Cows don't want to drink from tanks when heaters are on

[Nowland Farms]

Just curious, but how cold does it get in Ala.

Yesterday high was 28 w/10-15 mph wind
Last night it was 16 w/5-10 mph wind
Today it was about 36 w/10-15 mph wind
Tonight is is suppose to be 18 w/5-10 mph wind

Friday & Saturday the highs are to be around 27 & lows are to be around 12

Avg temps for this week are: High 53 & Low 33

This cold weather is not usual for us.

 

[smallrancher]

with the temps that Nowland was listing, I wouldn't mess with the heaters at all, matter of fact at that warm, I wouldn't even want the 20 cent electric bill, I'd just bust the ice out twice a day. I don't turn the heaters on till it's colder than that. Molass, I wouldn't even worry about trying to figure out the problem for that.
P.S. if you did take your shoes off and try it, maybe you are no longer with us
, God rest your soul
Good luck

 

[Angus Cowman]

with the temps that Nowland was listing, I wouldn't mess with the heaters at all, matter of fact at that warm, I wouldn't even want the 20 cent electric bill, I'd just bust the ice out twice a day. I don't turn the heaters on till it's colder than that. Molass, I wouldn't even worry about trying to figure out the problem for that.
P.S. if you did take your shoes off and try it, maybe you are no longer with us
, God rest your soul
Good luck

I agree

 

[moloss]

well maybe up where y'all live that's warm but there's a reason I live down here.....I have a full time job (leave the house at 0600 and get home at 1730) so having the heaters for the cows, weaned calves, goats, pigs and the donkey is very, very helpfull......I may sound like a wimp but whatever I can do to lessen the amount of work around here is a good thing.

 

[pdfangus]

I live in Virginia and it is colder here than there.

I leave the house at 0500 and get back at about 1715 to 1730.

I bust ice and or fill tubs when I get home. the stock pretty quickly learns that water time coincides with feeding time. I leave them tanks full after they drink so they don't go without.

but in a hard winter we will have a stretch of maybe twenty days of hard freeze and then we return to more normal temps and then the solar storage tanks thaw and go back to working normally.

Does not make any difference if you have a full clean and thawed tank if the stock will not drink from it.

 

[novaman]

There is a way to test for stray voltage. If you have a voltmeter put one probe in the water and the other probe needs to be grounded somehow. I had issues with stray voltage and was able to get a reading with a digitial voltmeter but for life of me cannot remember the levels at which it starts to effect the cows. The only thing I can come up with is 0.5 volts but that could be wrong. I know it wasn't very much. Fixing the problem if/when you find stray voltage is a whole nother bag of worms.

 

[pdfangus]

There is a way to test for stray voltage. If you have a voltmeter put one probe in the water and the other probe needs to be grounded somehow. I had issues with stray voltage and was able to get a reading with a digitial voltmeter but for life of me cannot remember the levels at which it starts to effect the cows. The only thing I can come up with is 0.5 volts but that could be wrong. I know it wasn't very much. Fixing the problem if/when you find stray voltage is a whole nother bag of worms.

Has to be a digital meter and the voltage is much less than .5 volts.

i think cows are sensitive to milivolts if I recall correctly. It has been ten years since I dealt with it.

 

[ChrisB]

Otherwise you can just water them when you get home from work and just give them what they will drink. My cows only come home once a day to drink, while it is nice to give them access all the time they will do just fine for the week or so when they only get water once a day.

 

[redcowsrule33]

We had the same problem suddenly this fall and it had nothing to do with the heater but the new higher powered electric fencer we installed in the spring. Most of the fence was disconnected for the winter and that afternoon the cows refused to drink. Turned out it was grounding out through the waterer (we had the ground rods too close to the underground pipe). Couldn't feel a thing, either, but a little household voltage detection pen picked it up right away. Changed out fencers and the problem was solved. I am inpressed with that little pen - it can detect charge on the fence from 3 feet away with the old fencer on it.

 

[pdfangus]

is this what you call a voltage detection pen?

LCD Display Digital AC DC Voltage Detector Tester Pen

Market Price: $16.99 Our Price: $4.99
Model Number : a09042400ux0002
This voltage tester pen is light and small, easy to carry. It can test domestic appliance, electronic element, circuits, AC, DC, high voltage, etc


http://www.uxcell.com/lcd-display-digital-voltage-detector-tester-pen-p-37352.html

for some reason i still cannot post an image on this forum. so i put in the link.

 

[jkwilson]

Here's a little test to help figure out the problem. Turn the plug on your heater over so only the ground pin plugs into the extension cord and see if the cows react any differently. If they are being shocked then, it indicates that the soil around the tank is at a higher voltage than the electrical system ground. If they drink normally, it might indicate a problem with your electrical wiring. Another test is to drive a conductive rod like an electric fence post into the ground and measure the voltage between that and the ground lead of the extension cord. Check it on AC and DC both.

At least three or four possible causes that come to mind.

First is an inadequately grounded electric fence. Should be easy to check.

Second is a loose ground lead, poor ground connection or loose neutral wire at your electrical service panel. Some areas are prone to ground rod corrosion, and require periodic replacement. You can check it yourself, or call in an electrician.

Third is other sources of stray voltage. Defective well pumps are a common cause, and it could even be a neighbor's pump. Poor grounding practive by the utility provider is the most common cause in rural areas. They might be able to help, but they might be totally clueless too.

If you have unidentified stray voltage, you might be able to get the cows drinking by putting a ground rod at each tank and running a copper wire from the rod into the water.

 

[redcowsrule33]

is this what you call a voltage detection pen?

LCD Display Digital AC DC Voltage Detector Tester Pen

Market Price: $16.99 Our Price: $4.99
Model Number : a09042400ux0002
This voltage tester pen is light and small, easy to carry. It can test domestic appliance, electronic element, circuits, AC, DC, high voltage, etc


http://www.uxcell.com/lcd-display-digital-voltage-detector-tester-pen-p-37352.html

for some reason i still cannot post an image on this forum. so i put in the link.

Something like that. The one we have is a Fluke Voltage alert. Works great.

us.fluke.com/usen/Products/Fluke+VoltAlert.htm

 

[kscowboy]

These heaters are notorious for failing , many right out of the box , get new ones .
To test for stray voltage , strip down to your scivies , get bare foot , run a bit of water out on the ground , stand in it , stick your tongue in the tank. have cell phone nearby and have better half with a camera and have her post pics here ASAP.

Or....you can watch the animals drink without getting shocked.

I've replaced two older ones this year for the same issue , watched the horses jerking out of the tank , couldn't feel anything , cuz ive got shoes on and used my hand to check . Takes them a day or so to try it again after getting jolted.