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Bale Grazing

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Rancher3!

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I am trying bale grazing for the first time, things are going well but I am having a hard time keeping the cows where I want them! I am using a hot wire but it doesn't seem to have much punch. I have a 6' ground rod pounded in. most things I am reading say to check the ground first. Has anyone ever tried the Gallagher fence checker. They are expensive but if they work it might be worth it. Any advice on electric fencing in the winter would be appreciated.
 
The fence checker is worth the price. It can really shortcut getting a fence problem figured out. They do not work under 500 kva power lines though. :( For that matter your fencer's life is shorter under there too. :evil:
 
a 6' ground is not much in the winter time unless the fence is pretty short.
A fence tester is a very worthwhile investment. I would contact lamb acres if you are in SK.
http://www.lambacres.ca
If you don't have a tester, you can't tell how much voltage is in the fence. You need at least 4.5kv to stop a cow and more is better.
Also, if you plan to bale graze long term, it is worth investing either in tinned copper polywire or aircraft cable as they are both way more conductive than the less expensive polywire.
FWIW... :lol:
 
I agree with these guys - not enough ground. I have 3 ground rods on mine, all 6' pieces of rebar pounded in 5'. I have them spaced 6' apart and connected with a black insulated wire that's quite heavy. When I tried getting by with 1 ground rod - even in the summer, I had issues. Went to 3 and our voltage is higher over long stretches. When they get hit with 8-10kv they train to it rather quickly. :wink:
 
PureCountry said:
I agree with these guys - not enough ground. I have 3 ground rods on mine, all 6' pieces of rebar pounded in 5'. I have them spaced 6' apart and connected with a black insulated wire that's quite heavy. When I tried getting by with 1 ground rod - even in the summer, I had issues. Went to 3 and our voltage is higher over long stretches. When they get hit with 8-10kv they train to it rather quickly. :wink:
Click to expand...

Rebar is not the best to use either, they do not conduct the right current for a proper ground and they are usually rusted. Use a non corrosive material such as copper for your ground rods as well as make sure you use proper ground connectors on each rod. The electric fencer that does the majority of the property here has 6 ground rods and the other fencer that does only 20 acres has 2, the ground rods are 8 feet down .
 
hillsdown said:
PureCountry said:
I agree with these guys - not enough ground. I have 3 ground rods on mine, all 6' pieces of rebar pounded in 5'. I have them spaced 6' apart and connected with a black insulated wire that's quite heavy. When I tried getting by with 1 ground rod - even in the summer, I had issues. Went to 3 and our voltage is higher over long stretches. When they get hit with 8-10kv they train to it rather quickly. :wink:
Click to expand...

Rebar is not the best to use either, they do not conduct the right current for a proper ground and they are usually rusted. Use a non corrosive material such as copper for your ground rods as well as make sure you use proper ground connectors on each rod. The electric fencer that does the majority of the property here has 6 ground rods and the other fencer that does only 20 acres has 2, the ground rods are 8 feet down .
Click to expand...

Beat me to it..

I used 6' galvanized ground rod this summer for the first time and it made a huge difference. In the past, I always used bare steel rod that would soon rust and I think that is why my power dropped.
 
Ditto on the grounding...
In our winter set up we have grounded each section of fence. There are no less than 6 - 10' galvanized grounds pounded 8 to 9' into the ground, and a couple of 6' rods. Makes a HUGE difference.
 
Gallagher SmartFix is a great tester, highly recommended. I also have two MBX 2500 chargers (two different grazing cells) with a remote. One thing I will give credit to Stafix for, is that they have chargers where the remote and tester are one unit. Gallagher has an all in one remote/tester, but it's only for a charger not sold in the USA.

How many Joules is the charger? You want a minimum of 3' per joule. Ground rods should be 10 ft apart and preferably one continuous wire connecting them without breaks. In the winter, a shock has trouble getting through frozen snow packed ground back to the rods, so a hot/ground system is best. I have managed to keep them contained with a single polywire though. Probably due to training.

Rebar or steel gets rust, rust prevents good electrical connections.
 
Thanks for the response :D
Installed another ground and gave it the hand test. Gave me a good jolt with rubber souled boots. Waiting for the tester to come.
 
I have seen cows walk through fences all winter because they could not see the wire. However, the cows seem to avoid the polytape we are currently using for swath grazing. So, if the above suggestions do not improve your control of our cattle, maybe give polytape a thought.
 
The farm supply store in Paradise Hill sells smooth wire that is supposed to be more visible too. They say it helps deer see it so they jump it instead of hitting it.
 

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