Canesisters 2024 journal

[farmerjan]

Yes he was being a jerk... BUT.... if she was in heat, then all bets are off... and yes, they like company... but when in heat... then company is essential. Not sure how to make her stay home if she is cycling.

 

[Mini Horses]

Can she be penned in the barn? Or is a paddock by barn possible & secure enough? Cattle can jump extremely well!!! You may need a taller fence/higher hot wire for a smaller pen. Need a friend? Want a goat

 

[Baymule]

Yes! She needs a goat!

 

[canesisters]

If I thought my fences would hold a goat I'd have several.
I am looking for a donkey.......

 

[Mini Horses]

Better choice for containment & friend to Ava.

Do you plan to rebeeed her?

 

[canesisters]

!
Back to fencing drama

I got home this AM & Eva was happily eating hay in the pasture.
(My hay guy came Tues afternoon so there are the 3 bales I got from TS in the feeder & 2 round bales ready to drop a needed. )
I gave her a couple of pumpkins, plopped the new trough de-icer in her water & went in to get some sleep.
About noon I woke up & went to check on her.... in my PJs "cause it wasn't going to take but a minute
Gone...... again
Luckily she was in the woods just outside of the pasture. I shook feed, hoping she would show me where she was getting out but that didn't work. I started walking the fence lines with the bucket - & her following - and finally found a suspicious spot. A small cedar tree/bush was just under the fence line & the fence above it was loose/ slack. Sure enough, she came through using the bush as insulation.
I turned off the power, got the fence nice & tight, turned it back on.
Then I though a nice grooming session would be good. She had burrs all over from her walkabouts the past 2 days. I though things were going great. She seemed relaxed & happy.
Then she suddenly turned, walked away and RIGHT THROUGH THE FENCE LIKE IT WASN'T THERE. Same spot she had been using.

I got her back in & put her in the barn. Then started trying to troubleshoot.
Checking the the hot side at the box - I'm getting 7000v. But at the other end of the buried lead, where it connects to the fence - 2000v.
I tried a couple of different lead wires to connect directly to the paddock - instead of the posture (closer & where her new favorite spot is) but each of those were reading 2000v at the box no matter what I did.?? Take them off - the box is putting out 7000+, put them on & even the post on the box will only read 2000v.

I'm frozen I'm frustrated.
I'm still really tired from work & not getting much sleep before this last shift.
I think I'm going to haul some hay in & a couple buckets of water, leave her securely locked in her 3-stall suite, get some more sleep & try again in the morning. I'm off tomorrow night, so have all day tomorrow & some of Friday to figure this out.
Oh.... and I just checked - 25 days ago she was bellowing.... so she might be in heat again. Although she's being quiet.... and it's a few days longer than usual

 

[Baymule]

Maybe it’s time for her to go have a conjugal visit with her baby daddy.

 

[farmerjan]

Try pouring a couple buckets of water on the ground rods. We have been extremely dry... and the rods are not making a good connection in the ground.
Then go along and check for any brush, grass etc that could be drawing the power down.

And even so... if she is coming in heat,,, or going out now... then you have to expect she is going to go looking.
Maybe the guy who bought her daughter would be interested in her if you continue to have problems and are not looking to breed her. You can only fight nature so much.

 

[canesisters]

3am thoughts

First: 2 of the 3 ground rods are in the drip line from the barn roof & would've gotten maximum use of any recent rain, but I'll add more water first thing in the AM.

Second: My first puzzle is why I'm getting 7000v at one end of the line carrying the charge to the fence but only 2000v at the other. The line is buried. It's also 'romex' type, if that makes any difference? Perhaps I need to replace it with something?
One of the leads I tried was a length of that cable made to go under gates. I couldn't get it to read higher than 2000 at the box.

Third: Maybe I should ask my hay guy if he has a bull all the time. Perhaps get her bred & keep the calf so there is a pair. But that will likely bring its own whole set of issues.

Fourth: Maybe it is time to give up on large livestock because of my ongoing fence issues. It's not fair to risk her safety (and the safety of motorists & neighbors) if she keeps getting out.
There is a WHOLE lot of deep emotional issues (over & above losing a pet) tied up that option.

Time for a little more sleep, a good breakfast with lots of coffee, then fence work after the sun is up.

 

[Baymule]

Is there any way to plan on a barbed wire fence?