Regan Hennessy has been writing professionally for 11 years. A freelance copywriter and certified teacher, Hennessy specializes in the areas of parenting, health, education, agriculture and personal finance. During her time with Demand Studios, Hennessy has produced content for Ehow, Answerbag and Travels. Hennessy graduated from Lycoming College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.
SUPPLIES
- Work gloves
- Mower
- Post hole digger
- Wood corner posts (8-inch diameter)
- Carpenter's level
- Tamping rod
- Steel T-posts
- Post driver
- Insulators
- 12.5-gauge fencing wire
- Insulated cable
- Fencing pliers
- Fence charger
Overview
Building an electric fence requires wire and posts just like any other wire livestock fence. In addition to these basic components, you must also connect a fencing energizer, called a "charger," to some of the wires on your fence. These "hot" wires give an electrical "shock" to animals that touch them, which causes the animals to stay away from the fence completely. Providing a sufficient grounding system for your electric fence allows it to operate effectively at all times, regardless of whether the ground itself is wet or dry.
Step 1
Clear your fence line. Remove all brush and undergrowth. Your goal is to keep all weeds and undergrowth from touching your electric fence and grounding out the wires, which will weaken the electrical charge and make your fence ineffective. Mow a 36-inch wide path to mark your fence line and further reduce chances of having the wires ground out on weeds.
Step 2
Install corner posts and line posts. Using a hand-held post hole digger, dig holes for the pressure treated corner posts that are minimally 36 inches deep. Lower the corner posts into the holes, making sure they are level before tamping the dirt into the holes with a tamping rod. Run a string between the corner posts to mark the location for the line posts. Drive steel T-posts into the ground at intervals of 12 to 18 feet with your post driver.
Step 3
String the electric wire, starting with the bottom wire. Install plastic terminal insulators at the corner posts and run the wire between the corner posts. Make sure the wire is strung tightly; it should give slightly but not sag between insulators. Install plastic T-post insulators on the line posts and thread the wire through the insulators. Repeat this process for each strand of wire. You will want 5-7 wires for a permanent electric fence.
Step 4
Connect the energized wires together at the corner post that is closest to your fence charger. Using your wire cutters, snip a 10 or 12-inch section of wire from your reel of unused electric wire. You will use this wire as your jumper wire, which allows electricity to jump between the energized strands of your electric fence without touching the non-energized wires. Connect one end of the jumper wire to the bottom wire and thread it through a piece of insulated cable to keep it from touching the second wire.
Step 5
Coil the other end of the jumper wire around the third wire. Repeat this process for every other wire; your goal is for the first, third, fifth, and seventh wire all to be connected to one other with the jumper wire.
Step 6
Attach the energized wires to the fence charger. Snip off another piece of wire that is long enough to reach from the jumper wire to the fence charger. This wire is your lead out wire and it will carry the charge of electricity from the fence charger to the energized wires on your fence.
Step 7
Connect one end of the lead out wire to the jumper wire. String the lead out wire through insulated cable and connect the other end of it to the positive fence terminal on your fence charger.
TIPS AND WARNINGS
- TIP : Walk the perimeter of your fence regularly to ensure that it is operating properly and not grounding out on underbrush.
- WARNING : Never repair your electric fence during a lightning storm due to risk of electrical shock.
Resources
