Forgetting the electric fence

The part time boy · 06-06-2017 12:44PM #1

Saturday morning I went to check the suckler cows. I turned off the fense as I had a sick calf and I taugh i might move him and his mother back to another paddock. I did not in the end as the calf had improved. I gave the calf some electrolyte and a synolox tablet and went back up home.

This morning I found the cows in wrong paddock . Forgot to turn on the fecking fencer . They had one day left in the paddock and it would have been tight grazing so there was no way I was going to get away with putting them back in where they came from . On top of that they spend 12 hours in a paddock that's closed up 10 days.

Not good going as grass might be getting tight . I am very tightly stocked . Must book some culls in factory

If I am honest this is not the first time I made this mistake .

Anyone else ever forget to turn fencer back on .

Any tips . I was thinking if I kept a electric band on top of fencer and wear it when I turn it off .

Btw I not old I should not be forgetting things yet.

Jb1989 · 06-06-2017 12:51PM

Can't think of how I solve the battery fence.
But the mains fencer is inside the byre door.
I always leave door when switching off fence.
It's always closed At all other times.
If I see it open I know I've forgot something .

Biscuitus · 06-06-2017 01:35PM

I've done this a few times and its like they nominate someone to test the fence every day to see if its on.

bogman_bass · 06-06-2017 01:36PM

We've all done it.

I know a lad that has a radio plugged into the same socket as the fencer.

2 reasons: having the sound of people talking in the cattle shed helps with docility is his thinking

Other reason is if the radio is on the fencer is on

TPF2012 · 06-06-2017 01:51PM

Thinking of getting a mains fencer here. There is a small stream that separates around 4 acres from the main block here.I will be setting up the fencer and earth on the main block with a line extending onto the 4 acres. Just wondering will the fence be able to make the circuit through the earth from the 4 acre part. Looking at YouTube videos the circuit is completed through the subsoil from the live wire, through the animal and back to the earth. The stream flows on the bedrock, no soil connection between the blocks,I suppose it will be fine in good flows where the water will allow conduction but the steam can leave a dry bed in summer. Any ideas?

TITANIUM. · 06-06-2017 01:52PM

Ya it can be a right pain in the ass. I do the door thing the same as Jb. I have to drive past the door on my way out of the yard so you'd think I'd notice it. But I still get the days when I'm an hour into the commute to work and it hits you "Did I turn on the fence?" And the same thing after finishing up on the farm and after driving in home, Shower grub and ready to settle down for the night and "feck it I never turned on the fence".

I've put in allot of new fencing here the last couple of years and it's made some difference, once they have an education in strong current, you could leave the fence off for days and they wouldn't budge. Bar a few culprits, one cow is called 5 lights McGurk (Anything less then 5 lights on the fence and she'll move herself).

Mooooo · 06-06-2017 02:26PM

Is there a way of setting up the fence so you can leave the mains on when moving? For the reels here I put a regular plastic handle on the end along with a gate handle so I can stick up a wire and hook on the the gate handle in order to put the current on the temp fence. Only really turn off the mains if I need to fix the permanent fence somewhere. Have often forgot to turn it on but I reckon some cows have a sixth sense for it the feckers

Attie · 06-06-2017 02:34PM

The part time boy wrote: »

Saturday morning I went to check the suckler cows. I turned off the fense as I had a sick calf and I taugh i might move him and his mother back to another paddock. I did not in the end as the calf had improved. I gave the calf some electrolyte and a synolox tablet and went back up home.

This morning I found the cows in wrong paddock . Forgot to turn on the fecking fencer . They had one day left in the paddock and it would have been tight grazing so there was no way I was going to get away with putting them back in where they came from . On top of that they spend 12 hours in a paddock that's closed up 10 days.

Not good going as grass might be getting tight . I am very tightly stocked . Must book some culls in factory

If I am honest this is not the first time I made this mistake .

Anyone else ever forget to turn fencer back on .

Any tips . I was thinking if I kept a electric band on top of fencer and wear it when I turn it off .

Btw I not old I should not be forgetting things yet.

Part time
You could set up an alarm on your phone for 30 minutes or whatever time you think it will take you.

emaherx · 06-06-2017 02:42PM

The part time boy wrote: »

Saturday morning I went to check the suckler cows. I turned off the fense as I had a sick calf and I taugh i might move him and his mother back to another paddock. I did not in the end as the calf had improved. I gave the calf some electrolyte and a synolox tablet and went back up home.

