How an electric works

Factors that affect a pulse’s What is the effect of dry soil? strength and shock effect. Soil moisture determines the • Joules of output from the energizer conductivity (or not) of soil. Dry soil I just wanted to say how equal the volume of electrons in a increases resistance—a weaker, less pulse. The more joules, the larger the effective pulse occurs that does not pleased we are with the potential shock effect to an animal. deter animals. customer service your • Resistance of conductors, animal and To overcome this, use more ground soil. High total resistance absorbs more rods, Pos/Neg fence and possibly a higher company has provided. Fixing electrons and reduces the shock effect. output energizer. our battery free of charge was • Electron loss via grass contact & poor insulators. Electrons that leak this way Soil Resistance? super awesome of you guys are not available to shock the animal. Rocky or sandy soils increase resistance. and we really appreciate it. • Soil resistance. This also absorbs Sandy soils do not hold moisture well, Having four of your poultry electrons and reduces the total so they behave similar to clay soils during electrons that complete the circuit. droughts (increased resistance). nets and two pig , we Rocky soils are a little different. The really love your products Ground rods? rocks act as a physical barrier to the path Ground rods guide the pulse from the of the pulse. In order to reach the ground and, again, the customer the soil to the energizer. The larger the rod, the pulse must go around the rocks, service is top notch. You can pulse or higher the resistance of the soil which reduces available energy at the end (because it’s dry, sandy or rocky), the of its path. expect business from us in more ground rods that are needed to In these instances, a Pos/Neg fence is the future. Please up the collect the electrons from the soil. recommended. Additional ground rods may also be used in order to increase the good work! Thanks again! receptivity of the ground system. – Kelly & Ralph S., Connecticut A fence will not Electric Fence Circuit do something for which it was not designed

3 basic fence designs: 1. Fences that stop animals by pain (energized strands). Often referred to as pain barrier or psychological barrier fences. These deter animals by the memory of a painful electric shock. If is crowded against these fences, the animals will break through. The result is damaged fences, escaped animals and animals that have learned not to fear (and thus avoid) a pain-barrier/ electric fence. 2. Fences that stop animals solely by physical strength. We use these around corrals, handling yards and lanes. They work well for this but are often too expensive for fencing large fields. 3. Fences that stop animals by both physical strength and pain (energized strands). Our preference for permanent fences. Energized wires are used: When animals (or predators) touch a fence… a. To discourage animals 1. The energizer pushes an electric pulse through its “+” terminal to the fence. during breeding season. 2. The pulse travels through the conductors and pressurizes the fence with excess b. To hold back mothers and electrons. That pressure is measured in volts. their progeny desperate 3. When an animal touches the fence, excess electrons enter it and travel through the for each other during the animal to the soil. days of weaning. 4. After exiting the animal, the pressurized electrons travel via the soil’s moisture back c. To prevent animals from to the energizer’s ground rod. damaging posts and 5. The electrons enter the energizer via the ground rod. The amount that returns is the wires via scratching and shock effect. rubbing (hair removal or general itches). Positive/Negative Fence The majority of fences we A positive/negative fence has half (every other strand) of the conductive strands work with are of the first design. connected to the fence terminal and the other half connected directly to the ground rod. Electric fences deter animals by The result? When an animal touches both a “+” and a “-” strand, the pulse travels from pain and the memory of pain. the “+” strand, through the animal into the “-” strand. From there, it travels directly to Electric fences are not designed the negative terminal via the ground rod. to contain animals in crowded areas (feeders, water tanks). Do not expect them to work in these Warning: In 1991 a fatality occurred when a 2-year-old child’s head contacted an electrified fence while situations. They will work (and he was crawling on wet grass. The fence was correctly installed. The energizer was a UL approved unit. work well) if animals are given That is why Premier strongly tells users to keep young children away from all electrified fences. Due to this incident and others like it, experts worldwide now suggest that human contact by an energized wire to the plenty of feed, forage and space. head and neck is the most dangerous point of contact. Having said that, known human fatalities from electric fences (all types) are less than one per year worldwide. Electrified Netting

