[vfr400boy]

So 2 of my cade lambs have decided that they are not scared of the electric fence and just jump though it the other 6 stay in the pen while the 2 go off on adventure , is they anything I can do to stop them or is it a case of now they have learned thats it they will just keep going through it ? They are in no massive danger getting out

[twizzel]

Galvanised wire- 3 or 4 strands, and a good fencer unit- we use 1.7-2j output. Make sure it’s got a good earth too. Never let the battery go flat. Failing that if they keep going through, send them off before they teach the others.

[vfr400boy]

They are all going when fat they was 4 out just now the bloody things won't push thro to come back I had to lift them over , its a good unit and battery is good they just don't seem scared anymore

[twizzel]

Has it got a good earth? What unit have you got on it? Is it shorting out anywhere? Even my ram got a crack off the fence the other day and reminded him why he doesn’t touch it. I suspect the battery has gone flat at some point and they are testing it. Are you using wire?

[vfr400boy]

Its a hot line one I have tape on it not wire and I have used a 3 ft metal bar as the erth i will strim around the fence to make sure grass is not earthing it out etc

[Fleecewife]

Sheep and pigs can hear whether the line is energised or not and will act accordingly. Sheep, being woolly may not necessarily have touched the wires even if they are energised - they have to learn by touching the wire with a non-woolly bit that it hurts.

[twizzel]

Maybe change the tape for polywire with 6 or 9 strands of metal, or galvanised wire, it should conduct the current a bit better than tape. But now they’ve got no respect for the fence it can be hard to retrain them. Hotline do good fencers but some are more powerful than others- the Falcon fencer is pretty good, but I’d not use anything with less power than that. Other option is hook it up to the mains.

[vfr400boy]

Am going to strim around the bottom of the fence to make sure no grass is making it earth,  its in a big horse shoe shape will it help moving the energiser to the middle of it its at the end at the moment?

[SallyintNorth]

Nothing beats testing what amount of zap the fence is giving.  You can buy a meter (don't get just a beeper, that just tells you it's live, not how big a belt it will give), or you can do it the old way, using a blade of grass.

Grass is a poor conductor, but it does conduct, so get a nice long, thick blade and hold it at one end.  Drape the other end across the tape.  If you get a sting, all is good, otherwise move your end closer and closer to the wire or tape until you do.  If you had to get within an inch or so, that's not enough and won't bother anything.  3" is good.

Also, many people do not realise that (a) tape is very hard to join and not lose charge completely or somewhat; (b) if the tape is wound up twisted rather than flat, it will not work as well when you roll it out next time; (c) tape left out in all weathers will eventually deteriorate and the amount of zap it will give will reduce.

(Ask me how I know all this stuff....  )

[shep53]

Agree with twizzel you need to stop them now or you never will ,4 lines of steel wire kept really tight with a big pulse

[vfr400boy]

Just checked and its a 0.7 uint

[twizzel]

It might not be powerful enough for the fence length and if there’s vegetation touching it. I think to get them to respect a fence now you’re going to have to get a more powerful fencer and change to 9 strand polywire or galvanised wire.

[Buttermilk]

I have one of these fence testers and it is worth its weight in gold.  I charge the batteries up when the tester reads less than 4, the mains powered fence runs at 7.8.

https://www.countrystoredirect.com/cgi-bin/sh007239.pl?WD=p36&PN=P36.-Hotline-Digital-Electric-Fence-Tester-P36.html&gclid=CjwKCAjw55-HBhAHEiwARMCszjB-yY7EwE3Lepm5OQJt64uyBaiSVyFQfNowKb8n1z6UO_lLI6ZKTBoCoK8QAvD_BwE#SID=57

[Possum]

I have learnt the hard way that sheep need galvanised wire, not tape. Their wool protects then from some of the current so it needs to be as direct as possible.  It needs to be really tight so that they cannot just push through it.

[vfr400boy]

This morning I saw how they getting out the biggest lamb just jumps over the fence like a race horse then his 2 mates just push thro the wire to be with him