This morning I found the cows in wrong paddock . Forgot to turn on the fecking fencer . They had one day left in the paddock and it would have been tight grazing so there was no way I was going to get away with putting them back in where they came from . On top of that they spend 12 hours in a paddock that's closed up 10 days.

Not good going as grass might be getting tight . I am very tightly stocked . Must book some culls in factory

If I am honest this is not the first time I made this mistake .

Anyone else ever forget to turn fencer back on .

Any tips . I was thinking if I kept a electric band on top of fencer and wear it when I turn it off .

Btw I not old I should not be forgetting things yet.

We all do it, but how about a change over switch at the shed you have it plugged in, so when you flick the switch it turns off the fencer and turns on a beacon or strobe?

J.O. Farmer · 06-06-2017 04:09PM

TPF2012 wrote: »

Thinking of getting a mains fencer here. There is a small stream that separates around 4 acres from the main block here.I will be setting up the fencer and earth on the main block with a line extending onto the 4 acres. Just wondering will the fence be able to make the circuit through the earth from the 4 acre part. Looking at YouTube videos the circuit is completed through the subsoil from the live wire, through the animal and back to the earth. The stream flows on the bedrock, no soil connection between the blocks,I suppose it will be fine in good flows where the water will allow conduction but the steam can leave a dry bed in summer. Any ideas?

There's posters on here know more than me on this but I have an idea that might work.

If you drive an earth bar either side of the stream and wire them together would the current enter the subsoil in the 4 acres pass between the earth bars and into the subsoil on the main block and back to completethe circuit.

patsy_mccabe · 06-06-2017 04:10PM

I have this setup not by design but did it as a short term thing. I have the mains fence line going across the main gate going into the home place. I unhook the handle to turn off the fence. As I always leave by the same gate, I cant but see the unhooked wire.

The part time boy · 06-06-2017 04:14PM

Thanks guys for all the suggestions .

I was thinking of the timer on the phone. Problem with this is I get the alarm and I no way near the fencer and I say to my self o yeah I must do that latter . And still forget !

The door and radio idea is a good idea . However problem is now that I am part time I don't spend time on the farm . So it could be a few days before I noticed door open or radio not on. That would have worked very well if I was still full time .

Setting it up with reels and gates so you don't have to turn off fence I don't think that work either as you always have to turn it off for some reason . If I move them it's not the time I forget to turn back on as it's part of the habit .

Thinking about it if I had remote turn on /off i only have to turn it off for few secs so I defo remember . You can buy sockets with a SIM card but there not cheap .

_Brian · 06-06-2017 04:17PM

TPF2012 wrote: »

Thinking of getting a mains fencer here. There is a small stream that separates around 4 acres from the main block here.I will be setting up the fencer and earth on the main block with a line extending onto the 4 acres. Just wondering will the fence be able to make the circuit through the earth from the 4 acre part. Looking at YouTube videos the circuit is completed through the subsoil from the live wire, through the animal and back to the earth. The stream flows on the bedrock, no soil connection between the blocks,I suppose it will be fine in good flows where the water will allow conduction but the steam can leave a dry bed in summer. Any ideas?

I think it will be fine without doing anything special.

patsy_mccabe · 06-06-2017 04:23PM

_Brian wrote: »

I think it will be fine without doing anything special.

Ya there shouldn't be any problem. A fence tester will show if its working.

larthehar · 06-06-2017 04:33PM

What i did was have a handle at mains that is wide enough to cross the road way. So when i drive in.. to disconnect i unhook from the mains and swing across the lane and hook on to an insulator.. when i am leaving the wire is physically blocking the roadway so i have to get out to open it.. again a method developed after 20 continental bullock went for a hooly in the field of barley!

C0N0R · 06-06-2017 04:40PM

Instead of plugging the radio out when you turn the fencer off, plug a radio in, therefore when you get back to the yard you will hear voices and cop it. Or leave the keys on top of fencer so you can't leave the yard without them?

Sam Kade · 06-06-2017 04:40PM

The part time boy wrote: »

Thanks guys for all the suggestions .

I was thinking of the timer on the phone. Problem with this is I get the alarm and I no way near the fencer and I say to my self o yeah I must do that latter . And still forget !

