A2B-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 17, 2003 Penn State Cooperative Extension Capitol Region Dairy Team PROPER ELECTRIC FENCE INSTALLATION: PUT THE ZAP WHERE YOU WANT IT Dan F. McFarland Capitol Region Extension Agricultural Engineer, York As the weather warms and the grass turns green, the “click, click” and perhaps the “snap, snap” of the electric fence charg er can be heard. Electric fences can be an effec tive method of keeping cattle where you want them, but you certainly don’t want to uninten tionally charge waterers, feeders, stalls, and milk pipelines. Proper installation of electric fence chargers (energizers) is essential to insure they work effectively and prevent unintentional shocks. An electric fence system con trols cattle by delivering an un comfortable current through the animal’s body at a short duration so that it will not cause injury. When an animal touches the charged fence wire, it completes a circuit from the “hot” terminal of the energizer, or fence charger, through their body to the earth, and back to the “ground” termi nal on the energizer. Special care should be taken to prevent small children from touching a charged fence. All in dividuals should avoid fence con tact with the head and neck. Modern fence energizers are typi cally of the “low impedance” type that delivers a very high cur rent for a short amount of time. They work even when some grass or other vegetation touches the fence. However, if an adequate number of ground rods are not used, the current delivered to the animals can be reduce signifi cantly. Be sure to choose a fence energizer that is labeled by a test ing laboratory. Proper grounding of the ener gizer is one of the most impor tant, and overlooked, elements to insure the electric fence works properly. If the energizer does not adequately control livestock, check for adequate grounding be fore selecting a more powerful unit. Improving the grounding may be the least cost, most effec tive method of improving the op eration of an electric fence sys tem. Grounding will vary depend ing on soil type and moisture. For “average” soil, a 5-Joule, low-im The Cream Of The Crop pedance charger should foe grounded with three 8-foot ground rods spaced 10 feet apart. Doubling the Joule output of the energizer doubles the grounding needed. The fence energizer should be placed in a location where the distance between the energizer grounding and electrical system grounding can be maximized. The best place of the energizer is outdoors away from animal buildings and grounded equip ment. When installed indoors, the high voltage produced by the energizer must be taken outside using high-voltage lead cable with 20,000-volt insulation. Electrical wire used for building wiring typically has 600-volt in sulation and must never be used for this purpose. Unintentional shocks from an improperly installed electric fence system can show up at wa ters, milk pipelines, feeders, stalls, and other metal equip ment. Improper grounding of the fence energizer is the most com mon cause. The energizer must have its own grounding electrode located a minimum of 50 feet from other grounds or other metal objects in the earth. Ener gizers must never be grounded to electrical system grounds, utility grounds, metal water pipes, or metal objects in a building. Such improper grounding puts the metal objects and animal in the electric fence return path. Even if you don’t suspect that your electric fence system is a problem, it is a good idea to check the installation and con- nects regularly to insure safe and effective operation. If you would like more information, give me a call at (717) 840-7408. We Love Oar Dan F. McFarland w FOAL MANAGEMENT Jessica R. Dacey Senior, Animal Science; Dr. Fredrick Hofsaess Professor of Animal Science So, you have a foal! The foaling process was suc cessful and now it is the next day. The veterinarian should be com ing to do a routine checkup and take blood for the Immunoglobu lin G (IgG) test. If the mare was not vaccinated or if you are unsure, the foal should also receive the tetanus antitoxin. The foal should also be vaccinated with tetanus toxoid, influenza, rhinopneumonitis, and encephalomyelitis as well as de wormed regularly during the first year. Consult your veterinarian for a complete vaccination program so you are sure to get all the neces sary vaccines, their boosters and any others recommended for your area. It is also important to monitor the foal for normal behavior. The foal should be bright, active and feisty. It should be nursing regu larly and interacting with the mare and other horses with which it is turned out. If the mare’s udder begins to bag up, or there is a lot of dried milk on the foal’s head, it could be a sign of illness. Other signs of illness include lethargy, droopy ears/expression and standing alone. Keep an eye on the mare as well. If she appears worried, she may have good reason. Diarrhea is a common problem in foals. Around 4-14 days, the foal is Cornell's Small Farms Grants Program Fosters Farmer-To-Farmer Education ITHACA, N.Y. Extension education is sometimes seen as the one-way the transfer of knowledge from the University out to the public. In the case of agriculture new production tech nologies, management practices, and ways of understanding the