What is it? How reliable is it? Why we’re netting experts? • It’s an electrifiable, prefabricated, Very reliable—if it’s adequately electrified • We’ve been using it for over 50 years. portable mesh that arrives at your by the energizer. (Premier’s founder first used net door as a complete fence. Electric fencing in England during the 1960s.) netting requires a fence energizer and History? • We use miles of it on our 3 farms a ground rod. year-round, in all weather. (Call us for • The mesh is composed of vertical Electrified netting was invented in the helpful tips if you plan to use netting struts or strings welded to electrifiable 1960s in England. Premier imported it to during winter.) horizontal strings. It’s supported by the US in the 1970s and has been improving • We hear customer likes and dislikes white (or green) plastic posts. it ever since. about netting daily. • The posts are pre-fitted into each roll. • We’ve been the leading US netting Each post has 1 steel spike (or 2) at the Why is it so popular? source for over 35 years. base that’s inserted into the soil for • Much easier and faster than other fences extra support. to install, adjust, relocate and remove. • A typical roll (164 ft) of net including Takes less than 10 minutes per roll. Can Premier’s innovations: built-in posts weighs only 23 lbs. be done alone but handling tall and/or • White/black and yellow nets instead Shorter rolls are available. long rolls of net is easier with 2 people. of orange to increase visibility to both • Unlike permanent fences, electrified humans and animals. netting easily adapts to fence lines with • Better net conductivity (Premier’s 38 How does netting work? corners and curves—and dips and hills. ohms vs others’ 380 ohms). The horizontals (except for the bottom • No tools are needed. Only hand-tension • PermaNet option in 2007 with much one that rests on the ground) are is needed—which is why it adapts stronger, stiffer posts. electrified by a fence energizer. When easily to curves, dips, hills and corners. • Stronger line posts in 2010. livestock (and predators) touch it, they We use FiberTuff posts for additional • Adding more posts per roll in 2011 (we receive a shock from the brief electric support at corners and ends. call these Plus Nets). pulse—and learn to avoid it. • Close spacing of the verticals and lower • FiberTuff support posts in 2013. horizontals creates both a physical and • ElectroNet, ElectroFence and Poultry a visual barrier for livestock—and their NetGates in 2017. 4-footed predators (foxes, coyotes, etc.). What users like about it… Netting protects or contains… • It works so well. No other portable fence even comes close to netting’s effectiveness in the field. • It’s so quick and simple to move. So users fence a few days’ worth of grass as needed instead of an entire field. • Each roll is a complete fence. • Requires little tension and adapts easily to curves and hills. The adage “the best fence is a straight fence” does not apply to netting. & Goats Poultry Pigs/Feral Hogs • Does not need a gate. Instead, just ElectroNet 9/35/12 PoultryNet protects QuikFence 6/30/12 is an disconnect the power and remove contains sheep/lambs and poultry from ground based instant fence for pastured an end post to make an opening. goats/kids and protects predators—coyotes, foxes, pigs. Also see our HogNet • The rolls, with posts included, are them from coyotes, stray , raccoons and (yes) to protect against feral not heavy (average 23 lbs). Most dogs and foxes. even bears. hogs. folks are able to carry them with ease. Shorter nets are even easier to carry and handle.

What users dislike about it… • It must be moved when tall grass covers the lower “live” strands. The alternative? Apply a strip of a herbicide to kill vegetation. • Ice and heavy snow can flatten and thereby damage it. • High winds can bend it. Beehives • Animals can become entangled Sweet Corn Gardens in it and die. On a % basis, RaccoonNet 4/18/12 is VersaNet Plus 12/60/3 Bear QuikFence 12/35/12 entanglement is very rare, but it the most reliable fence to dogs and wildlife protects beehives from can and does occur. keep raccoons from sweet out of fruit, flower and wildlife (bears) and • That you can’t (or shouldn’t) corn. 18" netting is easy to vegetable gardens. curious livestock (cattle, ever jump or step over netting install around your patch. goats or pigs). when it is energized. First turn it off—always!

