Farm tip of the day

When restraining a young calf for a shot, don't even bother with the sneak approach when she's lying down and you sit on her back - they move darn quick and are quite strong. Never been bucked off a calf before! Learned that one 2 weeks ago.

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ADGA Nigerian Dwarf and MDGA Mini Mancha goats for show, home use and pets www.dbarjacres.webs.com Located in North central Wisconsin

travlnusa,
i almost wet my pants when i saw your post.
I recall a time when I thought it would be clever to slide between two electric wires needless to say I got zapped in the privates and the zipple at the same time. Won't be pulling that stunt again....Who says old people can't learn. you just need the proper motivation

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If you make it idiot proof,
someone will design a better idiot

My poor DH was reminded this week of the need to unhook the hotwire gate when fetching the dog at night.

A direct quote : "You really need to turn down the power on that hotwire charger"

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"Perhaps I'll have them string a clothesline from the hearse I am in, with my underwear waving in the breeze, as we drive to the cemetary. People worry about the dumbest things!"
by Wendy

dont be lazy, turn off the hot wire before tossing the horses grain out of a plastic bucket with a hand on the metal handle, your arms are not as long as you thing!

also, dont walk into a pasture with a bucket of grain with any animal, no matter how polite you think they are, they will mow your butt down! esp. goats!!

dont think the hot wire is off even if you cant hear it, go and check the box, otherwise you will end up on you butt!

and finally, check the darnd hot wire!!! Dont be lazy an think you can go over it or under it without getting thrown on the ground!

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Twillight Skys Regesterd LaMancha Herd PM me for more info!

Do not be lazy when collecting eggs and put them in your coat pocket. You will see something else that needs tending to and forget all about the eggs untill a week or so later when you realise that your barn coat smeels like something has died in it! I have done this a few times!

I second the "No Flip Flops in the Barn Yard" I do this every spring! I am so used to the gum boots that I forget to watch where I am stepping! Every year that is my "Aahhhhhh, Spring is here!" moment, the ffeling of fresh cow poo squishing between me toes! I must be a farm girl!

Always be carefull around bottle raised cows when they are in heat!!! My jersey will try to mount me every time she is in heat!!!! Never turn your back on her! It is a bad feeling to hear russling behind me and turn around to be face to face with a jerseys belly button!

Never assume the cattle know the difference between an empty pail and one full of grain. They'll come running to you (like, literal stampede!) no matter how full or empty the pails are.

Calves are dumb. And they loose their cuteness really quick when you get them in the squeeze for their shots, deworm, castrating and dehorning.

Never wear your good clothes when feeding or even visiting livestock; I think you could imagine why.

Never fix an electric fence while it's still hot. Nor try to sit on the ground when you do have to fix it. Been there done that.

I could go on...

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I love all these tips, I don't think there is one that I haven't learned, from an up close and personal point of view. It's nice to know I'm not the only one.
P.J.

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given the oppurtunity, a cow will always take the wrong gate...Baxter Black
www.newdaydexters.com
Irish Dexter Cattle for sale..............

never go out to check the bred cows with new cloths on.....thats a good sure way you will find a cow that needs a calf pulled


always take off all rings and watches when you do have to pull the calf


if some one uses the last one you will need 2 more of them that very same day no matter what it is


do not park you new truck in the field with cows after driving it over a hwy that has SALT spread on it


always peak under the boat that is turned upsaide down before turning it over to go fishing if you have seen skunks any were near it with in 50 miles of it and of course always have your dog locked in the truck when you do look under there

tjm

If you need a haircut, sit in the middle of a pen with young goats.

If you're filling a waterer on the other side of an electric wire, do NOT spray the wire. (Quick physics lesson, there.)

Also, if you're working by the hotwire, even if the fence is unplugged, do not lean over and hit the wire at the box, which is still live with the whole ten miles of charge, with your head.

I'm learning a lot more about electric fence here than is in the book I bought! Thanks! I don't have any electric fence yet......but I'm seriously considering it as a way to divide the pastures smaller........the water thing would not have occurred to me....but water IS a great conductor isn't it?!? LOL!

Yea, DH got a good laugh out of that. But he was the one that leaned over and took the whole 10 mile charge to his head.

I learned these two yesterday while having 3 heifers delivered. A nice older gentleman delivered them for me (keep this in mind, he has been doing this A LOT longer then I have, and I guess he was teaching me by showing me what not to do).
1. Always check your trailer for hitch hikers. (he had 2 peacocks hitch a ride with the cattle, when he opened the door, they both flew out)
2. Do not check an electric fence with your fore head, it really hurts. (while trying to catch the peacocks, we cornered one, when he bent over to pick it up, he leaned into my electric fence, and it is VERY hot, I felt bad for him, had to hurt).

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Can you smell what I'm standing in?

If you are barefooted and you squat while working on an electric fence and get zapped, your legs will straighten out with enough force to make you land on your back a surprising distance away from where you started. It still makes me giggle when i think about it... lying on my back all alone out there in the pasture laughing about what had just happened to me.

ROFLOL Thank you for the visual!

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Trisha in WA
Visit my blog @
Diamond Belle Ranch

What else does a man have to do in his short time here on earth than build soil and feed people~Forerunner

I was using a push mower to cut the grass under the bottom electric wire. All was well until I got a wheel caught in the wire. As I tilted the mower to free it, a girl suddenly screamed loudly in my ear.

A quick look confirmed that there were no girls around. It was me!

Genebo
Paradise Farm

This should almost be called the "Things I learned about electric fence" thread.

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Cows may not be smarter than People, but some cows are smarter than some people.

I think one of the funniest electric fencer moments that I have ever seen, was my dad getting it! My parents are bee keepers and when I was a kids I would go up the mountain to do the bees with them. The area the bees were kept had a pretty high rate of theft and bears. My dad had a soloar powered electric fencer, they have had the units stollen before so my dad decided to BOLT the fencer until to a bee hive. So to turn off the fencer you had to get into the bee yard to turn off the fencer and then open the gate. My dad would use his metal "bee tool" to ground the fence, then crawl through the fence. One day he had the tool resting on the special spot, I should mention that the fence was barbed wire, His beck got hooked on the barbed wire, and he shook the tool off! The fence puts out 7000-8000 volts, my dad was holding the bottom wire with his back touching the top wire. He would let out a yelp and a jolt with every snap of the wire. It took about 3 or 4 snaps before he could get free. My mom and I were killing our self laughing, the best part is that dad fell out on the out side of the fence and had to try to get in all over again!!!

If you go out to feed cubes in wet weather keep an eye on the bull when he comes charging in. When he sets his brakes he may skid ten feet. You do NOT want to be in his skid path. Luckily I was fast enough to get out of his way.
Ox

Never pet the horses nose you have been trying to make friends with while simultaneously hitting the hot wire on the fence with your other arm.

I think he said " look out here comes the electric guy again "