Electric Fence
electric fence
[i¦lek·trik ′fens]Electric Fence
a length of thin, steel wire strung between fence posts and periodically energized with short, low-power electric pulses. An electric fence is used to enclose plots on which livestock are pastured in rotation grazing. An animal that touches the wire completes the electric circuit and receives a brief shock. Animals quickly develop a fear of the wire. Storage batteries with a voltage of 6 volts or less serve as the power source for an electric fence. The wire is strung 40 to 80 cm above the ground, depending on the type of livestock that are grazing.