Hi Ridgley,
Welcome! Alpacas are not as sensitive to the shock of an electric
fence as their fleece provides protection (unless they use their
nose!). Unlike horses, alpacas generally don't challenge fences
(except sometimes hersires, and they usually weigh about 1000# less
than a horse) the hot wire is on the outside to keep predators out,
top for climbers and bottom for diggers.
Cheers,
Morgen Bowers
Dreamwood Farm
Claverack, NY
www.dreamwoodfarm.com
--- In AlpacaTalk@yahoogroups.com, "rollinridge" <rollinridge@...> wrote:
>
> Hi All,
> Newbie person here - I can't say "boo" about Alpacas (I'm in that
> researching stage so I'm lurking and too shy to ask questions) but at
> least I can put in my 2 cents about the fence since we have it with
> our horses and dogs. So - we have no climb with hot wire and
> extenders for our horses and dogs. (No climb also doesn't rust like
> the other fence) I uploaded a couple of pics in the photos to give a
> general idea of what we use it for. (You can see the fence squares
> and the yellow extenders of the hotwire). If you don't put the hot
> wire on it (we didn't in the beginning) our horses went looking for
> the "grass is always greener on the other side" and bent down the
> top. (As you can see). Our hot wire is solar charged and is "hot" -
> but hasn't killed anything. Definately bites if you touch it though.
> (My son used to be the tester when he was a stupid 10 year old - he
> thought it was funny). But we've never had any problem with anything
> coming in or out. Ok - my first question. The horses "feel" the
> electricity so they know to stay away - wouldn't the Alpacas? Or are
> you using it for the distinct purpose of on the outside keeping other
> things "out"?
>
> Ridgley
> Rollin'Ridge Farm
>
>
> --- In AlpacaTalk@yahoogroups.com, LunarStruck@ wrote:
> >
> > Our barn cat got shocked a few times and took off for parts
> unknown. That
> > may happen. Try and show your cats a safe way out of the hotwire
> if you can,
> > they are very smart. It definitely will not kill them, but can
> kill rabbits,
> > squirrels and birds. You can adjust it higher or lower voltage
> also, ours
> > is very hot. I've been shocked by it and it isn't pleasant but it
> doesn't do
> > any permanent damage, you get over it in a few seconds. I put up
> little tags
> > that I bought at the feedstore hotwire dept. to put on the fence
> to warn
> > people not to touch it. I bought plastic extenders to angle it
> out at the top
> > so the alpacas can't really reach it and nothing can jump over
> it. I'll
> > take a pic of ours to send you, Janice.
> >
> > I'd say in four years we've lost about 10 sparrows, which I hate
> but is a
> > trade-off considering we may have lost all the alpacas instead if
> we hadn't put
> > it up. I love it and it makes me feel really safe. As I said,
> the coyotes
> > totally avoid the area now and stopped going up their nightly path
> and took a
> > turn around our property. Most dog predators (and coyotes) will
> dig under a
> > fence instead of jumping over it so the bottom hotwire is very
> important.
> > In four years we have not had one problem with predators other
> than I ran out
> > in the middle of the night to a llama alarm call to find two
> possums on the
> > fenceline.
> >
> > SUSAN OLSON
> > Alpaca Loco
> > Riverside, CA
> >
> >
> > In a message dated 2/28/2009 4:26:39 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,
> > houckj@ writes:
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > <<<<To echo what has been already said here, no climb is so that
> horses
> > etc can't climb the fence. Actually, no climb fence helps those
> > predators that can't jump over or mash it down climb. It really is
> kind
> > of a misnomer as a lot of people assume no climb means nothing can
> climb
> > it and gives them a false sense of security.>>>
> >
> > Ahhh....that was my impression when my friend was telling me that
> they
> > had *finally* put up this no climb fence to keep the goats in and
> the
> > predators out. As I looked at it all I could think was that it
> looked
> > nice and sturdy enough for anything to climb over! She could not
> tell
> > me why it was no climb, but was very proud of it. I have been
> puzzled
> > by that misnomer ever since. Thanks for clearing it up.
