When determining the electrical needs of your fence system it is important to recognize the difference between volts and joules. A volt is a unit of measure assigned to the electrical potential or voltage across a conductor. However a joule is a unit of energy or work done, to move an electric charge through an electric potential. The following are mathematical understandings of volts and joules, which later will be put into layman's terms according to choosing the correct energizer.

Electric fence chargers are are rated on stored joules, which is how much energy stored in the charger for each pulse. Output joules is the energy that can be provided or put out in each pulse.The higher the joules, the greater the ability the charger can still deliver and a strong enough electrical pulse with shorts or faults from grass or weeds, as well as larger paddocks. When determining the electrical needs of your fence system it is important to recognize the difference between volts and joules. A volt is a unit of measure assigned to the electrical potential or voltage across a conductor. However a joule is a unit of energy or work done, to move an electric charge through an electric potential. The following are mathematical understandings of volts and joules, which later will be put into layman's terms according to choosing the correct energizer.

You’ll first need to take a look at how many feet or miles of fencing you’ll be energizing with your charger. This will indicate the size electric fence charger you need, based on ratings of distance. However, from there it’s recommended to size up a charger or more to make sure you have enough joules to produce the voltage needed for goats.

Voltage is a measure of the electrical current moving through the fence from the charger. Possibly, lower voltage could work if livestock are properly trained to respect the fence and they have enough to eat in the paddock where they are enclosed. 

Choosing the right electric fence charger isn’t a straightforward decision. It includes a number of different factors including:

·  Distance of fencing used (double this if you’re using two wires, triple with three strands, etc.)

· Number of wires or type of fencing used

· Type of livestock being used with the fence

· Expected weed pressure

Typical miles ratings from energizer manufactures are based on a single strand of wire with no weed interference. In many cases with goats and sheep you’ll be using multi wires, strands of poly wire or a net fence, which uses more “miles” than a single wire. Additionally, it’s likely there will be more weed pressure on goat and sheep fence due to the smaller stature of small ruminants and their young stock. 

As a result, Volts measure the strength of the electric shock delivered to the animal touching the fence. The higher the voltage, the stronger the shock. Joules, on the other hand, measure the energy delivered by an electric fence pulse.