Electric fencing for pigs - what do you think?

Jea

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We are devising a new plan to add a lot of new fencing in the spring. Our area is so wild and wooded, so adding any fencing is a combination of clearing enough path to get in the area workable, and then adding the panels (we've been using cattle panels or hog panels for extending our fencing in the wooded regions.) Our goal is to create a 3rd area for the pigs so we can rotate them more and let some of the land recover and regrow, and also to extend the chicken yard because we have a lot of chickens now. We've learned that both pigs and chickens don't need us to clear the land because they do a good job of that, but they do need us to get the fencing situated.

I was watching a youtube yesterday with a guy who uses just electric fencing. 1) I'm not sure I'd get enough solar through the trees to charge an electic fence and 2) all of the brush and wooded regions make me worry about fire.

Is there any way to use electric fencing in a wooded region?
 

farmerjan

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Either solar or you will have to run it from the house electric. The electric from the house will be stronger and you can run 1 long single wire to the fence to charge it.
Fire would not be much of a concern unless you are tinder dry. All it will do 99% of the time is just short out the fence.
Gotta train the hogs to it... with electric inside another fence so they learn to stay off it. I had hogs that it took 2 weeks for them to cross where the electric was once I took it down, because they got zapped and were scared to try it.....
 

Nao57

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I'm not an expert, but I'm guessing part of the main point of an electric fence through a wooded area is that you'd have to make sure you don't have tree roots absorbing power by growing near or ending up touching some of the rods, stuff.

In theory the math is that anything touching it could lower the current, I think.

A wooded area you would have to go check the fence areas for trimming much faster than other less green areas I'm sure also. They would have faster growth due to more shade, more ground water (caused by shade), etc.
 

farmerjan

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If you use electric fence insulators, there doesn't make any difference if the rods are touching roots. If it is grounded correctly, you will lose very little current unless something is touching the actual wire running through. The current does not dissipate through the rods running through that hold the insulators that hold the fence wire, because the insulators should stop any "bleeding through" of the current on the fence.
 

secuono

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Is there a clear spot somewhere for the solar Energizer to sit & then a clear path for you to run the hot wire out into the woods?
If so, do that. You can get insulated wire & bury it.
 

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