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Do electric fences work for cattle?
By: The Moo News Network
Interviewer: Do electric fences work for cattle?
CowboyBenWade: Electric fences are not a good option for cows. When we started in the cow business, we put up electric fences around all our fields. They were a constant problem, and we have gradually been replacing them with square cow fencing. It's more expensive and takes longer to install, but it is well worth it.
Interviewer: What types of problems did you run into with the electric fencing?
CowboyBenWade: Lightning is a major killer of electric fences. You have this box that hooks up to the power grid, and all your fences run on that one box. Well, lighting, when it hits anywhere remotely near that box, will ruin the whole box. So you've got to go buy a new box. Granted this doesn't happen every week, but even a few times a year makes it start to get really annoying.
But that's not even the biggest issue with electric fencing - grounding is the main problem. Any tree limb that falls across the wire will ground it out, and you have to get in your vehicle and drive around the perimeter of all your fences until you find that tiny twig lying against the wire. Sometimes it's very hard to find, and it can take hours to find it.
Interviewer: Would it help to just cut all the trees from the edges of your field so there is nothing to fall on the fences?
CowboyBenWade: That would work in practice, but often it's not realistic to do that. Sure, if you're in the midwest where there aren't any trees, then yes it will work. But if you're in an area where there is lots of undergrowth and oak trees that are constantly coming up, it's a problem. Sometimes a small oak tree will just start growing right beside your fence, and when it gets tall enought, it will ground your wire out.
CowboyBenWade: Electric fences are not a good option for cows. When we started in the cow business, we put up electric fences around all our fields. They were a constant problem, and we have gradually been replacing them with square cow fencing. It's more expensive and takes longer to install, but it is well worth it.
Interviewer: What types of problems did you run into with the electric fencing?
CowboyBenWade: Lightning is a major killer of electric fences. You have this box that hooks up to the power grid, and all your fences run on that one box. Well, lighting, when it hits anywhere remotely near that box, will ruin the whole box. So you've got to go buy a new box. Granted this doesn't happen every week, but even a few times a year makes it start to get really annoying.
But that's not even the biggest issue with electric fencing - grounding is the main problem. Any tree limb that falls across the wire will ground it out, and you have to get in your vehicle and drive around the perimeter of all your fences until you find that tiny twig lying against the wire. Sometimes it's very hard to find, and it can take hours to find it.
Interviewer: Would it help to just cut all the trees from the edges of your field so there is nothing to fall on the fences?
CowboyBenWade: That would work in practice, but often it's not realistic to do that. Sure, if you're in the midwest where there aren't any trees, then yes it will work. But if you're in an area where there is lots of undergrowth and oak trees that are constantly coming up, it's a problem. Sometimes a small oak tree will just start growing right beside your fence, and when it gets tall enought, it will ground your wire out.
About the Author
CowboyBenWade does interviews and lectures on a huge variety of topics, and he is an expert in a multitude of fields. His knowledge includes but is not limited to: engineering, chemistry, aviation, cooking, and farming.
Much of the world is clamboring to interview him at any given time. This is a transcript of one such interview.