Owning a farm or a ranch requires a lot of work. Feed the animals, take care of them, manage the waste and provide security to the farm. And talking about security, farm animals are very vulnerable to predators. Wolfs, bears, foxes, and even wild dogs turn them into prey. And losing an animal is bad for your business, for your emotions too. You might have even given the animal a name!
This is why you need to keep an eye out for them. But it is not possible 24/7. You got other works to be done. What if, there was an option where you can electrify the fence wire and let your farm animals roam in that on their own?
Yes, you can do that. With the best electric fence charger for cattle, you can electrify the fence and keep all predators away from the animals. And you can even keep your fence up and straight from your animals gushing onto them.
There are various Electric Fence Chargers in the market. We are going to talk about a few of them here.
Table could not be displayed.Top 5 Best Electric Fence Charger for Cattle, Bulls, Horses, Pigs and Sheep
1. Zareba ESP5M-Z 5-Mile Solar Low Impedance Electric Fence Charger, Black
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Wouldn’t it be really convenient if you didn’t have to worry about your fence charger? Zareba ESP5M-Z does all the work for you. With a range of 5-mile, it protects your livestock or gardens, or farm from outside harm.
Before installing it, you have to put it in the sun to charge up the battery. It usually takes 3 days to fully charge. Turn it off before charging. Remember, only the sun can charge it. So it would be better if you can put it in a place where there is sunshine all day long. The internal battery can support up to 2 weeks without any charge. Which is really cool!
It produces about 6,000-9000 volts of electrical shock. The longer the wire, the shock intensity decreases.
You can get the most out of it if you install it correctly. The Zareba ESP5M-Z is tested on a T-post and it works well on 360-degree rotation. You can also use a Y and around the post. The rotation will be a bit different if you alter from T to other types. But it will get the job done.
After the solar panel installation, you need to put attention to the grounding. A good grounding means better performance. If you don’t ground the rods enough, you will get a very low volt of a shock to none. So it is advised to find at least 7 ft with an 8ft rod. Make sure to install them 10 feet apart.
The fence charger works on all kinds of wires. But with a poly wrap, it performs a little poorly.
Another thing about the Zareba ESP5M-Z is that, if weeds rise to your wire, some of its power will be lost. Even if the fence is dirty, muddy, or greasy, it will perform poorly. So be sure to clean the fence and its surroundings from time to time.
The Zareba ESP5M-Z performs without any problem under any weather conditions. Snow, heavy hail, and rain cannot stop it or damage it. So it is a worthy investment.
Remember, this particular model is made for short-haired animals. So it would do great for horses, pigs, cattle, and goats. It won’t have any impact on long-haired animals like sheep.
The Zareba ESP5M-Z comes with a 1-year warranty.
Pros:
- Does what it is advertised.
- Can stand harsh weather.
- 360-degree sun rotation.
Cons:
- Performs poorly due to bad grounding or barrier in the wire fence.
2. Cyclops Boss 32 Joule AC Fence Charger
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Cyclops is known for its powerful Fence chargers. The Cyclops Boss 32 Joule AC Fence Charger is no different. It packs heavy power as it is AC powered rather than solar.
This charger has a very huge range. It covers a 30-mile distance, which is almost 1000 acres of fencing.
This USA-made charger is no joke. It packs 32 joules of output, which is 7,000 volts of electricity. A good size means the bull gets a good amount of shock that makes him respect the fence, which we all want from our livestock.
It is good for cattle, horses, goats, pigs, and sheep. It also comes with lightning protection.
Sadly it isn’t weatherproof or waterproof. So you have to make a shade for it. Otherwise, it performs really well.
It puts out a pulse of shockwave which is a good thing. Because continuous electrical flow can kill an animal which is an unpleasant thing if you are a livestock farmer. Nobody wants a dead animal from their herd. It will keep the livestock inside, the predators out of the fence.
The grounding is very important for this fence charger. As good grounding ensures the best result of shocking. So make sure the grounding is deep enough.
Weeds can affect the performance of the charger. So make sure to trim them down from time to time. But it performs great even if the wire is dirty or muddy. A true legend of a charger!
Another downside is that it is AC powered, so if there is an electrical outage, it stops working. A backup battery would be good, but this is what we get now.
Pros:
- Amazing performance, even works on dirty wires.
- Lightening proof.
- Has a huge range of 30 miles.
Cons:
- Works on only AC power.
- Isn’t waterproof or windproof.
3. Zareba EAC200M-Z 200-Mile AC-Powered Low-Impedance Electric Fence Charger
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If you need a beast to keep out the beasts, Zareba EAC200M-Z is the one for you. It is a heavy-duty fence charger that is AC powered. It is great protection for horses, cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats. Any long hair animal can get a shock from this one.
The Zareba EAC200M-Z packs a 15 joule or 110V of power, which is huge. It covers 200-miles! How impressive is that! You can cover your whole farm with this thing.
The better the grounding, the better the result. Zareba EAC200M-Z performs great on steel wires. It also works on poly-wrapped wires but performs a bit poorly. Another negative result is weed growth under the fence. So be sure to trim them down.
This fence charger comes with lightning protection which is called the Zareba Storm Guard Unit. it protects it from lightning.
But the device is not waterproof or weatherproof. So make sure to install it under a shade to protect it from rain, snow, and hail. Other than that, it works fine in freezing temperatures.
Though this fence charger has no power backup, runs on AC power, which is a little bit sad. But as an AC-powered device, it works tremendously. The shock wave is enough to jolt a bear. People have used it in their bee farms, chicken sheds, where the bear is the main predator, and have not seen one occurrence since. So it makes your fence bear-proof!