To reduce risk of animals challenging netting… • Use a high output energizer to combat weed contact and intimidate animals. If your soil is dry, use a wide-impedance unit. • Never leave netting unenergized. • Do not allow animals of the same Large Livestock species (i.e. sheep/sheep) to be on Windbreaks Soft Fruit Cattle and are both sides of a net simultaneously. PermaNet in heights Use PermaNet 12/48/3 very sensitive to electric • Never use netting to separate from 48" to 68" keeps out (above) & 10/48/6 to protect fences (Cattle QuikFence mothers from weaned progeny. deer. You can also use soft fruits from raccoons, shown above). • Never force animals against Deer QuikFence. deer and other wildlife. netting. It’s not a physical barrier. Why a taller net is not And stops predators like these & more… always the best choice… Because shorter nets are: • Easier to install and remove. • Less affected by high winds. • Less expensive (usually). Some common key fence questions

Q. Should the fence be energized? A. Absolutely. Why? • An electrified strand has a zone of pain. Fewer strands are needed if one is energized. Both material and the labor to install is reduced. • Energized fences last longer and require less maintenance— because animals do not crowd, rub or scratch on them. So the fence wires (including wires that are not energized) require less tension to do their job. And braces and corner posts will last longer. • Animals are more surely contained or excluded during breeding and weaning.

Q. What specific animals need to be fenced in or out? A. Always design and build for the most difficult species. Rules of thumb: • Most sheep and goat fences will stop cattle. The inverse is not always true. • Fencing adult males (bulls, rams, stallions, billies) in/out during breeding season requires taller fences with closer wire/strand spacing and more powerful electric pulses (in joules, not volts). • Fences for mixed sizes and species (ewes with lambs, cattle and sheep, etc.) require more strands than uniform groups of animals. • Certain breeds need better fences (e.g. flighty Romanov sheep, Chianina cattle). Hi-Tensile Wire Fence Rope Fence Q. How keen will animals be to breach Q. Do the animals know the fence? HT wire fences (left) like these are not easily the fence line? A. Local animals and wildlife get to seen and therefore not advised for horses. By A. Build for the worst-case situation. comparison the rope fence (right) is visible know a fence by appearance, location and critical for animals that move at high Some situations that require more and pain memory. If it’s a strong or speed (e.g. horses, deer) and/or have poor secure fences: painful fence, they avoid it. depth perception. • Hunger. Starved animals will New animals just off a truck often eventually challenge most fences. charge into permanent fences and Q. How visible should a fence be? • Weaning. Strong physical barriers straight through temporary or semi- A. It depends upon the species. are essential to success. permanent fences. Horses and deer move at high • Breeding. Libido induces animals Temporary fences that are not speed and have restricted to challenge rules and fences. physically strong pose the greatest color perception (compared to • Boredom. Animals in corrals, risk of escape. humans). They often fail to see stalls and feedlots often crave any small or dark fence wires like entertainment or activity. Q. Where will the fence be located? MaxiShock and some polywires • Gateways and handling yards. A. The best designs depend on: and charge through them. Animals often push each other into • Is the terrain flat? That’s why it’s wise to include fences when being moved. • Will the fence go over hills, across one or more strands of bicolored • Goats. They are escape artists. ditches or around curves? rope or tape (both highly visible) • Fear and fright. Predators or loud • Is fence line brushy or around trees? in multistrand fences. noises can cause prey species to run • Are the