How strong do you think this Eletric fence is

[Dixieangus]

I recently put up a 4 strand electric fence i dont know the gag of the top two wires but they are thick and pretty tight the bottom two are 17 gag and tight also...Im going to put the tape you put on wire on the 1st and 3rd strand so the cattle can see it and maybe put a strand of barbwire around the fence about a foot from the electric so they cant really get to the electric and plow through it {because neighbor has dogs and they may chase them} im going to put 3 calves in it but before i let them in the pasture i am going to set up a corral to keep them in for the first 3 day so they will get use to being fed and so they can calm down....So do you think it will hold some calves???

 

[dun]

In the corral set up a section of hotwire so they have to get used to going around it to reach either feed or water. After about a day they will know what hotwire is and if there is any juice on your fence at all you won;t have a problem. When chased I've had cows plow through 5 strand barbed wire. I prefer they run through hotsire so I don;t have to doctor cuts as much

 

[Dixieangus]

OK thanks Dun if i put a donkey in there would it keep out any the dogs or coyotes ??

 

[regolith]

You need to have a word with your neighbour.

It doesn't matter how 'hot' the fence is or how close the wires if the calves are being chased by dogs.

 

[Dixieangus]

That is true and i was going to talk to them and i may get a donkey for safety but to top it off the dogs are pits

 

[OLF]

If my neighbors had pitbulls running loose, I would be waiting at the fence with a gun.

I would avoid barbwire around the calves, they'll do fine with hot wire once they are trained to it.

 

[grannysoo]

Any dog that get is the field with my girls is dead. Chasing them or not.

My pastures = Bermuda Triangle for dogs...

 

[marksmu]

Granny - all I can say is Im glad I'm not your neighbor. This topic has been gone over time and time again....but in my opinion there is no place hot enough for people like you. Killing a dog is not something that should be done lightly....if the animal is someones pet and someones family and it happens to have wandered onto your property - you killing it is just wrong if it is doing nothing wrong other than being on your property.

IF it is an IMMINENT threat to your livestock, then I can see shooting it, but then only after you tried to catch it and approach the owners about it.

I understand many ranchers cant stand dogs - but ranchers need to understand that many dog people treat their dogs as family. All I can say is I am 100% happy not living anywhere near you. If someone shot my dog for crossing under a fence and nothing else, I dont know what I would do but I can assure everyone it would be something drastic, vindictive, and extremely costly to that other person tens of thousands of dollars and you would never know it was me...I hope you get neighbors like me soon.

I have cows and I have dogs...there is a thing called common sense, more and more I feel like everyone in this world has lost it... people who just shoot everything have lost it. You clearly have none and its a shame as your in the business of raising animals. One would think you would have more sense & empathy.

FWIW - I hate pits but I would have a long conversation with my neighbor long before I shot the dog unless it was attacking my animals.

 

[chippie]

A donkey can do a good job if the donkey is used to being with calves and cattle. Donkeys like to stomp small animals and some donkeys will aggravate and stomp calves.

Our neighbor likes our dog going into his pasture because Bernie is a Great Pyrenees. We have a large coyote population. They don't bother our calves or sheep, nor our neighbor's because Bernie patrols and marks our neighbors pasture as being his

We don't have a problem with strange dogs either.

ETA: Before we had Bernie, my sheep pasture had a five strand electric barb wire fence with the bottom wire about10 inches from the ground. It kept out dogs and coyotes. You want the bottom wire to be barbed so that if the critter should try to go under the fence, the barbs will penetrate the fur and touch the skin. If you are going to use hot wire, it may be better to string it to keep the dogs out.

Good luck.

 

[tom4018]

Granny - all I can say is Im glad I'm not your neighbor. This topic has been gone over time and time again....but in my opinion there is no place hot enough for people like you. Killing a dog is not something that should be done lightly....if the animal is someones pet and someones family and it happens to have wandered onto your property - you killing it is just wrong if it is doing nothing wrong other than being on your property.

IF it is an IMMINENT threat to your livestock, then I can see shooting it, but then only after you tried to catch it and approach the owners about it.

