Its not a tractor, or tool, or implement or Ford.......

Texasmark · Jun 6, 2021

I have a new neighbor with a 4 acre pasture containing 2 cows and new calves. The setting is docile. Cows are relaxed and younguns are doing what younguns do. Going to split in two for rotational pastures with a hot wire fence. Question has to do with hot wire running down the center of flat ground, almost square.

Before considering the calves, I usually run a hot about 3' high and a cold about a foot below ...just talking about running wire, not the rest of the system. Considering the calves and the fact that they just love to lie down adjacent to a fence and get up on the wrong side...always, and to a fairly new born, getting shocked could be a de-stabilizing influence, (happened to me once a long time ago) the question is:

What would you do to keep the calves contained, one being about 2 weeks old, up and around, plenty of spirit, and the other about a month or so. Run another hot a foot off the ground (making it a foot below the cold)? I would like to know what you do.

Thanks,
Mark

caterpillar guy · Jun 6, 2021

We used to run a barb top and bottom with a hot in the middle the calves would stay in pretty good if the hot is kept hot and the barbs were tight.

paul · Jun 6, 2021

In my experience new calves dont care and dont mind, keep the cows in and the kids will come back. The little ones will cross anyhow.....

Paul

Tony in SD · Jun 6, 2021

X2what Paul said. Also I dont believe 4 acres is not enough for 2 cow calf pairs even with rotation.

Texasmark · Jun 6, 2021

That's not for me to say. Guy is an Urban transplant and has an Ag. exemption to maintain. Who knows what the future holds. On 4 will or won't depends on the 4. Thanks

Texasmark · Jun 6, 2021

With this few animals and being hand fed daily, Texas Longhorn breed, I don't see a problem with 2 and if the little one gets out there are ways to get it back in if it doesn't figure it out when mommy gets to hurting and bawling. I think I will leave it at hot top and cold a foot below.
Thanks

Texasmark · Jun 6, 2021

This guy/gal...didn't check, has already demonstrated its ability to make it through and back 5 strands of barbed wire alone. Probably don't need to worry about it. Thanks

muleman51 · Jun 7, 2021

All I ever use on the pastures is one hot wire. Calves figure it out fast. As long as cows stay home.

showcrop · Jun 7, 2021

I don't think that cattle have yet acquired the ability to get destabilized.

showcrop · Jun 7, 2021

Keystone needs one of those.

Determined · Jun 7, 2021

I set up about 1.25 mile of temporary hot wire to keep the critters back so I could rebuild an old fence.

Bottom wire about 15 inch up and top wire about 30 inch up, it worked so good that 10+ years later I am still using it.

On mine both wires are hot, I drove a piece of galvanized t bar in for a ground rod.

I used a 12 volt fencer and a generic 1 x 3 foot solar panel.
An old tractor battery keeps it going at night and on cloudy days.
Had to replace the battery once around year 6 otherwise it's been maintenance and trouble free.

Key is to leave it on year round otherwise the deer, moose, elk etc will make a mess out of the wire.

paul · Jun 7, 2021

Here you can run a pair on an acre until late August; then if it rains you are good, if it doesnt you need to throw some ditch hay at them. 50-50 chance on that. In Minnesota we have a long winter and a short summer, so grass only is around 5-6 months anyhow. We are usually wet tho and when it grows it grows a lot.

I can bet its different in SD or Texas!

Paul

TomA in CA · Jun 7, 2021

Hot wire needs to be nose high. One
for cows, one for calves. If calves
learn to go under they will run amock
and take out fence as they grow.

Texasmark · Jun 7, 2021

I'm using one grounding point at the charger and in the summer this clay gets mighty hard and very high in insulating abilities. For the cows on it, all they need is to get whacked once, but in the future he may add some and all. Thanks

Texasmark · Jun 7, 2021

I had it happen to a calf a few days old that got a good whack.

Texasmark · Jun 7, 2021

That's interesting and gave me a thought. Once I did see a herd of maybe 30 cows in a 30 ish acre pasture and the grass was
nibbled down almost to the dirt as was the grass on the other side of the hot wire about 3' out and then it was maybe 2' tall, clean
line as if you cut it with a mower. There was 1 strand of hot wire and it was no more than 10 off the ground. Never saw anything like
that but the cows respected it. I was totally amazed.