soils rocky, sandy or firm? in terror into any fence, no matter what fence design. Some advice for folks new to farming Other’s orange net and fencing— Fences… • All fences, no matter the design, will need maintenance and repairs. We cannot stress visibility enough. • Electrified fences should never touch Even in daylight a white/black net wood, metal or any other conductive color is significantly more visible than material. If they do, fence will orange or red against most backgrounds. be sharply reduced. Premier’s • Animals and poultry will chew or white/black net peck on non-electrified string fences. • When the soil is dry, fences that rely on the soil to carry the pulse to ground rods do not work as well. Q. How visible is Premier’s white/ Q. What’s the cost if the fence fails? • When the soil is frozen, moving fence black net (and now also yellow) A. The higher the potential cost (in time is much more difficult. compared to orange or red nets? and money) of a failure, the more A. White/black provides contrast reliable the fence design should be. Energizers, batteries & accessories… against all backgrounds 24/7 and is Examples: • Repeatedly going below a 40% charge therefore more visible to humans • Along public highways. In some on a lead-acid battery will reduce its and animals. states you are liable for damages. ability to hold a charge. Orange and red are visible to • Around stored feed. If animals • You need special insulated wire to humans in daylight but not at night. on grain, death may occur. carry power to a fence, not just any To most animals these colors appear • High-value protection, gardens insulated wire from a store. gray in daylight and are nearly or livestock from predators. • You need a ground rod to connect to invisible at night—not safe for them. • Fences with animals on the negative terminal of the energizer. Yellow is visible to both animals both sides. Mix-ups are time- (Don’t connect the energizer’s and humans—but less so than white/ consuming and costly. negative terminal to the other end of black. Less visually attractive too. the netting.) • No electric fence should be plugged directly into an AC outlet. An electric fence must be connected to an energizer, not an outlet. Posts… • For ends, curves and corners, posts must be strong and stable in order to take the strain. • For very hard or frozen soil, drill pilot holes for netting posts. Never use a hammer to drive in standard net posts—it will damage them. Use a dead-blow hammer for drivable posts. Animals… • Will at some time get sick or hurt. Q. Will heavy snow or ice occur? Q. Are dry periods common? • You cannot save every animal that A. Ice can bring down the strongest A. Electric fences typically rely on soil gets sick or injured. power lines so all fences are moisture as a conductor. When the • If you own animals you will need vulnerable to it. Heavy ice/snow soil is dry or covered in dry snow, a veterinarian at some point. So can weigh down electroplastic normal electric fences and low- establish that relationship before an conductors. This stretches and wears impedance energizers may not work emergency occurs. the plastic and metal filaments. effectively to keep animals in/out. • You must train animals to know and Solutions for this: respect electrified fences. Q. Why are lane and corral fences 1. Use a wide-impedance energizer. • Animals can get caught in nearly any considered special situations? They’re less affected by dry soil. type of fence and may become injured A. Animals are often forced into contact 2. Use a Pos/Neg fence. This type when they do. with these fences. They need better of fence has wires connected to • If you do not keep a fence energized visibility, more strength and, if energizer’s negative terminal. at all times your animals will lose fear possible, no energized wires. Animals must touch both a “+” of it. Then they will go over, under or and “-” strand, but it works well. through it. Retraining is difficult. Common Fencing Mistakes

