Canesisters 2023 journal - turning my Disasters into Delights

[murphysranch]

I LOVE all this information FJan is giving you. And I ADORE the elephant idea on spending money to get it done.

 

[Mini Horses]

Agree.....esp the charge going to ONLY field they're in as it does increase the shock simply by reducing the feet of line to energize. This is one reason solar can be an issue, beyond fact that they are not high joules.

Obviously wire is less than fence! So that's a consideration. Plus, once the old poly & rusted or spliced pieces are gone -- major charge improvement!

 

[canesisters]

I set up several home made cutoff switchs a couple of years ago by putting gate handles where the pastures meet the paddock & where I divide up the south pasture - so that I could only charge where they are (supposed to be).

 

[Ridgetop]

And what I learned from checking into the chargers for the electronetting is that when the charger rating tells you how many miles the chargers will electrify, they mean charging only one wire carrying a charge. If you are using 2-3 wires, the charger will only perform half or 1/3 of the distance.

We don't like electric fence because it requires a lot of maintenance for us. Steep hillsides, rocky soil, heavy brush where the sheep don't eat (like right under the electric wires) means we have to clear under the wires. Here it is impossible to do. We also need the higher fence for the dogs. In Texas on flat grass fields, hopefully we will be able to keep the fence lines clear with weed whacking. We will brush hog first, then install the temporary fence and clean under the fence when necessary. We are hoping that we will only have to use the electric fence until we can get approved to put in permanent fence.

 

[Ridgetop]

If tht neighbor keeps claiming that the cows are out, how about putting GPS trackers on them? Then you can check their whereabouts during the day. Knowing where they are at all times might take some stress off.

 

[canesisters]

If tht neighbor keeps claiming that the cows are out, how about putting GPS trackers on them? Then you can check their whereabouts during the day. Knowing where they are at all times might take some stress off.

That had never crossed my mind... I am DEFINATELY going to look into that.

Wouldn't that give Dad something to wonder about... If I called HIM one morning from work and said - Hey Dad, Eva is heading down the driveway towards your place. Can you go out and yell at her to go home please?

 

[canesisters]

And what I learned from checking into the chargers for the electronetting is that when the charger rating tells you how many miles the chargers will electrify, they mean charging only one wire carrying a charge. If you are using 2-3 wires, the charger will only perform half or 1/3 of the distance.

We don't like electric fence because it requires a lot of maintenance for us. Steep hillsides, rocky soil, heavy brush where the sheep don't eat (like right under the electric wires) means we have to clear under the wires. Here it is impossible to do. We also need the higher fence for the dogs. In Texas on flat grass fields, hopefully we will be able to keep the fence lines clear with weed whacking. We will brush hog first, then install the temporary fence and clean under the fence when necessary. We are hoping that we will only have to use the electric fence until we can get approved to put in permanent fence.

I still have to google the charger I have on the wall to do some research on it's specs - but I'm seriously considering switching it out for this one.

At the moment, I have NO IDEA about the joules output, or even the max miles of fence charged that my current charger is meant to do. I KNOW I've looked this up before, but can't remember.
We picked up the charger on an emergency shopping trip many, many years ago. The fella down the road who was keeping my horses until we got land cleared & fences up just announced one Friday that they had to be moved by the weekend. No reason, no discussion, nothing... just "Get them gone before Monday".
The 'north pasture' was cleared so we hung the charger, pounded in a grounding pole & literally walked around the cleared area stepping in plastic posts and pounding in a T-post here and there on a Saturday. Then on Sunday My Dad walked the pony, hubby walked the mule & I walked the silly TB the mile down the road with Mom following behind with emergency flashers going on her car.
Over the years I've expanded to include the paddock and 'south pasture'.

I'm still trying to understand how the grounding system is supposed to work. I've got 3 grounding rods in a line reaching roughly 40-50' from the charger (one of the rods is the one the power company installed at the barn's meter). I've been told that I need to have a 'grounding line' all along the fence - essentially a 'dead' line that is grounded at each fence post, attached to the grounding line running through my 3 rods, and possibly even attached to 2 extra grounding rods at the far corners of the pasture??

