Tape or Rope

joellie

joellie

Well-Known Member
Apr 24, 2011
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N.Ireland
I am going to replace all my electric tape as it has been through the wars with my lambs..they have been constantly pulling down and wrecking the electric fence, posts are bent and tape has been broken in so many places that it is now a shambles.

I have always used tape but am getting fed up with it and was wondering if rope is better or not?
So my question is what do you all prefer, electric tape or rope and why?
 
I personally don't like either around horses, but when you have other stock you have to compromise. Rope is less likely to break and won't stretch and sag like tape does, you just need to put plenty of break points in just in case they get hung up in it.
 
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I didn't like the electric tape at all. I still have a load of it stashed away in the tack room in a frenzied looking ball where I tore it down:oops:
I much prefer the thin electric rope. Luckily ours are pretty good and respect it and it isn't that often I actually need to wire it up. They do have a proper post and rail fence which is the boundary to the outside and escape! So really the electric for ours is more maze and tiny paddocks for Storm etc.
I bought some from Robinsons many years ago and some of it is still okay. I have the yellow and green one I got locally which has been fine too.
 
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Just wanted to add - poor Mr T got tangled in it yesterday and fell over:(poor man, he was stepping through it and just got stuck!!!
 
Trewsers said:
I They do have a proper post and rail fence which is the boundary to the outside and escape! So really the electric for ours is more maze and tiny paddocks for Storm etc.
I bought some from Robinsons many years ago and some of it is still okay.
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Yes I also have proper boundary fence so the electric fence is for making my track and dividing into paddocks so the sheep have safe areas to escape too. I'm thinking I may try the rope o_O
 
I prefer rope for permanent leccy, but white so that it is visible, not green. Tape for temporary leccy fencing.
 
White electric rope. If it gets caught around your knees (as happened to me a couple of weeks ago) it will injure you, but it won't cut your legs off! Same goes for horses. Tape is much more dangerous.
 
They actually say horses can see the green or brown stuff easier than the white, white is just better for us humans.

I really rate the electric twine, it has the bonus of rope in that it doesn't catch the wind, sag and stretch and is also light enough that it works really well with plastic posts without needing to constantly reset them, it has the huge bonus (in my eyes) that it breaks under relatively low strain which means when Jess squeals and strikes and puts her leg through it she walks away pretty unscathed (Bo did it with 20mm tape years ago and very narrowly missed cutting into the hock joint, it was a bit touch and go). I just have wooden corner posts and half way posts on the long sides on my track around 2 acres and it has held up fantastically. If sheepies are just going under the fence then it could very well work for you, and should prevent sagging for them to get caught in :)
 
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I prefer rope or twine. Neither sag as easily and are longer lasting and I think give a better kick than tap does.
 
Jessey said:
They actually say horses can see the green or brown stuff easier than the white, white is just better for us humans.

I really rate the electric twine, it has the bonus of rope in that it doesn't catch the wind, sag and stretch and is also light enough that it works really well with plastic posts without needing to constantly reset them, it has the huge bonus (in my eyes) that it breaks under relatively low strain which means when Jess squeals and strikes and puts her leg through it she walks away pretty unscathed (Bo did it with 20mm tape years ago and very narrowly missed cutting into the hock joint, it was a bit touch and go). I just have wooden corner posts and half way posts on the long sides on my track around 2 acres and it has held up fantastically. If sheepies are just going under the fence then it could very well work for you, and should prevent sagging for them to get caught in :)
Click to expand...

I have the green and yellow leccy twine on one paddock and it does indeed break easily. Zi got a bit excited a while back and instead of jumping over decided to buck and squeal and caught his foot and snapped the fence line. No harm done though.
 
I have used tape or twine. I don't like the 40mm tape as it just bends together. So either 10mm or the 20mm stuff.
I have seen the rope put up by someone and it didnt have enough posts to support it, so it sagged badly with the weight but didn't get as much wind whip.
The 20mm tape again if it doesn't have enough post in, in an exposed field that gets wind whip.
 
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