Last January the question was raised if ice coating affected electric fence. I finally have the answer. A half inch of ice coating reduced the voltage output to 300 volts, a quarter inch reduced it to 300 volts. I broke the ice away in those spots and got a reading of 7700 hundred volts. Normally it runs around 8900 but I think the wet grass frozen to the fence may be draining some of the voltage besides the insulative affect of the ice itself.
Ice and elctric fence.
- Thread starter dun
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hillrancher
Well-known member
I knew pure water is an insulator, wasn't sure if the rain water was pure enough to insulate.
When ice and snow comes I move from the electric fence, if I can. We use electric around the hay, that is out side. The cattle will test it when the weather is bad.
When ice and snow comes I move from the electric fence, if I can. We use electric around the hay, that is out side. The cattle will test it when the weather is bad.
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dun
Well-known member
hillrancher":3sqhgwgl said:
Ours must be stupid. They just seem to see it as a fatter wire then they're used to. Even when it's on the ground they won;t step over it. Doesn;t matter if it's on or off.
ga. prime
Well-known member
I never could decide if she was real smart or real dumb, but I had one old Hereford cow that wouldn't follow 60 others through an open electric fence gate.
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dun
Well-known member
ga. prime":1metxhpo said:
We had a steer that I was trying to move so I layed the polywire on the gorund, no dice. Removed it completely, still no dice. He would walk to where it had been and not cross. I finally pushed him a little harder and he ran down the no long existing fence to the gate and ran back up along the other side of the no longer existing fence into the corral. Would only have been a 30 foot walk from where he started but instead he went 300 yards out of his way. He sure was good eating though!
Jim62
Well-known member
Hmmmm. My cows must be either very smart or very stupid. It don't take them no time at all to notice that an electric fence is not hot. Don't know how they do it. And, when it ain't hot, it takes them no time at all to tear it all up to smithereens. Might be a revenge thang.
backhoeboogie
Well-known member
Jim62":375samgi said:
They send one of the youngsters up to check the box. Disconnect that little on pulse indicator light and they won't be able to tell. :lol: :lol:
bigbull338
Well-known member
cows can smell when the hotwire isnt working.an thats when some will break out.an if they get out they wont go back across the wire.heck some wont even go through the hotwire gate.an they will drive you crazy getting them through the gate.
