FLAT about 6-12" deep. Then "water" it with yer lawn sprinkler. This is more better than enny 8-ft ground rod pounded in the dry dirt. Simple, eh? ........the electrified Dell

If you have a Tractor Supply catalog it has diagrams for several different setups in their fencing section.

What!!!!!!!!!?, Dell really? hog-panel? I think you make up things once in a while. A 1/4 in. post driven into the ground till it is firm and kept moist is plenty for his project . After all it's not Coyote Ridge in Connell. Have you really done that? HeHa.

Is this an add on to a fence you already have?? If it is use the fence you have as the ground and if you have that fence on steel posts that will do a fair job. If you want a better ground then add a copper type house style ground rod driven in the ground say 6 or so foot. In my chicken pin I use a house type ground rod driven in about 3 or so foot but it is a 8 foot rod and also close to water since my chicken pin also has a small pond for my ducks as in about 5 foot in diameter

Soak the ground good, makes driving the posts in easier. Here is my set up and once installed kept the fox and coons away. I put the 3 posts much closer together than the 10 feet they reccomend. But like I said, once I put it up the trail cams did not pick up any more late night visitors. I used 3 strands and simply ran a loop from one down to the next. Major drought here and still grounded.

(quoted from post at 06:17:02 02/07/13) Lee.........do you know what a "hog-panel" is??? ittza 16-ft x 4-ft galvanized panel. Just bury it FLAT about 6-12" deep. Then "water" it with yer lawn sprinkler. This is more better than enny 8-ft ground rod pounded in the dry dirt. Simple, eh? ........the electrified Dell

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I know what hog wire is but never heard of Hog panel. LOL

Drive in piece of 1/2" rebar 3 or 4 feet and hook it all up and grab the wire and see if it works! Not rocket sience, don't over think the problem.

Dell I know you aren't making up hog panel, I raised hogs in the 70s and they are handy but not hog proof or a grounding device. 10 and 16 ft sections.

(quoted from post at 16:43:06 02/06/13) Soak the ground good, makes driving the posts in easier. Here is my set up and once installed kept the fox and coons away. I put the 3 posts much closer together than the 10 feet they reccomend. But like I said, once I put it up the trail cams did not pick up any more late night visitors. I used 3 strands and simply ran a loop from one down to the next. Major drought here and still grounded.

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thanks for all your advice - actually I have a grounding rod from a rental I have - it was in the cellar for some reason - will use that - this lookes like the same type of charger I have as well.

Lee

now what are you trying to make now a chicken run
just put it in the ground close to the fence charger
unit use a 4 ft copper rod.. done job..
may i ask "why fence charger " chicken can fly
remember that ...

(quoted from post at 22:45:56 02/07/13) now what are you trying to make now a chicken run
just put it in the ground close to the fence charger
unit use a 4 ft copper rod.. done job..
may i ask "why fence charger " chicken can fly
remember that ...

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It is not for the chickens!

At my house in Hayward CA, I just drive a stake in the ground and it provides enough ground for the charger to work. I also ground the fence fabric to the ground stake. That way if for some reason the aren't touching ground but are touching the fabric they get a shock.

(quoted from post at 06:45:56 02/07/13) now what are you trying to make now a chicken run
just put it in the ground close to the fence charger
unit use a 4 ft copper rod.. done job..
may i ask "why fence charger " chicken can fly
remember that ...

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Too bloody right - I have two which can easily fly over a 6 or 7 ft high fence - going to make a strip of netting which leans in - neighbour said he clips the wing feathers on his - but then flying might allow them to escape?
The fence is to deter the bobcat, racoons and maybe a coyote - I am going to run a hot wire and a ground wire about 10 inches off the ground about 4 ft away from the fence - my theory is that if something touches both it will get shocked and if it just touches the top one it will get shocked - we shall see.

lee

Lot of good info provided. What you really need to do is a proper pen for your egg makers. I assume ( ya I know about the word) the plan is to keep unfriendly varmints out. My solution at my farm (about a million years ago-it seems) was to bury stucco wire about 2' in the ground around the perimeter (4' roll)of the chicken wire fence, put a chicken wire top over the whole works (with 'rafters' of pecker pole pine), make sure there are NO spaces in the wire and only let the walking carrots out when under supervision. Worked !