Soil moisture determines the conductivity (or not!) of soil. When the soil is dry, sandy or rocky, fewer electrons are able to be received by the ground system. The result is a weaker, less effective pulse that does not deter animals.

Try using a positive/negative (Pos/Neg) configuration in these conditions to ensure your electric fence has adequate grounding.

What is a (Pos/Neg) fence?

Pos/Neg fences are wired to use every other horizontal strand as an extension of the grounding system. In order to receive a shock from a Pos/Neg fence, the animal must touch both a positive (hot) and negative (grounded) strand at the same time. This will deliver more pain to the animal than an all hot net (Pos/Pos), because moisture in the soil is not required to complete the circuit.

Premier offers several styles of electric netting in Pos/Neg configuration for a variety of situations:

1. Dry, frozen or rocky soil

   Dry soil increases resistance and decreases the conductivity of a traditional electric fence system. A Pos/Neg fence overcomes this by connecting half of the strands to the fence terminal while the other half is connected directly to the ground rod. The separate halves are insulated from one another to prevent short circuits. A PowerLink is used to make the secondary ground connection.

2. Hard to fence livestock

   Some animals, due to heavy fur, dry hooves or minimal weight, are more resistant to a fence’s shock than those without. The connection between the animal and the soil is an integral part of any electrical fence system. Lightweight animals may make a poor connection with the soil. Upsize to a larger output fence energizer (more energy traveling in the circuit) or use a Pos/Neg fence to overcome poor contact.

Pos/Neg capable fences can be converted to Pos/Pos in moist conditions. Follow this link to learn more about grounding.