Pros and Cons of Different Types of Electric Fence
Let’s talk fencing! When we bought our property in 2020, it was partly fenced in barbed wire to contain the cattle that had grazed it for decades. As James and I discussed our farmstead dreams, we knew that the barbed wire would need to be replaced to contain the animals that we wanted to raise. While chain link and woven wire are frequently recommended, we began to see the benefits of using electric fence and have been very pleased with their ability to keep our animals contained while keeping predators out.
Electric Netting
We started with Premier 1 electric netting to allow our first set of pigs to break ground on a new garden plot for us. Then, when we decided to purchase a small goat herd before our permanent fence was completed, we purchased more electric netting. Later, when we decided to pasture our chickens, we purchased some poultry netting for them as well. The spacing on the electric netting makes it work very well for containing smaller animals. It is also wonderful at training animals to electric fences because they cannot squeeze through the spaces between the wires like they can with other forms of electric fences. However, it is difficult to setup in rougher terrain such as through the woods or on uneven ground.
Electric High Tensile Fence
We constructed our first permanent 2 acre pasture out of electric high tensile. We chose to use Timeless Fence Posts instead of traditional t-posts and insulators. This setup has worked so well for us that we are working on building our next pasture in the same way. Our 6 strand electric fence has excelled at containing goats, pigs, dogs, and geese. However, our chickens and ducks pass through it at their convenience. Also, it has not kept out predators (like we thought it would). We have caught coyotes on trail cameras within the pasture as well as finding a bobcat track within the pasture (these 2 factors are what motivated us to get our livestock guardian dogs).
Polywire Electric Fence
We’ve started using polywire more and more in place of electric netting. It is better for uneven terrain and is more cost effective. Having it on reels makes it easy to move. We’ve found that the thicker white polywire is easier for the animals to see than thin yellow polywire. After trying a couple of different products, we now prefer Premier 1’s Intellibraid 3.0. We are successfully using it to contain goats and pigs (though we have had determined goats pass through it a few times). So far, we have had no problems with predators getting in. Polywire will be a large component of our infrastructure as we continue to set up our farm for easier rotational grazing.
What kind of fencing have you used to contain your livestock? What are the pros and cons of that type of fencing?