I understand many ranchers cant stand dogs - but ranchers need to understand that many dog people treat their dogs as family. All I can say is I am 100% happy not living anywhere near you. If someone shot my dog for crossing under a fence and nothing else, I dont know what I would do but I can assure everyone it would be something drastic, vindictive, and extremely costly to that other person tens of thousands of dollars and you would never know it was me...I hope you get neighbors like me soon.

I have cows and I have dogs...there is a thing called common sense, more and more I feel like everyone in this world has lost it... people who just shoot everything have lost it. You clearly have none and its a shame as your in the business of raising animals. One would think you would have more sense & empathy.

FWIW - I hate pits but I would have a long conversation with my neighbor long before I shot the dog unless it was attacking my animals.

I like dogs but when it comes down to a dog or a calf, I am sorry but the dog has to go if it is chasing cattle. If I don't have a gun to shoot it I will ask around to try and find an owner but if a gun is handy I am trying my best to shoot it if I see it after cattle. If it is just strolling thru that is another story. I would have to say all my neighbors that own cattle feel the same way.

Kentucky has a statue that allows you to destroy a dog harming livestock or another domestic animal.

 

[cfpinz]

I like dogs but when it comes down to a dog or a calf, I am sorry but the dog has to go if it is chasing cattle. If I don't have a gun to shoot it I will ask around to try and find an owner but if a gun is handy I am trying my best to shoot it if I see it after cattle. If it is just strolling thru that is another story. I would have to say all my neighbors that own cattle feel the same way.

Same here. If a dog chases cattle it's a dead dog, mine or anyone else's.

 

[mack]

Consider the fact that the electric fence is strictly a "psychological barrier" that has no physical holding properties when it comes down to the strength. If the fence is not hot or constructed properly, it is all but useless. Bear in mind however, that to a simple minded animal, a psychological barrier is much more effective than a physical one. If a bull rubs on a barbed or woven wire fence enough, he will push his way through it. Mine have proven this with cows in heat on the other side of a 6strand barb.

Most of the zoos in the US --Disney Animal Kingdom included -- utilize power fence to control elephants, tigers, bears, wolves... you will never see this in most cases because it is disquised as grass or vines. Granted it is not the only barrier to keep the bears from eating you, BUT it is the primary barrier to keep them from getting to the physical barrier which is usually a combination of moats and steel fence. Point of the rambling, have confidence in a properly constructed electric fence for cattle. Most of the breaches in electric fence are usually our fault as farmers due to cutting corners or quick rigging.

Also, know that 17ga wire will not carry anywhere close to the amount of electricity or "shock as hard" as 12.5ga wire. Electricity travels around the outside of the wire... the bigger the wire, the more current flow. Some polywires will even be more effective than 17ga wire due to the visibility, type of metal used(blended or single composition) and number of wires.

As stated earlier. Definitely get the animals acclimated to the electricity before you dump them into an open pasture.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Any dog that get is the field with my girls is dead. Chasing them or not.

My pastures = Bermuda Triangle for dogs...

What I need is more neighbors just like you

 

[lavacarancher]

It's already been stated above but the electric fence wire will only be needed once or twice. If one of the animals get into it that's usually all it takes. After that you can pretty much turn it off and they won't come close to it.

As far as the donkey is concerned I had one - once. Thought it might discourage the 'yotes. All I wound up with was a really mean animal that bite my calves, almost crippled one of them and the day he met his maker he had a full grown cow down on the ground chewing the heII out of one of her hind legs. .270 between the eyes took care of that.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

I have cows and I have dogs...there is a thing called common sense, more and more I feel like everyone in this world has lost it... people who just shoot everything have lost it. You clearly have none and its a shame as your in the business of raising animals. One would think you would have more sense & empathy.

Clearly you have never had a problem with dogs harrasing, attacking and killing your livestock and any other animal on your place.

I too have dogs and cattle. I understand how strongly some people feel about their dogs. I am one of them. However my dogs don't run loose all over the countryside.

