Electric in Winter?

[cowkeeper]

Real Beginner question! Does electric fence work in winter, where the ground freezes several feet deep? If so, will it energize one strand, or do you have to arrange the wires differently?

 

[dun]

Wroks just fine in forzen ground. Maybe even more effective because it's so sold and stuff is more sensitive.

dun

 

[ENNOT]

We run electric fence year 'round. Never have had a problem, except when neighboring cattle are moving to a new circle and decided to jump in with ours.

 

[travlnusa]

Does snow drifting over the wire cause a problem with the fence?

I will be facing that issue this winter.

 

[dun]

THe drifitng snow would be a problem. It would probably ground it out plus there wouldn;t be the visual cue to the cattle that there is a boundry.

dun

 

[travlnusa]

THe drifitng snow would be a problem. It would probably ground it out plus there wouldn;t be the visual cue to the cattle that there is a boundry.

dun

I had thought about the visual part, and was thinking about the ground out issue. Will work on plan b.

Thanks

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

I dunno how cold the ground gets where you're at, but up here, electric fence becomes non-functional in the winter due to frost. To get around it, just make your bottom wire a continuous run and attach it to the ground of your fencer. A cow will always get hit if she tries to get through, plus it won't matter if the ground gets covered by snow.

Rod

 

[ChrisB]

If the cows have hay in front of them, they really don't seem interested in going anywhere in the winter. There isn't anything for them to reach under fences for and walking through snow is just extra work for them. If you have a fence up whether it is electrified or not, I don't think you will have a problem.

 

[cowkeeper]

DiamondS, what do you mean by a "continuous run"? Say I need two strands, top strand hot - (to stop them squashing over light paige wire), do I have to run that ground wire in a complete circle? Or, can I run it from the fencer/ground rod, in a line that stops at the end of the fence row?

 

[somn]

5 feet of frost and a snow pack on the top of the ground and it still works just as good as it does in the summer.

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

DiamondS, what do you mean by a "continuous run"? Say I need two strands, top strand hot - (to stop them squashing over light paige wire), do I have to run that ground wire in a complete circle? Or, can I run it from the fencer/ground rod, in a line that stops at the end of the fence row?

Run it from the fencer straight out. You can stop at the end of the run, versus looping back. I just noticed you were in Ontario, so I don't know what your frost line is like, so you may not have to go that route. Our frost line extends down 8, 9 feet, and you cannot make ground through 3 feet of snow pack and 9 feet of frost. I also like the bottom wire ground so in the summer when I get alot of grass build up, it'll burn the grass off easier...

Rod

 

[cowkeeper]

Thanks Rod. Water lines here are buried four feet.