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electric fence questions

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Chris Jones

06-09-2007 13:29:42




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Deer have been eating my garden bad this year. They even like cucumbers! I'm exhausted trying things to get rid of them. I'm thinking of trying an electric fence. A controller that covered 1/2 acre would be enough. What should I look for in a controller? I have dogs and while I don't mind them figuring out what an electric fence is once or twice I want to make sure they are not harmed yet I want deer to scram. Since the dogs stay indoors at night when the deer are out it could be turned on after dark and off in the day. Also a lower setting might let me leave it on during the day to let the dogs figure it out without too much pain and up it at night--course I'd never want it too high as to injure a pet or me in case I forget to turn it off. This would best be installed as a temporary setup as it probably would just surround the garden and would need to be moved somewhat to allow plowing etc. Course if cost are cheep enough I might consider doing a larger area. It might even be a C shaped fence would be enough. I doubt they approach from the house side or the road. The probably come out of the woods on the other two sides.

To date I've gotten best results by sitting things out in the garden like buckets and flags but they have to be in different places each night or deer figure out they aren't alive. Leave it 2 or 3 nights in the same place and they eat around it. I've heard irish spring soap (or other strong smelling soap) will drive them off. I'm doubtful. I've also heard to use a radio but I think they'd get used to that too and by night 3 it'd become a popular dinner spot with music while dining.

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Pete7

06-10-2007 16:36:52




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 Re: electric fence questions in reply to Chris Jones, 06-09-2007 13:29:42  
What I do to keep the deer out of my growing fields is to run 3 strand of wire. On the top wire I tie pieces of red plastic flapping ribbon (or anything else I have handy) about every 4 ft. This just helps the deer see the fence. I usually move my growing field every year so I have to put the fence up each year and I do this BEFORE the deer have found food in there. The other important thing to do with a electric fence is to BAIT it the FIRST day it is put up. Just rub peanut butter on it every 20 ft or so. That night the deer will check out the new fence, smell the peanut butter, put their wet nose to the fence and get a shock they won't forget for the rest of the growing season. Pete

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Jerry/MT

06-10-2007 15:28:52




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 Re: electric fence questions in reply to Chris Jones, 06-09-2007 13:29:42  
Try www.premeir1supplies.com. They have fencing supples and energizer sizing info as well as fence building info.



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Chris Jones

06-10-2007 15:40:27




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 Re: electric fence questions in reply to Jerry/MT, 06-10-2007 15:28:52  
That link only brings up links to swimming pool sites. I don't think swiming pools and electric fences go together.

I'm planning on looking at Tractor Supply or Southern States or somewhere like that.



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Jerry/MT

06-11-2007 11:21:58




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 Re: electric fence questions in reply to Chris Jones, 06-10-2007 15:40:27  
Opps! try www. premier1supplies.com instead of premeir1supplies.com.



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TimS in Mo

06-10-2007 11:15:04




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 Re: electric fence questions in reply to Chris Jones, 06-09-2007 13:29:42  
These electric mesh fences work good, and are easily portable and last for years....

Link

Hook a healthy charger to one of those and the deer will not want anything to do with the fence.



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TomTX

06-10-2007 06:05:39




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 Re: electric fence questions in reply to Chris Jones, 06-09-2007 13:29:42  
This method was told to me by a man in his 70s about 35 years ago. The deer were eating up everything in the garden, so I tried it. For several years it has worked 100 percent. Put up a steel t-post about every 20 feet. Use the insulators made for t-posts, and use 2 strands of 14 guage smooth wire. Space them at about 18 inches and 36 inches high. Leave the wire just put up by hand, do not stretch, but leave the wire rather loose. If you use more strands or put it up higher or space the wires closer, the deer will just jump it. Do not use more than 2 wires. The deer will never even try to jump such a fence, but will try to walk through it and ZAP, no more deer in garden. After they have "found" it you can run on the lowest power setting. I left a walk through space to get in and out of the garden, by using only 2 strands of the 14 ga wire, without electricity. Tom

