Electric fence gates

[Nudibranch]

I'm having some permanent electric fencing put in to divide a large field but due to sloping ground the fencer says we will only be able to use electric for the gates in one section. I've always used a single strand on a handle which is easy, but this also needs to contain goats/sheep so I need at least 2 strands. I've been looking at the gate kits (Gallagher do them for example) but I'm just wondering if they'll still work where the gate needs to go across a slope? Presumably they just need to be hung accordingly on the posts and the narrower the gateway the better to avoid a big gap on one side? Are they easy to open and close? If anyone uses them as a permanent option I'd be interested to know how you find them.

 

[rabatsa]

The RDA have electric fence gates throughout their grazing area. Non are directly off the property, there is a wooden gate at the boundary.

Some volunteers turn the whole fence unit off if they are opening gates (and have been known to forget to turn it back on!) but most of us just open them. With two handles it is relatively easy but three can be a bit of a juggling act at times.

My sheep will happily stay behind two strands of electric, so I cannot see a two strand gate being any problem. However if the sheep do not stay behind a two strand fence, then they will not stay behind a two strand gate.

 

[sunnyone]

As is normal in many parts of France, we only have electric fencing and gates. As the perimeter of our land is 1 km, we have numerous gated sub-divisions. Our fencing is either 3 or 4 strands and the gates are similar.
In 10 years we've only had one escape (just to outside the fence but remaining on our land) and 2 of the neighbour's sheep joined us once. The gates are not a problem: they attach to the tape with a metal hoop, so when opening a gate I start at the bottom and hook it in to the one above then open up, or I leave the bottom one in place and unhook the two middle strands and dodge through.
I can't see that a tape gate would provide any problems: work from the bottom up on both posts to get your distances right.

 

[Goldenstar]

We have quite a few permanent electric gates they work fine .
We use electric rope on electric fences and I only have one elastic type gate where I need to use it at different times for two gaps which a shared point at one side .
I think the elastic ones are very very expensive for any advantages they give and as they age they sag when wet .
I used to have some with two strands it was ok just a bit of a pest when you are leading a horse .
I have all my horses trained to let me open and close electric gates while leading when horses arrive it’s not unusual for them to be silly about this (Blue the cob was very silly ) but they all settle if you have a set up a system to get through and follow it each time .
The main disadvantage of the electric gates is that they are a nuisance for riding round the place .

 

[Nudibranch]

Luckily the gates will be mostly used to allow access or not to a paddock for rotation so I probably won't need to open and shut then that often. In that case I guess separate strands might work OK rather than a fixed unit. The goats are very good with 2 strands but the sheep have been off site since we moved so I will have to test whether they'll respect 2 or I'll need to add a third. The mains energiser has plenty of capacity so it has a good zap anyway!