Solar powered Electric fence?

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Solar powered Electric fence?
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Mrs Baggins

Joined: 21 Sep 2008
Posts: 837
Location: West Kent

Posted: Sun Oct 26, 08 12:42 pm Post subject: Solar powered Electric fence?

Hi everyone,

I am planning to fence in my chooks to keep the fox out. There is an existing set up around the run already with 3 runs of wires at different heights, but I have no energiser at the moment and would like to buy a solar powered one.

I don't want to bankrupt myself in the process... Has anyone done this and is there any type that you could recommend? Any advice on what I should specifically look for?

Also has anyone gone for electric poultry netting? What do you think to it compared to just runs of wires??

Any advice gratefully received!

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45432
Location: Essex

Posted: Sun Oct 26, 08 1:40 pm Post subject:
We got given a "Flexinet" electric fence, battery and energiser by someone who couldn't bear to see our sad faces at every new bunny incursion. I got a solar panel to charge the battery, it works OK but you need to keep the fence well clear of vegetation otherwise it shorts and discharges the battery.

Mrs Baggins

Joined: 21 Sep 2008
Posts: 837
Location: West Kent

Posted: Sun Oct 26, 08 5:48 pm Post subject:
Ohhh lucky you being given a fence! Nobody gives us anything! Do you like the Flexinet? Thx for the tips on discharging. I'll pass it onto my hubby who has been put in charge of the electrics... he has a head for that sort of thing... and I don't!

RichardW

Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 8443
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales

Posted: Sun Oct 26, 08 6:57 pm Post subject:
Also budget / work out how you will protect the energiser / panel from two footed foxes. Richard

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Sun Oct 26, 08 9:08 pm Post subject:

I agree with Richard.
There are lots of cheap solar chargers but I doubt they will charge a decent energiser sufficiently. I still say you would be better spending your money on a mains charger that you can keep in an outbuilding & has sufficient output to handle a degree of earthing.
I think I paid about £80.00 for a mains energiser & a roll of insulated single core to run to the pens & it works fine.

RichardW

Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 8443
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales

Posted: Sun Oct 26, 08 11:31 pm Post subject:
I did as above with one small change. I only used the insulated cable to go under gateways in a pipe trunking & to go past areas where people would be regularly. The rest was done with standard steel wire cable on insulators as its far cheaper. Oh & dont try to skimp on the lead out cable as normal cable will break down electracaly at energiser voltages. Richard

Mrs Baggins

Joined: 21 Sep 2008
Posts: 837
Location: West Kent

Posted: Mon Oct 27, 08 3:11 pm Post subject:
Good advice guys. Thx! Will pass it on to my hubby with instructions to build me the perfect electric fence! Cheers!

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45432
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Oct 27, 08 3:13 pm Post subject:

Mrs Baggins wrote:

Do you like the Flexinet?

Love it, but you really do need to keep the grass down around it.

Mrs Baggins

Joined: 21 Sep 2008
Posts: 837
Location: West Kent

Posted: Sun Nov 02, 08 8:52 pm Post subject:
After checking my existing fence thoroughly... and found it lacking... I have decided to go for poultry netting with a mains energiser. The cheapest combo I can find is going to cost about £250. I bet my hubby could find it cheaper, but pinning him down is not easy... maybe the £250 price tag will make him find the time from somewhere, eh? LOL.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45515
Location: yes

Posted: Sun Nov 02, 08 9:08 pm Post subject:

tahir wrote:

Mrs Baggins wrote:

Do you like the Flexinet?

Love it, but you really do need to keep the grass down around it.

that is what cows are for

Mrs Baggins

Joined: 21 Sep 2008
Posts: 837
Location: West Kent

Posted: Wed Nov 05, 08 7:57 am Post subject:

I have just ordered a Flexinet fence with a mains energiser. I shopped around and got it cheaper in the end but I am still smarting a little. LOL.

BUT... I have a lot of fencing to do here and it will pay me to have it then... I can work on the fences and the chooks can still free range. I'll forget about the extra expense... when we are skint... and right before Xmas... time is a great healer...

Wombat

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 396
Location: SW Cheshire

Posted: Wed Nov 05, 08 8:25 am Post subject:
I use a battery energizer, then have attached a cheap (£12) solar panel wired to recharge the battery. Seems to work quite well. Wombat

Mrs Baggins

Joined: 21 Sep 2008
Posts: 837
Location: West Kent

Posted: Wed Nov 05, 08 10:18 am Post subject:
£12 for a solar panel?? Where did you get that??

Marts

Joined: 06 Sep 2005
Posts: 352
Location: London

Posted: Wed Nov 05, 08 12:49 pm Post subject:

Mrs Baggins wrote:

I shopped around and got it cheaper in the end but I am still smarting a little.

Where did you find to be cheapest - if you don't mind me asking

Mrs Baggins

Joined: 21 Sep 2008
Posts: 837
Location: West Kent

Posted: Wed Nov 05, 08 8:43 pm Post subject:
Marts - I got mine from here. There may well be a cheaper one out there but this was the best I could find in the time I had. HTH.

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