Electric Fence - advice for 1st timer please!

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Scot123

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Hello, any advice for these 2 queries please...!
Firstly: do you need to buy a 'proper' battery box or can you use a sturdy plastic box with holes drilled for the wires? Have visions of overheating & bursting into flames!
Secondly: I've been given a couple of used reels of thin tape. However, in places a few of the strands of wire have frayed away. Will this affect the conductivity too much? Would I be better just to start again with new tape/rope?
Thirdly: Sorry, it was meant to be just 2 questions but then thought of this too:o It's going to be permanent fence - so wooden posts with stock fence, then a line of high tensile wire, then the electric at the top for good measure. It's in quite an exposed & windy place. Would I be best to go for rope instead of tape? I know it's not meant to be as visible...
THANK YOU!:)
 
hi we run 500 acres all on electric fencing for cattle run off a mains unit.
your battery doeasnt need to be in a box it can be left on the ground in the elements.
Tape isnt brill if its got knots in it or if its frayed.
If you doing a permanent fence just make your high tensile wire live above your stock netting.rather than using staples use insulators for the top strand of wire and then connect your unit to it. just make sure its not earthing on to anything.:D
 
Thank you for the advice, that's great. Can I just ask:
- the battery doesn't just rust away if sitting out (probably a question that really shows me up as a first timer:o)?
- is the wire by itself visible enough? Would it need to be thicker than normally you'd use?
Thanks!
 
Horses aren't stupid as soon as they walk around the boundary they will know where the fence is. All I use for my paddocks is one high tensile wire and never had a issue with the horses running into it or not seeing it.
The battery won't rust away sitting outside, you should be fine for a fair few years.
 
I've got a corner feed bucket covering my battery!! Stuck a breeze block on top to stop it getting blown away (just because I didn't want the clips from fencer to battery getting wet!!
 
I use an old Hi Fi bag to cover mine - its still looking as good as new! Others at our fields don't cover though and still work fine, I.d invest in some new tape, out of all the components it's the cheapest bit to buy and does make field definition clearer - more for humans than horses! The one thing to watch out for is where you place the battery as they can be quite attractive to thieves..
 
Electric fencing...the best thing ever invented!!!! I have found it invaluable for my mares and foals and not to mention saving on rugs being ripped apart when the horses rub on fencing! I use tape but only the 20mm in open area`s as you do get quite a lot of wind resistance on the wider tape, like has already been said the horses soon learn the boundaries, but just to be on the safe side i always walk my horses around the new area`s so when they get all excited about their new turnout field they have noted where the fence is. As long as your energiser is protected from wet weather you can cover it with anything.
 
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