> >
> > I am borrowing money (while I still can!) to fence and the more I
> look
> > into fencing the more confused I get as to what would be the best
> choice
> > - and the least expensive.
> >
> > The alpacas have done fine for 10 yrs with a cheap welded wire
> fence and
> > metal fence posts. No problems at all with them. It is not a
> perimeter
> > fence and they are close to the house. I am not fenced totally,
> but am
> > fenced across the front and down 1/2 of each side of the
> > property....property....<WBR>.where the alpacas are. And then
> their a
> > with this welded wire.
> >
> > But I have been having a lot of trouble with the horse fence and
> since
> > my husband died 2.5 yrs ago have had to pay someone to repair, add
> to,
> > and generally do everything we could think of short of starting
> all over
> > again, at least 4x now. The horses just push over everything.
> Mainly
> > because their pasture is dirt and they are trying to get to the
> grass
> > outside their fence. so I thought I would just start letting them
> out
> > to graze around for a few hours a day - and save on some hay
> expense.
> > It is a long way to find the end of the fence line. Took them
> maybe 2
> > wks tops to find it and before I knew it I was having to go get
> them off
> > the main road. I live on a one lane, but that wasn't good enough
> for
> > them, no they had to keep on trucking up to the main road. So they
> had
> > to go back into their dirt pasture.....to go back into their dirt
> > sitting here going to waste :-(.
> >
> > I have been told over and over and over to put hot wire up and
> that will
> > stop them. I haven't wanted to do it. susan's story about the dead
> > sparrows is enough to make me not want to do it; not to mention
> dogs,
> > cats, and children. And I have bluebird houses up all over the
> horse
> > pasture. But apparently that is about my only affordable choice.
> > Barbed wire has been suggested many times, but personally I jsut
> don't
> > see it keeping the horses back. I think they would still lean over
> it
> > and I would just be doctoring wounds all the time.
> >
> > I am also planning on getting some dairy goats and this fence will
> > continue from the horse fence up across the clearing and to the
> woods
> > for them. I keep looking at all the options and just cannot decide
> what
> > is the best, and again, least expensive best. This fence will also
> come
> > around and connect with a new alpacas area I am planning, so I can
> > rotate them off their pasture, and also make it easier to keep the
> male
> > separated. The goats will be with the horses in the day time, but
> with
> > the alpacas at night as that is as safer area - close to the
> house -
> > from predators.
> >
> > I seem to have narrowed it down to woven wire with electic wire
> top and
> > bottom or 5 strand wire with 3 hot - and I think that is the least
> > expensive and easiest. Now with these stories, I just don't know
> what
> > to do. I have a lot of ground to cover and cannot afford the high
> > tensile wire all the way around. Besides I know people with horses
> that
> > used that and they said it didn't slow them (the horses) down a
> > whit....only their pocketbooks (the owners), so I gather it is
> rather
> > expensive. Up in the woods it will be next to impossible to roll
> out a
> > large roll of woven or wire fence, so the 5 strand seemed the way
> to go,
> > but I know I will not find the time to constantly walk that fence
> line
> > to check it for shorts.
> >
> > What will electric wire do to cats? Will it kill them the first
> time
> > they touch it? Dogs? What about young children, or even older
> > children? If it is dangerous to these creatures I cannot use it.
> What
> > are my other (affordable) options for keeping goats and horses
> where
> > they belong and predators where *they* belong?
> >
> > Any thoughts, suggestions?
> >
> > Thanks! Janice
> > PS Is there a difference in the woven wire fence and the "no
> climb"
> > fence that is woven wire?
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>
Message posts are the opinion of individuals posting and are not necessarily endorsed or approved by Yahoo! or the moderator of this group. The purpose of this discussion group is to ensure that all points of view can be aired. It is the responsbilty of all individuals who post to treat others with respect and civility.
