a yellow electric danger warning symbol on white

When I was a kid, my dad strung an electric fence around our horse pasture.

It was seldom electrified, so I suppose the horses learned pretty quickly to avoid it. I don’t ever remember the horses getting out, so I’d call it a success.

I will also never forget the feeling of grabbing ahold of an electrified wire. It’s difficult to describe, but if you’ve ever done it, you can attest that it’s an electrifying experience.

I’ve been toying with the idea of a short raccoon/possum/fill-in-the-blank-pest electric fence. It would surround the chicken coop and run and part of the garden area. If it worked, I could surround other garden areas as well.

If it didn’t work, I’d have a pretty expensive experiment on my hands.

From my research into the subject, a 3-wire system, or something along those lines, beginning 4-6 inches from the ground, then again a few inches up, plus maybe one top wire, would be about right for small, ground-dwelling critters, but would allow people to step over it, eliminating the need for gates.

We don’t seem to have a coyote or bobcat or larger animal problem.

I’m fed up with losing crops and chickens to nighttime marauders.

Do you think it would work? Do you think it’s worth it? It’s been a long time since I’ve been around electric fencing, and I was just a kid so I have no experience setting up a system, so I could use some pointers, recommendations, and pros and cons.

All-in-one kits or customized DIY versions? How about solar power?

I’d love to hear your stories and advice.