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TomTX

06-10-2007 06:04:28




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 Re: electric fence questions in reply to Chris Jones, 06-09-2007 13:29:42  
This method was told to me by a man in his 70s about 35 years ago. The deer were eating up everything in the garden, so I tried it. For several years it has worked 100 percent. Put up a steel t-post about every 20 feet. Use the insulators made for t-posts, and use 2 strands of 14 guage smooth wire. Space them at about 18 inches and 36 inches high. Leave the wire just put up by hand, do not stretch, but leave the wire rather loose. Do not use more than 2 wires. The deer will never even try to jump such a fence, but will try to walk through it and ZAP, no more deer in garden. After they have "found" it you can run on the lowest power setting. I left a walk through space to get in and out of the garden, by using only 2 strands of the 14 ga wire, without electricity. Tom

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KenBinCT

06-09-2007 20:24:54




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 Re: electric fence questions in reply to Chris Jones, 06-09-2007 13:29:42  
My Dads been putting electric fences around his garden for years to keep the deer out. He only puts one strand up about 30" or so off the ground. The deer have never jumped over it. He ties small pieces of rags to the wire. The deer see the rag hanging, give it a sniff and ZAP.. Goodbye deer.. He can always tell when a deer got a shock by it's tracks the next morning.



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MarkB_MI

06-09-2007 20:15:19




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 Re: electric fence questions in reply to Chris Jones, 06-09-2007 13:29:42  
For my wife's garden, I put in a five foot high wire mesh fence, which the deer quickly figured out they could jump. Then I added three strands of 50 lb test monofilament fishing line, going up another three feet. That stopped the deer from jumping over the fence. I'm told that deer won't try to jump over the mono because they can feel it but not see it.



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RustyFarmall

06-09-2007 18:28:51




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 Re: electric fence questions in reply to Chris Jones, 06-09-2007 13:29:42  
Pretty much any electric fencer will work, but you do want one that pulses, not one with a steady current. 4 strands of wire will do it. The bottom strand needs to be low enough to stop the rabbits, and then evenly spaced up to a height of about 4 to 5 feet for the top strand. Tie some strips of white cloth to that top strand to make the fence visible. Most often the deer will encounter the fence only once, and then they will go pick on someone elses garden. Likewise the dogs will only have to be bit by the fence once. Most animals learn much more quickly than humans. An electric fence is the only real solution to protecting your garden. It is the only sure fire thing that works for me.

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Tallperson

06-09-2007 16:04:38




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 Re: electric fence questions in reply to Chris Jones, 06-09-2007 13:29:42  
If you are going to fence out deer you will need multiple strands of wire to a height of at least 8 feet high. Any less and the deer will just jump over it. And get the most powerfull fencer you can reasonably afford... You want to bug their little eyes out when they touch it.. But it will NOT hurt them . Your dogs will not be injured if they get into the fence. And they will get in it only once... I have fence around 160 acres. 2 strand electric to keep in 20 cows and my horses... the fencer I use will run 150 miles of fence.... this is primarily because when it gets dry out here in Colorado it is hard to get a good curcuit through the dry soil... After getting against the fence one time even my Angus bull stays at least a foot away from the wire.. You can tell by how the grass is eaten off.. Good luck Tallperson

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Farmall MD nut

06-09-2007 14:10:27




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 Re: electric fence questions in reply to Chris Jones, 06-09-2007 13:29:42  
Chris, Fence would do it and it sounds like you thought it out pretty good, this will work. But.. don't do a "C" shape, they WILL figure it out. There is a special kind of handle that you can tie fence to and hook it to post for kind of a gate. It's spring loaded with a hook. Someone will be able to tell you the name of it, I can't think of it.

Irish spring will work, moth balls, human hair from your local barber, and also hanging shirts that have been worn all day will work too. They are pretty leary about approaching with good strong human scent around. P*ssin around the area where you hang the shirts will help too. I've had luck with all of these. S East PA area. Doug

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Bill of TN

06-10-2007 07:14:09




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 Re: electric fence questions in reply to Farmall MD nut, 06-09-2007 14:10:27  
The key to a good electric fence is the ground system. Drive at least 3 rods, 10 feet apart.



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