Electric FenceFast  can be a useful tool to keep animals out of certain areas, however they do pose a risk to humans and wildlife. It is important to know how the system works so you can minimize these risks.

There are a few factors to consider when choosing an electric Fence for your farm: the type and size of livestock you will be keeping, weed conditions and the length of your fence. The amount of amperage, or voltage, that the fence delivers can also be a factor. The higher the voltage, the more effective it will be.

Fencing in the Future: Exploring the Advantages of Electric Fences

A component called a power energizer converts mains electricity into a high-voltage pulse which is carried along the bare wires of the fence. The pulses are repeated at a rate of about once every second. If an animal touches both the energizer and one of the charged wires during a pulse, it completes the circuit and conducts the electrical energy from the energizer through the animal, to the ground rod and back to the energizer. This causes a brief electric shock to the animal.

Modern energizers use low impedance circuitry that charges a capacitor through a solid-state circuit using a thyristor and then discharges the charge over a period of a few milliseconds. This results in a controlled voltage delivery with a short pulse which is less deadly. It is also safer because the cramping effect from the current is transitory and the animal can retreat from the source of the pulse.