Electric Fences Are the Bane of My Existence.

I think our electric fence represents the poorest return on investment of anything on our farm. I've spent hundreds of dollars and wasted countless hours on it, yet it works only feebly and sporadically. I've bought two shock boxes and walked the perimeter over and over again, making sure that there is no unlawful contact between things that shouldn't touch each other. I've cut my hands pulling wire tighter and tighter. I've bought special tools to test it and hired handymen to fix it, yet it defies all attempts to force it to actually shock a living animal. I can put my hand on it and feel only a dim, unpleasant tickling sensation. The goats probably can't feel anything, through their fur. 

I had to put all the animals in the small pasture with the alpacas this morning so that the guy with the excavator can come and excavate all the trash. The plan is to keep them all in the small pasture for about six weeks, while the new grass that I'm going to plant gets established. But that plan won't work unless the electric fence does. 

For the moment, I'm at a loss.