Elec. fence

[Code54]

We are currently looking at fencing some apple trees in to keep the deer out of them and I am thinking of using an elec. fence instead of 4' of welded wire with another 4 feet of single line fence about that (mostly spaced a little over a foot apart)

Do the solar elec. fence controllers work very well? Do they last? I will be only be running 200' of fence but was thinking I would need about 8 strands so would a "2 mile" controller be enough? I was going to connect the wire together so it is all powered or is that overkill or a bad idea?

Do I only need one ground rod? thinking I would put in a gate, is it best to run it underground around the gate somehow? I never messed with elec fence before and am not sure if we should bother or just do a "regular fence" and be down with it.
THANKS

 

[randy41]

the only reliable deer barrier for me was a 7 and a half foot plastic deer fence. deer need a big zap to get their attention.

 

[jay3534]

I have had good luck with Parmak solar

Parmak Electric Fencing - Welcome to ParmakUSA

 

[riptides]

We are currently looking at fencing some apple trees in to keep the deer out of them and I am thinking of using an elec. fence instead of 4' of welded wire with another 4 feet of single line fence about that (mostly spaced a little over a foot apart)

Do the solar elec. fence controllers work very well? Do they last? I will be only be running 200' of fence but was thinking I would need about 8 strands so would a "2 mile" controller be enough? I was going to connect the wire together so it is all powered or is that overkill or a bad idea?

Do I only need one ground rod? thinking I would put in a gate, is it best to run it underground around the gate somehow? I never messed with elec fence before and am not sure if we should bother or just do a "regular fence" and be down with it.
THANKS

I would rethink your plans.

In the pic, this is three strands of "hot" wire. Two mesh and one braided.

All the deer move freely at their own pace, back and forth.

The horses however, will not go near it.

 

[wagne223]

Unfortunately any electric fence will only deter deer for a short time. Once they get used to seeing it, they will jump over it.

There are only 2 ways to keep deer out and they are both expensive.

First is a single 8 foot high fence.

Second is two 4 - 5 foot fences run parallel to each other with 4 to 5 feet between them. The deer can't judge the distance and avoid jumping.

Even with these, you will still get one occasionally.

Deer are amazing creatures!

 

[newbury]

the only reliable deer barrier for me was a 7 and a half foot plastic deer fence. deer need a big zap to get their attention.

Yes, they need a big zap but once you get their attention they remember. My cousin in law had a 1/2 acre garden for watermelons that the deer had routinely decimated over the years. Then someone told him about a "single wire and peanut butter" solution.
String a high power (I don't know diddly about power levels on e-fences) fence, about waist high, as normal. Then take peanut butter and coat the wire. I think they just took a handful of peanut butter and ran the wire through their hand as they walked the fence. You want a decent coating.

The deer love peanut butter, they would lick the fence, get a hefty shock and not come back.

 

[Spindifferent]

Do the solar elec. fence controllers work very well? Do they last? I will be only be running 200' of fence but was thinking I would need about 8 strands so would a "2 mile" controller be enough? I was going to connect the wire together so it is all powered or is that overkill or a bad idea?

Do I only need one ground rod? thinking I would put in a gate, is it best to run it underground around the gate somehow? I never messed with elec fence before and am not sure if we should bother or just do a "regular fence" and be down with it.
THANKS

I've had the Premier solar energizers now for several years, and they work very well. Batteries will eventually need to be replaced, even with regular maintenance. Yes, they need a grounding rod.

Lots of good info here:

Fence Energizer Kits - Premier1Supplies

Electric Fence and Netting for Deer - Premier1Supplies

I use an electric fence around my orchard and large market garden. Orchard has a 7 foot high fence that has both electrified and non-electrified wires. Garden has a 3-D fence like this:

Anti-Deer Fence (3D Scented 3 to 5 Strand) for Deer - Premier1Supplies

Good luck! It is a constant battle.

 

[motownbrowne]

Call premier one in Iowa. They have very good products that they actually test and they have great customer service. They suggest a 3D electric deer fence. One stand about 4' high and then 4' inside of that two stands, one at 2' and one at 5'. If I had deer problems I'd probably go that way. I've had one of their dollar chargers for about 7 years and it works great. It packs a serious punch. I energize 4 160' chicken mesh fences at a time.

 

[motownbrowne]

I've had the Premier solar energizers now for several years, and they work very well. Batteries will eventually need to be replaced, even with regular maintenance. Yes, they need a grounding rod.

Lots of good info here:

Fence Energizer Kits - Premier1Supplies

Electric Fence and Netting for Deer - Premier1Supplies

I use an electric fence around my orchard and large market garden. Orchard has a 7 foot high fence that has both electrified and non-electrified wires. Garden has a 3-D fence like this:

Anti-Deer Fence (3D Scented 3 to 5 Strand) for Deer - Premier1Supplies

Good luck! It is a constant battle.

Guess we were responding at the same time. Great minds think alike, I guess.

 

[KYErik]

I have several remote electric fences for cattle- the 12 volt DC fence chargers will run off a car battery for 3 weeks between charging cycles (a fairly short run of fence)- they can go 4-5 weeks but you will shorten the life of the battery (sulfation from a long deep discharge). They might be a little more economical than the solar chargers. One can find 12 volt car batteries on sale at farm stores for $40 in this area- around here, once a 12 volt battery has trouble starting a truck/tractor, rather than junking it, it gets to retire as a fencer battery. Even a 12v riding lawnmower battery can power a fencer for 2+ weeks (less than 1/4 mile fence and fairly free of weeds).