Electric Fence Information & News

Corner/End braces Corner and end braces are most commonly made of wood posts with a metal pipe between them. (You can also use metal pipe posts instead of wood posts.) The most common braces are made of at least two posts spaced at least 10 feet apart or 2.5 times the height of the finished fence. These H braces serve as the foundation of the fence line and help to maintain the tension, which is very important for high tensile fences. 

Do you already have a good barbed wire or woven wire fence, but want to add an electric component? Note: You should never try to electrify the existing barbed or woven wire as it is too dangerous for your livestock. Patriot Wood Post Extenders and T-post Extenders allow you to maintain your current fence structure while adding high tensile wire, poliwire, politape, or polirope to make it electric. This is a safe and highly effective way to convert a barbed or woven wire fence to electric.    Fence wire The best permanent electric fences are constructed using 12.5 gauge galvanized...

Faults (shorts) in the fence can reduce its effectiveness and may also cause other problems, such as interference on telephone lines or internal connections. Causes for faults may include: vegetation touching the live wires, broken wires or insulators, poor grounding, corroded metals in the fence line, poor connections, poor insulation, etc. Checking your fence regularly using a voltmeter is important in order to maintain an effective, problem-free electric fence installation.Tips: When using the digital voltmeter to find faults, isolate sections of the fence line with Patriot cut-out switches. Finding a Fault Using the Patriot Digital Voltmeter Electrical current flows toward a...

A temporary electric fence works well for maintaining a small number of livestock for relatively short periods of time. The fence can be quickly constructed and moved as often as needed. Temporary electric fences are terrific choices for cattle and horses. They are sufficient for sheep and goats, but require more work and greater attention to detail (i.e., wire spacing, available posts, line tension, etc.). Temporary electric fences are also excellent for overnight trail rides to control horses and on camping trips to keep unwanted animals away from your camp site.   Fence Posts Temporary electric fences are generally constructed...

Animal Considerations CONTAINMENT MIN. FENCE VOLTAGE CHARACTERISTICS / TIPS Beef Cattle 2,000-3,000 V Bulls require a higher voltage as they are more aggressive. Dairy Cattle 2,000 V If kept seperately, calves and heifers require lower wires and less spacing. Horses 2,000-3,000 V Intelligent, quick learners and easy to control. A fence made of politape, wire or rope is less likely to injure if a spooked horse tries to run through it. Llamas 4,000-5,000 V Llamas thick coats insulate from electric shocks requiring higher voltage. Deer and Elk 4,000-5,000 V Spook easily and jump higher than most other animals. Above head...