Insulator/Conductor Mistakes

Don’t energize was too weak ! to withstand the up and down strain from the wire. Energizing Broken barbed wire is Insulator Incorrect Correct a serious risk.

Most common tube insulator error Too weak to take up/down strain Pay attention Broken strands This SupaTube has slid sideways out to the Deer and livestock Years ago almost all insulators were little things from under the staple—allowing the weak and badly designed. Now only can break insulators This insulator post to leak energy to the soil (if wet 50% are not up to the task. and conductors. It is was installed from dew or rain). Buy the best (not necessarily the essential to repair upside down— While HT wires need to be allowed most expensive) that have plenty of them immediately. which allowed to move inside a staple, it’s the opposite plastic in them. Stick to white or black This rope was the tape to for tube insulators. We prefer ring ones, and only those labeled with easily repaired with drop out of it. insulators instead of tube insulators. added UV resistance. a RopeLink.

Energizer and Battery Errors Solar Panel Errors Believing the “miles of fence” claims They are flat-out misleading. Units may In dry conditions, run miles in ideal conditions, but not additional ground actual field conditions. rods may be needed So why do many manufacturers to strengthen the still emphasize miles? Because other conductivity of the fence circuit. manufacturers do it. They fear that, if they don’t include a “miles” claim, a customer will not buy their product. For 40 years, Premier has refused to make such inaccurate claims. Not enough earth (ground) rods Extra ground rods increase the size of the energy “collection field” of the earth Allowing bare copper wires to touch terminal. This, in turn, usually increases steel wires or ground rods the potential size of the pulse. If you do, corrosion by electrolysis will Not keeping the panel clean Use galvanized ground rods (rust is an occur. Result? Poor contact and a weaker Snow, dirt, dust and debris stop insulator). Connect them properly with pulse. It’s best not to use bare copper panels from recharging batteries. stainless steel clamps. materials at all in electric fences. (Tinned Solution? Clean the panels often. copper is not a problem. The tin coating Buying an energizer or battery prevents any electrolysis.) Solar panels not in full sun that’s too weak or too small A solar panel won’t function at its When most folks first use electric Most common DC battery error full potential if it’s not fully facing the fencing, they have limited ideas about its Not keeping the battery charge level sun’s rays (perpendicular to the sun at potential. So they limit their investment. high enough. When a deep-cycle lead midday) for the maximum number of If done properly it works. Most folks acid battery is drawn below a 40% charge, hours per day. then extend the fence line further, etc. it is less able to ever be fully recharged. Depending on the time of year Soon, the longer fence is too long for the Batteries with reduced charge levels and your geographical location, the small energizer to keep fully energized. may freeze in extremely cold weather. energizer’s solar panel angle should The same is true of batteries. A 12 aH It pays to check the energizer batteries change from nearly flat in summer to battery discharges quickly if paired with often—particularly during the cold of nearly vertical in winter to maximize a .5 joule energizer without a solar panel. winter—to make sure your energizer and sun exposure. Pair with a solar panel or larger battery. fence are working. Common Fencing Mistakes Common voltmeter Problem— Solution— mistakes Net is Install net touching 2" – 3" away 1. Not buying a good one. building from building I know we sell 5-Light testers—but a true digital voltmeter is more accurate and informative for the user. 2. Not using it. Many folks wait for animals to tell them (by escaping) when the Incorrect voltage is too low. Grounding out on metal or wood 3. Allowing your tester or When netting touches a building (or any grounded object) voltmeter to shock you. it can leak energy away, particularly if the building or post Don’t grab the ground probe while the tester is still on is metal. To avoid this, install the net 2"–3" away from the the fence (see above right). Remove tester from the electrified building. It’s far enough to prevent voltage loss and close enough wire first. Then pull the ground probe out of the soil. Do not to deter predators (conductors are tied off around the posts). pull out the ground probe by its wire.

Incorrect Fisherman’s knot

Too few cut-out switches Energized wires too Poor knots Exposing the public Cut-out switches allow close to barbed wire Square knots for electro- to “hot” fences you to disconnect sections of A stuck animal or human plastic conductors (twine, Always put warning signs fence without turning off the could receive multiple rope, polywire) often make on energized wires so visitors entire fence. shocks before getting away. poor electrical contact. know they will “hurt.” When looking for shorts in This can kill. A fisherman’s knot is Place all conductive wires on the fence, cut-out switches Fences should be either: more reliable. Adding a the inside of permanent fences allow you to quickly • All barbed, no hot wires. brass ferrule (included in so “outsiders” can’t readily determine which length of • Smooth wire with an net repair kits) in the center make contact with them. fence contains the problem. offset energized wire. enhances electrical contact.

Too busy to check the fence Problems increase and effectiveness declines without routine Post Driving staples that hold HT checking. Some fence designs are easier to maintain than others. smooth wires tight against the post If animals ever lose their fear of electrified fences and its pain- Mistakes High-tensile wires need to be free giving effect (which can happen without proper maintenance), it to move. This enables the total length takes considerable extra time and effort to retrain them. of wire to expand and contract as temperatures change and when animals or tree limbs hit the fence. What to do with net clips Problem: Allowing Incorrect Spacing line posts in permanent clips to come in fences too far apart contact with grounded Solution Those who suggest long spacing wires and posts. distances are describing straight HT Problem Solution: Wrap the smooth-wire fences in flat open country clip back around an (not hilly country). electrified strand on Much closer spacings are necessary for the netting to hold it Correct uneven terrain and irregular fence lines. in place. Troubleshooting Electric Fences

Is the problem with the energizer or the fence? 1. To check—first turn off the energizer. 2. Then disconnect the wires going to the fence and ground rod system. 3. Turn the energizer back on. 4. Then measure the voltage on the energizer between the 2 terminals (fence and earth) with a digital fence voltmeter or other fence testing device. Touch one end to “–” earth terminal and the other end to “+” fence terminal. 5. If the tester reads under 4000v, the energizer (or possibly the battery if it’s a battery/solar energizer) is the problem. 6. If the tester reads more than 4000 volts, the energizer is working properly and the fence is the problem.