The door and radio idea is a good idea . However problem is now that I am part time I don't spend time on the farm . So it could be a few days before I noticed door open or radio not on. That would have worked very well if I was still full time .

Setting it up with reels and gates so you don't have to turn off fence I don't think that work either as you always have to turn it off for some reason . If I move them it's not the time I forget to turn back on as it's part of the habit .

Thinking about it if I had remote turn on /off i only have to turn it off for few secs so I defo remember . You can buy sockets with a SIM card but there not cheap .

How about getting a wrist band leave it on the fencer and put it on your wrist when you turn off the fence.

The part time boy · 06-06-2017 04:46PM

Sam Kade wrote: »

How about getting a wrist band leave it on the fencer and put it on your wrist when you turn off the fence.

Ya that was my idea in the original post with the elastic band . Maybe I did not explain it very well. But put the elastic band on when I turn fence off .

Probably cheapest solution.

I walk to the yard so keys would not work .

patsy_mccabe · 06-06-2017 04:52PM

Leave your car keys at the fencer. Cant leave without those.:D

Attie · 06-06-2017 05:06PM

Maybe not so expensive either.

GSM Smart switch

The part time boy · 06-06-2017 05:10PM

Attie wrote: »

Maybe not so expensive either.

GSM Smart switch

I that's cheap . Saw them before for 240 euro

SGSM · 06-06-2017 05:16PM

Not from a farming back ground but something that might work is sticking something in the ground nearby that ya can't miss and when ya look at it, it will remind ya about the fence. We do something similar to remember to secure the dogs pen.

Mf310 · 06-06-2017 05:51PM

SGSM wrote:

Not from a farming back ground but something that might work is sticking something in the ground nearby that ya can't miss and when ya look at it, it will remind ya about the fence. We do something similar to remember to secure the dogs pen.

Exactly what i do have a pigtail post beside where i turn off the fence and put it in the middle of the lane so i cant drive off without turning it back on

Injuryprone · 06-06-2017 08:18PM

What I did was buy one of those gsm sockets. That way I can turn it off from the field only when I need to. And turn it back on straight away after. Less likely to forget it that way. Best few quid I ever spent

Nekarsulm · 06-06-2017 08:54PM

Mooooo wrote: »

Is there a way of setting up the fence so you can leave the mains on when moving? For the reels here I put a regular plastic handle on the end along with a gate handle so I can stick up a wire and hook on the the gate handle in order to put the current on the temp fence. Only really turn off the mains if I need to fix the permanent fence somewhere. Have often forgot to turn it on but I reckon some cows have a sixth sense for it the feckers

One of these? And place it whereever suits the block of land. Ideally in a place that you have to walk past going back after shifting the fence.

http://www.paddockperfection.co.uk/fenceman-electric-fence-isolater-switch-cut-out-switch--circuit-breaker-152-p.asp

satstheway · 06-06-2017 11:46PM

I have the same gsm switch here. Great job. U can ring or text it . Text it the on code if not sure if switch on or off.

Same sim on its 2nd year. Costs nothing.

The part time boy · 06-06-2017 11:50PM

satstheway wrote: »

I have the same gsm switch here. Great job. U can ring or text it . Text it the on code if not sure if switch on or off.

Same sim on its 2nd year. Costs nothing.

Is that the same one as the link above ?

mf240 · 07-06-2017 12:15AM

I have been known to turn off the fencer to move a wire. And when I get to the field I'm not sure if I did turn it off and have to go back to check,

Muckit · 07-06-2017 12:17AM

Well u definitely qualify for a shoe in the hole!

The part time boy · 07-06-2017 12:23AM

mf240 wrote: »

I have been known to turn off the fencer to move a wire. And when I get to the field I'm not sure if I did turn it off and have to go back to check,

I often do that . I actally walked Into the workshop other day turned of fence . Walked out 20 feet and asked my self " did I actally turn it off "

Nekarsulm · 07-06-2017 12:43AM

mf240 wrote: »

I have been known to turn off the fencer to move a wire. And when I get to the field I'm not sure if I did turn it off and have to go back to check,

If you have a metal fence post with you, just stick the spike in the ground along the fence wire and lean the post in towards the wire until it's 5 or 6 mm away.

If the fence is on then a spark will jump to the earthed post. (Like a spark plug, same principle)

No shock will go to you.

It's also a rough and ready way to judge the strength of shock in a fence.

Forgetting the electric fence

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