Permanent leccy fencing

[racaille]

Well, as you all know I am carving a paddock out of the forest - it's going well, waiting for the digger to come and remove some stumps and roots but my neighbour has given me the bulk of the wooden posts I need.

Now I'm about to order the leccy bit. I am hesitating between two strands of tape (4cm wide) at 70cm height and 1m30 or three strands of narrower tape. Neither of the boys are escape artists and there would be a powerful charge through the tape as I'm going to run it off the mains (through an electricifateur, whatever that is in english, transformer?)

I'm going for brown tape as it is more aesthetically pleasing and does not draw attention to wonky bits like white tape does. I'm putting in two 'gates'.

Have I missed anything?

[haffyfan]

I would go for the wider tape to make sure they see it when being stupid and don't run into it...I assume by thin stuff you mean what I call sheep wire? I use white so it's more visible too although I fully understand your reasons for brown.

Is your fence alongside public rights of way? If so over here you should display an idiot board every so often (there is a legal distance) warning people.

[zoe]

My leccy fence is green and the ponies see it fine - I agree with Haffy, I'd go for the wider stuff.

[racaille]

Thanks for that, guys!

The thinner tape is 2cm wide - not the wire. But I'm fairly safe here as the paddock will be within my garden which is fully fenced with 2m tall chainlink, so even if they did escape they couldn't go anywhere.

By coincidence there is a mule path right of way beside my garden but it's the other side to the paddock so I think I'm OK with warning signs.

[fimacg]

I have 2 strands of 4cm thick brown tape with a metal wire which carries the charge as a 3rd strand at the bottom (professionals put it in for me that way) and boy does it pack a punch. even the sheep in the field next door wont come near it and that is saying something. Saying that though I only have it on once a week (when sheep are away) to remind the boys to respect it. It is also great for dividing up the field just add a connector to the main wire and hay presto leccy tape wherever you want.

[racaille]

Fi, it's good to hear that they respect it - I was also planning on only putting it on now and then to remind them as it does deliver a wallop. Do you remember the name of the firm you used to install it, or what make the tape and insulators are?

[fimacg]

The firm was a local fencing company up here

but the tape and connectors were all Gallagher

www.gallaghereurope.com/uk/getpage.asp?i=8

I have the turbotape 40mm in brown

[racaille]

Thanks for that Fi - they operate here too it seems and have a good website so I'll get shopping!