Cattle ranchers and hobbyists alike are discovering electrified fencing is a viable alternative to barbed wire for containing cattle. But no fencing product is perfect. Electrified fencing’s biggest downfall is a lack of power. What do you do when weather knocks out fencing by knocking out the power?
A loss of power is certainly not the end of the world. With the right preparations beforehand, a power outage does not need to disrupt a landowner’s operations at all. A few of those preparations are explained below. In the meantime, note that Mytee Products now sells electrified fencing materials including wire and several different kinds of energizers.
Start with Good Training
Cattle that have never been exposed to electrified fencing need to be trained before being put into the field. Training is fairly simple to do, and there are lots of online resources explaining how to do it. The point we want to make is that sound training is one of the best defenses against the power going out. Remember that cattle do not innately know when they are in the midst of a power outage.
Well-trained cattle rarely get close enough to electrified fencing to be shocked. In fact, they will stay several feet away from a fence line – at minimum. Some cattle are so leery of being shocked that staying 20 to 30 feet away isn’t out of the question. What does this tell you? That well-trained cattle might never know the power is out because they never get close enough to the fence line.
Keep Solar Energizers Handy
Another thing ranchers and farmers can do is keep a few solar-powered energizers on hand. During an extended power outage, cattle can be moved to a single field. The fencing can be temporarily disconnected from its hardwired energizer and connected to a solar energizer until power is restored.
This solution would require going out into the field to manually swap energizers in the midst of a power outage. But it is better than spending your days worrying about whether cattle have gotten out.
Run a Generator
In the absence of solar energizers, a farmer or rancher could run a generator or two to keep the fencing live. This is not the most desirable option as generators make noise and are subject to theft. But if it has to be done, it has to be done. Generators can run indefinitely as long as they are fueled.
The one advantage of using a generator is that energizers do not have to be swapped. A properly configured set-up would involve nothing more than placing a generator in a strategic location, plugging in the fencing system, and starting motor.
Keep One Barbed Wire Fence
Some farmers and ranchers maintain one field with a barbed wire fence just in case. In the event the power goes out for a while, cattle can be moved to that field. This may not be the best solution for somebody who cringes at the thought of cattle becoming entangled in barbed wire, but it is workable.
Power outages have been an inconvenience ever since electrified fencing was first invented. It is not a problem that spells doom and gloom for farmers and ranchers. If you know how to work with the tools you have, you can get by without power for an extended amount of time. Both you and your cattle will survive.
Mytee Products invites you to take a look at our hardwired and solar energizers for your next fencing project. Our electrified fencing materials are ideal for both permanent and portable containment systems.