I have had issues with dogs attacking, harrasing, and killing. I had spoken to the neighbor who owned the 14....yes 14 dogs doing the damage. The dogs wiped out my flock of chickens, chewed on the calves, killed another neighbors cat, killed a different neighbors dog and more. The owners of the dogs felt they had a right to let their dogs run loose regardless of what damage they did. Yet they had an absolute fit when one of the dogs was run over by a truck. When I spoke to the neighbors they offered to pay for half the chickens. They also made it very clear that they would do nothing to contain the dogs. And they too made charming threats (like yours) to those of us who spoke to them. I was not the only person to talk to them about their dogs. Fortunately the bank foreclosed on these people, they moved and they left their dogs behind (beloved pets :roll: ). Animal control took care of that. A different neighbor had 2 lovely 'pets' that did a real number on one of my cows, the pitbull hung onto the nose while the black lab latched onto the hind end. Very messy, costly and painful to the cow. Those same 2 dogs made a major dent in another neighbor's flock of chickens and wreaked havoc on some local sheep.

I have no problem with hunting dogs just passing through. 90% of the time that's all they're doing, just passing through and never bother anything on the place. And in turn, I don't bother them. And I have not had any issues with the occasional stray. Generally the stray is by itself and doesn't bother anything.

Walk a mile in someone else's shoes and you may have a different view of things.

Katherine

 

[SRBeef]

The first time I find a neighbors dog inside my fences or shed I call the neighbor and advise him his pet got out.

The second time I find a neighbors dog inside my fences we have a stronger conversation.

The third time I find a neighbors dog inside my fences there will be no phone call or conversation.

Fortunately we have not yet got to the third time.

 

[showing71]

That is true and i was going to talk to them and i may get a donkey for safety but to top it off the dogs are pits

I have a donkey for that purpose. I got him as a yearling and kept him away from the cows and calves until the calves were big enough to figure out to move if the donkey comes at them. When the cows got kicked out to pasture, I kicked the donkey out with them and had no problems with him trying to stomp calves. He was left with the cows during calving this year as a 2 yr. old and he didn't bother with any newborns. If you decide on getting one, I would make sure to acclimate him to your dog if you have one. He tried several times to stomp mine when they were out with me checking. After he got to know mine, he was fine. Even though he is used to my dogs, he has gone after the neighbor's dog several times and also some coyotes.

 

[marksmu]

"I have no problem with hunting dogs just passing through. 90% of the time that's all they're doing, just passing through and never bother anything on the place. And in turn, I don't bother them. And I have not had any issues with the occasional stray. Generally the stray is by itself and doesn't bother anything.

Walk a mile in someone else's shoes and you may have a different view of things.

Katherine"


There it is though - you just showed common sense. If the animal is not harassing its not a problem. My dogs are primarily inside trained hunting dogs - who could conceivably accidentally get out of the house...it happens. They would never harass a cow or a chicken...if they happened to cross over my neighbors property using the shortcut we use to get to our hunting areas, and someone shot them, I would be beyond mad & upset...that person would rue the day they ever touched, or caused something to touch my dogs.

Its common sense though - if its a problem with the same animal and its in the process of causing the damage, then I see the justification, and I will defend the ranchers actions....when its clearly a trained dog simply passing through or wandering around, and you shoot (like the genius Granny & a few others have said) then you deserve everything you have coming to you. And believe me, if it were coming from me, you would get it (though I would never harm another animal for revenge)

Im so sick of the lack of common sense from everyone in this world. Use common sense, dont paint every person or every animal with a broad brush...address each individual situation as it arises and the world be a better place b/c of your actions. Just use your brain. You dont shoot every person you see b/c they may be a criminal, so you shouldnt shoot every animal you see b/c it may do something wrong. Just use your danged old brain, its not hard. If you cant do that, you dont deserve to even own a weapon.

 

[ChrisB]

"... They would never harass a cow or a chicken...if they happened to cross over my neighbors property using the shortcut we use to get to our hunting areas, and someone shot them, I would be beyond mad & upset...that person would rue the day they ever touched, or caused something to touch my dogs.

Im so sick of the lack of common sense from everyone in this world."


Pot, Kettle?

 

[marksmu]

There is a big difference between common sense and revenge....Unlike an idiot and a person who shoots a dog on sight, revenge can be done while never losing sight of common sense, while shooting a dog just for being on your property cannot be done without making yourself a complete idiot.