retractable electric fencing

[ayrabz]

Basically? the two I’ve been able to find are typically ‘used’ in setting up temporary corrals. One is German made (but sold in US too) and only has two tape strands http://www.roflexsus.com/index.php

(not what I was hoping for) one is Austrailian and I don’t know of a distributer here) . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXZPnTHK7ls Are there other brands you know of?
I am looking for something I can ‘pull out’ and across either to separate the run in and sacrifice area when needed, and or, to use and move to cross fence areas to ‘rope off’.

They basically? are a ‘tube’ post that has electric tape on an inner ‘reel’ and you simply pull and walk off the new division. (and hook up to the battery) this would be SO helpful for me on this little property where I need to separate and rotate, but don’t want the permanent fence line ‘all the time’.

anyone know of another brand or have any experiences with them? thanks so much!

[Finzean]

We know some folks that raise hogs and use this - were just talking about it yesterday. Maybe check around your area for someone who has pasture raised meats (hogs in particular b/c apparently you can easily use this retractable electric fencing to enclose wooded areas for the pigs to forage) that they have on a field rotation that involves chicken tractors and things like that

[Nancy1]

This Gallagher fencing unit is available in Canada so I imagine it would be available in the States as well.

www.Gallagher.co.nz/smartfence/

I would buy it if I was doing portable as I’ve seen it in person and liked it.

[King_s_Ransom]

Very cool Nancy!

Also available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Gallagher-G70000-Smart-Fence/dp/B009SXNA20

[ayrabz]

Thanks Nancy! I do remember finding that one too…I didn’t list it, because, I do? prefer the tape vs. the thin metal wire…(I have goofballs here) but it DOES look very user friendly. Like I said…I love the roflex. I just wish it was ‘3 board’ vs. two.

[Frog_Pond]

Retractable fence sounds awesome! I haven’t heard of it before now, but, I can think of two alternatives if you can’t find/figure out a retractable situation. First, Horseguard makes a stretchy tape for their gates and depending on how long you need it to stretch, I could see it working to separate a run-out. Second, goat netting – electric fence netting with built in step-in posts. Not as portable, but pretty easy to put up, and it comes in many heights and square-dimensions. I use a pipe corral panel to separate a run-in – wouldn’t want to use electric in there. When not in use it swings against the rear wall and is chained there. Works for me.

[Dance_To_Oblivion]

We are planning to buy the Gallagher Smart Fence for our sheep this year. I thought it was more a rope than a wire though.

[ayrabz]

Dance to: Thanks…I’ll take another look at it—Frog: thanks there too…I’m not intending to run it ‘into’ the run in. but to have it begin at outer ‘center post’ and just cross to the back fenceline of the sacrifice area, to make it into ‘two runs’ sort of when needed. inside the run in I intend a swing out stall panel or portable stall side to connect to same ‘post’ when needed.

[King_s_Ransom]

Ayrabz, I have a very similar set up in my paddock / run-in – but I used Horseguard tape and step-in posts. It looks like it was set up by a drunk person, by the way – very zig-zaggy despte my best efforts to be straight.

It works fine – looks like crap and was not easy for me, mainly because I had to do it when the ground was hard and dry in the dead heat of August. Otherwise, it’s a pretty simple solution. It MIGHT be easier than retractable … sometimes those kinds of things look easy, but I can imagine that spool and post contraption being a lot more difficult for a lady to manage than it appears in the video.

I used my big Rubbermaid cart (like a wheelbarrow, only decent) to carry my supplies and just wheeled down the row with my fiberglass step-in posts and then came back with the tape. If you are more handy than me, your line might look better. It took me about 2 hours to do a 120-ft. line with two “rails” of tape. I have a battery charger like the one in the Gallagher video, but I was able to tap into the electric that is already around the paddock and get a charge that way. I have used these same posts and same tape on many occasions, including temporary fence around my 3-acre lake when it was freezes over. Under normal circumstances, the step-in posts are easy to use – just not on frozen or rock-hard dry ground.

Also, that system is easy to buy, easy to move and easy to upgrade. Just buy more posts or more tape. It’s a thought – might be easier than that retractable contraption.

[AmarachAcres]

This is a great idea. Thank you for posting those!

[Foxyrab]

I do something very similar to what King’s Ransom does to run a temporary fence line.

I transfer the electric fence tape to one of these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/301464005651?lpid=82&chn=ps

In order to get a “somewhat” straight line, I’ve found that it’s easier to run out the tape, pull as much slack out of it as possible, and then put in the step-in posts to which you attach the tape.

[King_s_Ransom]

Foxyrab, I’m somewhat embarrassed to admit that is how I did it. Ugh! Can I just claim the excuse that it was really hot and the ground was really hard and … apparently I cannot see straight! Also – it was windy and hard to pull the tape straight.

I’m thinking in the future that I might use a chalk line like you use to mark baselines on a ball diamond … I dunno, it still works even if it’s ziggy-zaggy.

[Frog_Pond]

[QUOTE=King’s Ransom;7952983]
Ayrabz, I have a very similar set up in my paddock / run-in – but I used Horseguard tape and step-in posts. It looks like it was set up by a drunk person, by the way – very zig-zaggy despte my best efforts to be straight.[/QUOTE]
Oh, I forgot to admit to this, too! I never knew fences could lean in so many wrong ways until I put in corral panels and fiberglass posts for electric. My yard is currently sprouting about 20 unused, frozen-in-place fiberglass posts . . . I’ll get the tape up eventually. In the meantime, it looks like I was drunk-fencing :lol: I wish I was – this mess is actually my best effort. Best of luck, Ayrabz!

[hosspuller]

I second Foxyrab’s post. I use the exact same reel. (Buy it at Home Depot, same price, no shipping) And the same procedure. Pull the tape between two points. Set the posts. Place the tape at the top of the posts. Walk the reel back, placing the second strand lower on the posts. End result… Looks straight, keeps the horses in / out.

[ayrabz]

Thanks you guys. I was so ? hopeful the ‘fence in a post’ idea would be a good one for me…My sacrifice area is small, and the run in? I’m trying to ‘hinge’ some portable stall panels to the existing wood interior walls, so I can ‘swing’ them back out of the way for full run in use, or swing them out for stall set up. This way they’re ‘permanently’ ‘in’ there, but always able to be hooked back to wall and out of the way. I liked, therefore, the ‘mount the ‘fence post’ to the center post on the run in front, and only walk it off when needed/wanted’ idea…

[brody]

Love the reel. Great idea. I did the step in and tape version.
I moved about 200 feet of fence every Sunday through the fall. ( we have hay fields that had great second cut hay that the horses were able to eat standing until well into November this year).