 

[farmerjan]

No you do not need a grounding line at each fence post. Most suggest 3 in a row, 6 ft apart, right at the charger area. They need to be sunk in a couple feet and if you are on the one from the power company then it is deep enough. But, I am wondering if that is a good idea... have no idea if it would adversely affect the grounding of your system. And 40-50 ft from your charger is more than ANYONE I know puts them. Extremely long distances might need another grounding but you would have to be running 2 lines on the posts... a hot one and a ground wire. If running both those wires, the animal would put their head through and body would be touching both and they would get a stronger shock... because their feet are making the ground with the ground they are standing on. 99% of the people I know do not do that.

One thing, wet/damp grounds make it much more effective. If this is a dry area, it may not be making a good ground. People will go out and pour a bucket of water around a ground rod if it is real dry. Doesn't have to be in a lake, just not bone dry drought stressed ground... If it is damp enough for plants to not be wilting, it is damp enough. But pouring a bucket of water on the ground rod/general area, never hurt anything.

If you have the time, go on the premiere website and watch some of the free video's about their electric fence installation. Good general info...

We have one ground rod at the one farm, about 2-3 ft in the ground... with the wire going directly above straight to the charger. I got knocked practically on my butt when I accidentally hit the hot wire.

Make sure the ground wire is not compromised. I am thinking that maybe you are not making a good ground. That is often the biggest mistake in electric fencing. Try going to only 1 ground - not the power company one - that is close to the charger- and make sure the ground is damp.... Use a fence tester with the multiple lights and see if the charger - disconnect all wires to the charger EXCEPT the ground wire... and see if the charger is putting out a good charge. Just have the probe in the ground from the tester, and touch the end of the tester to the terminal that you normally would connect the hot wire to. If it is charging good, then the problem is in the wire somewhere.

That charger is about the strongest I've seen... don't think it is worth the money for your operation...but something in the 6-12 Joule range should be more than enough for anything. You want to get above the 2-3 joule range for a good hot shock with some serious "stay put" for the animals.

You may have to face the fact that Eva is immune to the shock and if so, there is no way she will stay in... or she is jumping it clean and again... it will never work for her then.

 

[canesisters]

Thank you @farmerjan , I will definitely look up those videos.
The ground near the barn stays slightly damp... never had ANY trouble growing grass/weeds there. Actually, much of the property has little springs & spots that stay a little damp even in the driest months.
A couple of years ago - after that terrible ice storm in Feb - a guy from church came over to help me clean up the downed trees that had taken out a good bit of pasture fence. He's the one who told me I needed a grounding line..? I guess it's what he had done at his place. Anyway, I asked him for any advice he wanted to offer about my fence troubles and he said that my single ground rod was not enough. He came back, dug a trench around the front of the barn & laid a copper line from the original grounding rod - which is like yours, just the other side of the wall from the charger - across to the front of the barn to another ground rod inserted at a gate post & added a little line connecting it to the power company's ground too.

I did that 'measure' thing in google.maps and my total fence - IF I was to count 3 hot lines all the way - comes to around 6500'. So, that would be only about 1.25miles - right???
An article I was sneak-reading this AM said to get at lease 1 joule/mile - so something in the 10-12 joule range SHOULD push plenty of ZAP around my place, wouldn't it?

 

[canesisters]

I'm putting together 'The Plan' for fence work this Sat. It helps my anxiety to make detailed, step by step lists ... even though the actual work almost NEVER follows my plan

Google my current charger to see if it SHOULD be doing the job (there isn't any joules or miles covered info on it)
Test the charger out-going post to see what it's MAX output is on the fence tester
Check the ground rod connection for tightness
If I'm going to focus on getting just 1 line as hot as possible at the moment - it should be the bottom line.. right?
Make a list of any supplies I don't already have in my little 'fencing store' (thanks Big Barn Cleanup) and head to Tractor Supply
Make 'final' repairs - power it on, cross fingers & toes, and use that blasted, hateful fence checker

Long term plans will be to completely re-fence the paddock area in field fence with a line of hot wire at the top so that I will have 1 secure pen that isn't dependent on electricity, has access to the barn & the water trough - AND will provide a calf friendly place for any future births and new babies.
It seems that - if the measure distance feature in google maps is accurate - 1 roll of wire will JUST do it.