Getting netting ready before the grazing season begins by doing a
"pre-flight" check that will reduce the potential for headaches and hassles later on:
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Unroll and unfold the net. Remove any debris. |
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Repair any breaks in the conductive horizontal strands with a fisherman's knot and clamp them with a brass ferrule (included in the repair kit supplied with each roll). Conductive string for repairs is included in the kit. |
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Mend any breaks in the vertical struts with a flexible hot glue or an epoxy. (This works surprisingly well.) |
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Check the posts. If you have any posts or spikes that are unable to be straightened, we offer replacement posts. |
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Fold and roll the net back up and replace the roll tie strings if needed. |
The most common netting mistakes...
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Not properly electrifying it. Animals escape and/or become entangled, which also damages the net. To avoid this, electrify the netting with a suitable energizer. |
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Using energizers that are too small to stop the livestock or critters to be fenced. If an animal learns that the barrier is not a threat, they won't respect the fence in the future. An energizer needs to be matched to the animal being fenced and the conditions (dry/moist) where it is to be used. |
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Allowing it to contact metal or wood. This creates a dead-short and renders the fence ineffective. The most common cause of a dead short (for us) is when the lowest energized strand is caught under the edge of the post and is touching the metal spike. To fix-turn off the energizer and reset the post with the strand in the correct position (not touching the spike). |
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Rolling netting up like a carpet instead of first folding it by the posts. (Even though we provide pictorial instructions, 70% of the nets that are returned to us have been rolled up like a carpet!). |
See our Electric Netting Installation Video at left.
See our Goat fencing options
If you stored a battery or solar energizer, get it out and check it! Test batteries for charge before hauling them into the field. A stored battery slowly but steadily discharges itself. Use a plug-in battery charger to recharge batteries. Make sure the charger is the right type for your batteries (a 12v charger works only with 12v batteries). Our small deep cycle batteries need a recharger with a setting of 2 amps or less.
Solar energizer units-the unit can be set facing the sun in order to recharge the batteries. Make sure the energizer is turned off. Leave it up to a week to make sure the batteries have received an adequate charge (depending on the level of discharge). Clean the panel of any dust or debris that may have accumulated while in use or storage.
See our energizers-110v AC Plug-In, 220v AC Plug-In, AC DC, DC Battery, and Solar.
For folks with questions on electric fence, give us a call 800-282-6631 or send an email and one of our consultants (with many years of fencing experience) will answer your questions.
PREMIER TIPS
1. Training goats to electric netting
For electric net to be successful, new goats should be trained to electric net before sending them out to pasture. This helps create the pain barrier that temporary fence relies on to be effective.
See our Electric Netting Installation Video above.
One way to train a goat is to put up the netting inside a permanent area for a day or so. (i.e. a corral). Properly electrify the netting, that means making sure that there's at least 3000 to 4000 volts on the fence line (use our 5-Light Fence Tester). When the goats touch the fence they will learn that the netting causes pain and to stay away from it. Most animals learn to avoid the fence within 2-3 shocks. When you then move them out to the field or timber they should recognize it as a pain barrier and will be less likely to test the fence.
If you do not have a permanent area to train in, install the netting close to home so you can check the fence often to see if any goats have become tangled.
When netting is first installed with inexperienced animals, watch new goat for a couple hours to see how they react to the fence. With any electric fence check it often for any problems.
2. Netting Mistakes to Avoid
Assuming a fence will do something for which it was not designed.
There are 3 basic fence designs. Don't confuse the abilities and limits of each:
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Fences that stop animals by pain.
If you crowd animals against these fences the animals will break through. The result is damaged fences, escaped animals and animals that have learned not to respect an electric fence. |
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Fences that stop animals by physical strength.
We build these around corrals, handling yards and laneways. They work but are often too expensive for field situations. |
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Fences that stop animals both by physical strength and
pain (energized strands).
Energized wires are important:
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To discourage animals (rams, bulls, stallions and billy goats) during breeding season. |
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To hold back mothers and progeny desperate for each other during the days of weaning. |
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To prevent animals from damaging posts and wires via scratching and rubbing (hair removal or general itches). |
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The most common netting errors
Allowing the lowest live strand of netting to be caught by the metal ground spike. Result-a direct short through the energized strand to the metal spike and deep into the soil. Voltage will be very low. Animals will escape. You will be frustrated!
Too much green vegetation
Green grass drains the "juice" out of any electric fence (the energy flows through the moisture in/on the leaves and stems). Either move the fence (if portable), or kill the grass with herbicide or graze/trim from under offset wires.
Rolling up net like carpets
70% of the nets we receive back from unhappy users are rolled up like a carpet. Instead, first fold up by picking up each post in sequence. Then only 6 ft of folded net is left to be rolled up.