world are generated by agricul tural scientists, and then “deliv ered” to farmers through local extension programs. But increasingly, another ap- Ono of our f favorite times of Vvj yoor it just around Ugtm tho eornor: Juno Dairy Month! And what a traat wa have for Lancaster Farming roadort in our Juno Dairy lisuo tchadulod Juno 7. Included will bo family farm foaturoa, brood and aimiation now* and high lights, and other groat reading for our dairy fam ilies. likely to develop diarrhea known as scours, or foal heat diarrhea. This is because the microflora are being established in the gut. The foal will continue normal be havior during this period though. ' If the foal shows any signs of illness or becomes dehydrated (pinch the skin on the neck, it should snap back to place imme diately if hydrated) at this time or any other, the veterinarian needs to be called immediately. Turnout is important at this time. Turn the mare and foal out by themselves every day (prefera bly in the afternoon when it’s warm) until the foal looks like it wants to lie down. After about 8-10 days, the mare and foal can be turned out with others for the entire day. Frequent handling of the foal is also a good idea. It will make the foal easier to handle and halter/ lead break when you decide it is necessary. There are many books avail able with suggestions on how to go about it, but it is best to do what you feel is appropriate for your needs and farm. At about three weeks of age, the foal can be introduced to grain. A feed bucket should be placed in a location that is con venient for the foal to access but not the mare. There are now special buckets on the market and other ideas out there to make this easier. There is also specially formulated feed for foals of this age. It is best to consult your local feed and supply store for your needs and situation. to $5,000 to CCE educators with creative program ideas that spe cifically target local small farms. The grants program is overseen by Cornell’s Small Farms Task Group, which includes farmers, non-governmental organizations, extension educators and faculty. A committee of farmers reviews all proposals and makes final rec ommendations for funding. Farmer-to-farmer learning is a key feature of many projects find ways to offer it alongside funded by the Small Farms farmer expertise to get the best of B rants P ro Bra - Through the both worlds CCE Grants Program for Inno- The Cornell Cooperative Ex- vative Small Farms Education, c j growing numbers of small-scale tension Grants Program for Inno- ~ ° . e 11 i- t-j x- farmers are discovering that Cor vative Small Farms Education „ „ .. „ , , . x A A nell Cooperative Extension is a has been an important catalyst . , great resource for them, for this kind of “bottom-up”, g . * JT. For more information about farmer-to-farmer education. The .. „„„ „ „ , T , ~, . . . „ the CCE Grants Program for In program was initiated by Cor- .. 0 „ , ..T « « . novative Small Farm Education, ndl s Small Farms Program in . com pi et e project re -2000, and has so far funded 53 ports> visjt the Comell Sma „ projects for a total of $131,610. It Farms Program Web site, is supported by Comell s College www.smallfarms.cornell.edu. of Agriculture and Life Sciences Click on “Cornell Small Farms through federal Smith Lever Efforts,” then click on “Grants funds, and provides grants of ujj Prpgrp^” proach to extension education is taking hold. It is based on the recognition that farmers them selves have tremendously valu able information and experience to offer other farmers. In this ap proach, the role of extension edu cator is not so much to “deliver” knowledge, but to “facilitate” the sharing of knowledge among farmers. University-based knowl edge is still important in this ap proach, but extension educators Wool Pool Set DANVILLE (Montour Co.) A regional wool pool will take place at Mausdale Farm Supply, Rt. 642 north of Danville, June 17 at 3 p.m. Wool must be bagged prior to arrival at the col lection site. People deliver ing wool should be prompt, as the wool truck will only be in Mausdale for a short period of time. Call (570) 437-3657 re garding a date and time for wool-bagging prior to the pick-up time. It is also very important that the mare be on a complete, well balanced diet. She needs all her nutritional needs to be met so she can produce adequate amounts of milk. Milk production is extremely taxing on the mare and can cause weight loss if she is not meeting her nutritional needs. A farrier should also be called to trim feet on a regular basis, ap proximately every four weeks. If you notice any confirmation faults in your foal you can also discuss corrective trimming with your farrier. Depending on the foal’s future use, surgery may also be considered. The last thing to consider is when to wean. Foals can be weaned anywhere from two to six months. It is best to wean more than one foal at a time to help re duce stress. There are many different opin ions on when and how to wean. You must consider what options you have available to you and which is most practical. It is simi lar to raising a child learn from others and formulate your own way that is best for you and your foal. Most of all have fun and good luck! They aren’t young for long!
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