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Electric Fence Tips for Ranchers 

Create a strong perimeter fence with temporary or modest interior fencing for a cost-effective containment option.
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Electric fences can actually provide ranchers with cost-effective land management possibilities.  

The goal is to create a strong perimeter fence with temporary or modest interior fencing, according to the National Grazing Lands Coalition

Then, by training animals to the fence before putting them in, ranchers find the most success. 

The National Grazing Lands Coalition recommends these tips to get started:

  • Go to a class or work with a fencing expert to learn about how to set up an electric fence.
    Invest in yourself and you’ll be ahead of the game from the start. There’ so much to learn, and there’s no need to reinvent the wheel.
  • Don’t be cheap. Your time is valuable, and there’s a limit to your energy. Cheap materials break and you waste time and energy fixing them, not to mention chasing your animals to put them back where they belong. Do yourself a favor and don’t skimp on fencing materials. You’ll be more productive and happier.
  • Spend the money on a good charger. As Montana farmer Wayne Burleson says, “A wimpy fence charger gives you a wimpy fence. Don’t skimp here because animals will think a smooth wire fence is a joke without a strong bite, and they’ll walk right through it.” At OnPasture.com, Burleson shares 17 mistakes to avoid with electric fencing based in his 30-plus years of experience building hundreds of miles of smooth-wire electric fence.

Watch Greg Judy of Green Pastures Farm, Rucker, Missouri, provide some electric fence setup tips, and download Electric Fence Basics below to get started .

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Resources & Case Studies

Electric Fence Basics

Tailored Advice From Experts

Would you like more information on Trust in Beef topics from the experts?

Additional Resources

Watch NCBA Environmental Stewardship Award Program (ESAP) winner profiles. See how the beef industry showcases its stewardship, conservation and business practices that work together on farms and ranches.

Blair Brothers Angus Ranch – South Dakota

Gracie Creek – Nebraska

Beatty Canyon Ranch – Colorado

JY Ferry & Son, Inc. – Utah

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