How to train calves to an electric fence..

[Dixieangus]

I was wondering how to train calves to an electric fence...Im gonna put them in a little corral because there pasture is a 4 strand electric and i needed to train them

 

[dun]

Set the corral up so that they have to go around the hotwire to get from one thing they want to the other. Water to shade, water to feed, whatever.

 

[Dixieangus]

So your saying put up a strand of electric through there corral and feed them on one side and water on the other

 

[K2011]

this may sound a little mean but our calves have to learn the hard way...but they very very seldom get shocked b/c they smell the wire before going too close and then they back away...it's like they can smell the electricity...???? (we used to tie flagging tape/string on the wire and they would see that hanging)

 

[Bez+]

Put them in a small electrically fenced pen.

Take some light wire and hang a few aluminum pie plates from fence with this light wire

Bez+

 

[Texas PaPaw]

My receiving/training corral is about 40' X 100'. On the opposite end from where they are unloaded I have 40 ft of electrified polytape just inside the corral fence. The reason for using polytape is it will flutter with most any breeze and cattle being curious will sniff it and zap!, they are trained. Most of the time these cattle are turned into larger pastures with electric crossfencing the next day and rarely do we have one that crosses the hot wire.

FWIW-electric fence is a mental barrier not a physical barrier. Once trained, 1 visible hot wire should do the job. Except for training areas or along public roads, multiple wire electric fences are usually overkill for most cattle. Occasionally, I have had an exceptionally high strung animal that will jump over a single wire lane fence when being corraled. Because of this, the last 300 ft of the lane that goes into my corral is now 2 wire. One wire at 2ft and 4ft. Since adding the second wire, I have not had a jumper (3+ yrs)when corralling them and this includes a couple of real nutjobs. Also, I use polytape for all gates and the last 100ft before the corral because of the tape's increased visibility.

 

[angie1]

(we used to tie flagging tape/string on the wire and they would see that hanging)

Take some light wire and hang a few aluminum pie plates from fence with this light wire
Bez+

Good ideas here! :clap: I have used the flags, but had not thought of pie tins.
Egg cartons work too if you can get your hands on enough. :nod:
Take them off when the calves learn the fence.
Sure beats chasing calves back in.

 

[grannysoo]

All of the mothers are well trained already, so they know the rules. When the calves come along, we have one area that is where we first teach the calves. That area is about 5 acres, has 2 strands of hot wire, and runs off a 100 mile charger. If you touch that wire, it will rattle your teeth it hits so hard...

After hitting this wire a time or two, they're respectful and ready for the big fields.

 

[lakeportfarms]

All of the mothers are well trained already, so they know the rules. When the calves come along, we have one area that is where we first teach the calves. That area is about 5 acres, has 2 strands of hot wire, and runs off a 100 mile charger. If you touch that wire, it will rattle your teeth it hits so hard...

After hitting this wire a time or two, they're respectful and ready for the big fields.

We have a small pen with about a 100 foot run of hot wire with a 100 mile charger on the top of the fence to keep the horses from leaning over to the cows hay. I was in the pen checking on some of the cows that were due, and my lovely wife was heading for a walk on the property to check on some of the other cows. I started to take the long way around to the gate to join her, and she suggested that I use the stock tank and climb over the fence at the corner bracing. I knew the fence was on but thought my legs were long enough to clear the hot wire. :dunce: As I was straddling the fence I heard the click... Either electricity doesn't travel at 186,000 miles/second, or what they say about your life passing before your eyes before you die is true, because I had plenty of time to think about what was about to occur. I assure you, rattling my teeth was the last thing I was concerned with. I think this summer I'll add a gate at this corner with a disconnect.