So a thought would be to have the ground on the top at about 3', or maybe 30 and have the hot down at at 15. It would be nose
high for a calf (that wouldn't need a big whack during the dry summer months) and on a cow, it would get a leg whack when it was
grazing and stepped too far into it to contact both wires....nothing says the top needs to be hot.

I don't remember the rule on cattle as far as which way they turn when getting smacked, like when you have a hot shot and are
woking them.....I know in the face and they will back up and in the rump and they will leap forward, but forget the location of the line
of demarcation. Anybody remember?

That would keep me from having to run 3 wires and also would be a lightening deterrent. Also, it would be a a lightening protector
like running electrical power distribution lines with the ground above the hot wire and a ground under/running down every utility pole.

What about that for an idea? Thanks

Determined · Jun 7, 2021

(quoted from post at 08:35:49 06/07/21) Hot wire needs to be nose high. One
for cows, one for calves. If calves
learn to go under they will run amock
and take out fence as they grow.

Other than when my battery died I have not had any problems with cattle on the wrong side of this fence with the wire heights I mentioned.

In one small pasture where I had the lower wire at calf nose height they would lay down for a nap next to the fence then would often get back up and be on the other side.

SVcummins · Jun 7, 2021

Run two hot wires the second about the top one at your hip level and the second about a 1.5 lower

Texasmark · Jun 7, 2021

In one small pasture where I had the lower wire at calf nose height they would lay down for a nap next to the fence then would often get back up and be on the other side.
Well that's what I am wanting to avoid.

Texasmark · Jun 7, 2021

Are you saying the top wire would be hip level and the second hot 1.5' below it?

Getting my tape out: My hip measures 40 ....that's what a couple of us kicked around...30-36...40 is close enough, second one would be 22. Since you run a whole lot more volume than I ever have, I respect your comment. Thanks

I think I will do what you say, maybe drop down to 36 and 18 and forget the ground accompanying idea. That will keep it at 2 wires and simplify the assembly process. Pasture is only 700' long and I am using a 6' grounding rod at the charger. With all the rain we have had lately, the conductivity will be more than adequate and by the time it dries out, they will be accustomed to the thing and I could probably just turn it off.

Case closed.

SVcummins · Jun 7, 2021

Thats what I have done with good success

Determined · Jun 8, 2021

(quoted from post at 20:32:10 06/07/21) Are you saying the top wire would be hip level and the second hot 1.5' below it?

Getting my tape out: My hip measures 40 ....that's what a couple of us kicked around...30-36...40 is close enough, second one would be 22. Since you run a whole lot more volume than I ever have, I respect your comment. Thanks

I think I will do what you say, maybe drop down to 36 and 18 and forget the ground accompanying idea. That will keep it at 2 wires and simplify the assembly process. Pasture is only 700' long and I am using a 6' grounding rod at the charger. With all the rain we have had lately, the conductivity will be more than adequate and by the time it dries out, they will be accustomed to the thing and I could probably just turn it off.

Case closed.

The 18 and 36 should work for you but as far as turning it off once they are accustomed to it that never happens.

A cow will walk by a hot wire fence and whether they can sense it, smell it, hear it or taste it I don't know but if there is good groceries on the other side they will continuously test it to see if it is on.

Once you turn it on leave it on as long as there are animals to be kept in.
If there is a lot of wildlife around leave it on all the time.

It also prevents them from using the posts holding the wire as something to scratch their bums on.

If you are using a 12 volt fencer be sure to locate it where they cant get at the wires or battery or they will pull it apart on you, I make a small hot wire fence around mine if I have to locate it where they have access.

Texasmark · Jun 8, 2021

Had a neighbor running hogs with a hot wire. Was over chatting one day standing by the wire and an old sow was walking the trail
they had made along the fence and she had her left ear up and within inches of the fence. He said she is checking to see if it's on. If
I have a lightening strike or power outage they are gone........

Its not a tractor, or tool, or implement or Ford.......

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