The Zareba EAC200M-Z 200-Mile comes with a 3-year warranty.
Pros:
- Good for long-range protection.
- Keeps out bears.
- High level of shockwave.
- Comes with a lightning protection guard.
Cons:
- Not waterproof or weatherproof.
- Only AC powered.
4. Gallagher M1500 Electric Fence Charger
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If you have a large number of animals, huge acres of crops, or anything that need a good protection barrier, then Gallagher M1500 is the fence charger you should have. This device has a coverage area of 160 miles! Can you believe that!
With a single wire fence, it covers 160 miles, 40 miles for multi-wire fencing. It is more than enough if you have a space between 360- 900 acres. It will give you the best protection for wildlife, predators, and anything else.
This fence charger rocks a huge 15 joule or 110V power output. With or without weed, it will perform the same. It delivers a shock to remember. Once it gives a shock to your livestock, it will never look twice to be around the fence. The same goes for the predators.
The body is made out of durable plastic that can withstand harsh weather conditions. But the downside of Gallagher M1500 is the heat. It performs poorly in excessive heat.
The Gallagher M1500 has an adaptive volt output technology that can sense the condition of the fence’s wire. If it is muddy or the weed has reached the wire, it will deliver more power than usual. Pretty slick, isn’t it?
It works fine with a large number of cattle, sheep, horses, bulls, pigs, and any other wildlife. Long-haired or short, it will perform the same.
This fence charger works fine with any type of wire. Be it steel or poly-covered. It will deliver the same amount of power for protection.
It features power output bar graphs that show you how much energy it is delivering.
The warranty is 3 years for Gallagher M1500. Gallagher has been in the market since 1938, so it is imaginable how good the product can be.
Pros:
- Amazing output, even on poly wire or turbo wire.
- Supports a large acre of land.
- Protects a wide range of animals regardless of hair size.
- Price is lower than other competitors.
Cons:
- Excessive heat is the enemy.
5. Solar Powered Fence Charger Energizer Panel from Pet & Livestock HQ
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Easy to install, durable, and highly efficient, can be called to one fence charger. It is Pet & Livestock HQ’s Solar Powered Fence Charger. This little thing is like a kids LCD panel board that they used to write one.
But don’t be fooled by its looks. It packs a 2.3W monocrystalline silicon solar panel and a 7.4V Panasonic Lithium-Ion battery for backup power. It can create enough power to support up to 2 miles of fence. The 3.4Ah backup battery can support up to 10 days without any power.
It works in steel wire, poly wire, or poly tape. So there is nothing to worry about low voltage output.
It can produce 7500V to 1120V of shockwave, which is more than enough to make any livestock stay away from the fence. And make the predators run in the other direction. It works great for horses, cattle, bulls, pigs, and goats. Even you can keep the dog out of your garden to ruin your precious flowers. Only chickens run across the fence as it sends a pulse, like electrical shock not to harm any animal.
This Solar-powered fence charger is built out of durable polycarbonate which can withstand any weather or climate. The portable design and easy-to-install facility along with reading from the screen make it very efficient to install and move.
As it is a solar powered device, it requires very little light and can even work under artificial lighting. Which makes it more convenient as there is no need to make other power arrangements.
It also comes with lightning protection.
Pros:
- Lightweight, portable, and easy to install.
- Fully solar powered and can provide up to 10 days without any charge.
- Durable polycarbonate outer shell keeps it safe from any weather conditions.
Cons:
- Doesn’t work on chicken and smaller livestock.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Will the fence charger keep out a bear?
Most of the fence chargers won’t keep a bear out. But people who have bear problems have used Zareba EAC200M-Z 200-Mile and have got great results. The company doesn’t claim this though.
2. Will a 3-4 ft. grounding work for the charger?
It might, but you won’t get the best output. It is recommended you do it over 6ft.
3. Why is the energy coming out of the charger is in the pulse? It is not protecting properly.
The chargers are designed to output the energy in pulse so it doesn’t kill any livestock. it just shocks them to stay away from the fence. otherwise, a continuous flow might kill them which is not a nice thing for business.
4. Which fence charger works on poly wire or poly tape?
All of the fence chargers work on poly wire or poly tape. But they don’t perform well as on steel wire. Solar Powered Fence Charger Energizer Panel from Pet & Livestock HQ performs best on poly wire or poly tape.
5. Does the hair length of the animal matter to any fence charger?
Yes, it does. Some fence chargers won’t shock animals that have longer hair. So it is suggested to read about them before you buy one.
Conclusion
There are a lot of different kinds of fence chargers in the market. And all of them serve different purposes. If you have a normal number of animals or a small farm, you can use the Solar Powered Fence Charger Energizer Panel from Pet & Livestock HQ and Zareba ESP5M-Z 5-Mile. Both of them can perform great under harsh weather conditions. They are all solar powered and can give you a great backup for a long time.
For a large number of farms or animals, you need to have the Gallagher M1500, Zareba EAC200M-Z 200-Mile, or the Cyclops Boss 32 Joule. Because they are heavy-duty fence chargers and will keep anything off the fence. But the downside is, they are not waterproof and requires AC output to work. It depends on what your purpose is and all of them will perform their best.
Resource:
- Electrical Fence Installation Tips: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2022-10/Electric-Fencing-for-Livestock.pdf
- Predator Deterrent Strategies: https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/solving-problems-predators
- Solar Power for Farm Use: https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/solar-energy-farmers
- Safe Electric Shock Levels for Animals: https://www.avma.org/resources/pet-owners/petcare/animal-welfare-and-electric-fences