If the fence is at fault… d. Separate the How to find the fault(s) before fence into parts— First, re-attach the fence and ground by turning off wires to the energizer and turn it on. switches, if it’s an Then you must walk or drive along the HT permanent fence looking for situations that are wire fence, or by reducing the voltage. disconnecting On portions of electric 1. If you have a Fault Finder, use it. netting. Then The arrow will tell you which progressively reconnect direction the energy is flowing Off it, checking voltage as (leaking). Follow the fence after you do so. When the voltage drops, from the energizer outward. you’ve located the problem. Move in the direction of the arrow, testing as you go until 3. If no faults are found the soil may be too you arrive at the problem. dry. Conventional fence systems rely on Note: Fault Finders can tell which section soil moisture to be effective. However, of net is at fault if you touch it to the clips not all areas have the required moisture. where 2 nets join. But they are not able If that’s the case, a Pos/Neg fence to locate the exact location within a net b. HT wire, twine or rope fences— (see at right) can be used. These fences because energy flows in multiple directions look for: are wired to allow the use of every other within a net. • Damaged or broken insulators. horizontal strand as an extension of • Any point where an energized the ground terminal, eliminating the 2. If you don’t have a Fault Finder, but do wire touches the soil, a steel or dependence on soil moisture to carry the have a voltmeter or fence tester: Walk wood post or a non-energized wire. energizer’s pulse. or drive along the fence. Separate them. In order to receive a shock, the animal a. Netting—look for: • Branches lying on the fence, forcing must touch both a “+” and “-” strand. • The lowest live strand touching wires together (above). Remove This delivers more pain to animals than a post’s metal spike them immediately. normal nets. Fence maintenance is very near the soil. c. Listen for snapping sounds as you important—grass contact across both • Damaged strands walk along a fence. These occur when a positive and negative wire reduces touching the soil. a conductor is close to a grounded voltage. Pos/Neg fences can be used • Netting touching a wire, stake, tree or large green weed. as all-positive in moist conditions, if wire or steel post. insulated and wired correctly. If the energizer is at fault… 110 volt plug-in unit 1. Use a test light to check if the 110v outlet is working. 2. If the test light works and the energizer does not, call Premier.

DC battery unit First determine whether it’s the battery or the energizer that’s not working. 1. If it’s a 12v energizer, carry it to a nearby vehicle. Attach the input cords carefully to the battery. 2. If the energizer works, then the energizer’s battery needs to be recharged or replaced. 3. If the energizer does not work, call Premier.

Solar unit PN (Pos/Neg) + All strands electrified + 1. Disconnect energizer – for dry conditions + for moist conditions from the battery. Connect energizer fence lead to positive Connect both net clips together and 2. Carry it to a nearby “+” net clip and energizer ground lead to attach energizer fence lead to net clips. ground rod. Connect a PowerLink from Then attach energizer ground lead to vehicle. Attach the negative “-” net clip to ground rod. ground rod. input cords carefully to the vehicle’s battery. 3. If the energizer works, then the unit’s battery needs to be recharged or replaced. vs 4. If the energizer does not work, call Premier. PowerLink

Is the energizer “On”? Push-button energizers must have their on/off switch activated. Fence testing mistakes • Standard multimeters are not able to test fences (fence voltage is too high). Use a fence voltmeter. Energizer testing mistakes • If receiving an inconsistent reading, check voltmeter’s battery. • Some testers require batteries. If the tester’s battery is low, it will give no reading or a misreading (sharp “Insulated” animals contrast in consecutive pulse voltage). Animals standing on dry soil or snow may not receive an • Fault finders are unable to test fence energizers. adequate shock even when the fence is properly energized. • If a battery energizer’s light is pulsing but less than Why? Dry soil and dry snow act as insulators, reducing the 3000v is measured across the terminals, check the ability of the energizer’s electric pulse to pass through an animal. battery charge level (with a digital battery tester). If this is the case, Pos/Neg fence systems or higher-output Energizers with undercharged batteries may produce an energizers are better adapted for such situations. insufficient pulse.