The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Pets & Working Animals => Horses, ponies, donkeys & mules => Topic started by: sokel on August 28, 2012, 11:56:50 pm
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Does anyone else use a mains electric fence energiser with the green tape in the field where you have a foal ?
During the day We have the donkeys in the field in front of the kitchen window so that we can see them at all times. As this is a very big field we have a small area fenced off with electric fencing.
Both older Donkeys keep away from the tape and the farmers cattle inc the calfs and bull do not get through it . The problem is we have Sasha a 3 month old donkey foal that is going back and forth through the fencing without any problems and never shows any signs of getting a shock :o
I have accidently touched it and belive me IT WORKS :o . We have seen the cattle touch it and jump back when they get a shock so how is Sasha not getting a shock ?
We would like to try and confine her because apart from the fact she is getting fatter and fatter by the minute on the unlimited lush grass, she is going to get herself into trouble as she is getting to big for her boots where the cattle are concerned, Todays game was running up to the bull and giving little fly kicks at him then running back through the fence to safety :innocent:
Any advice would be great
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Our lambs this year discovered they could burst through the fence if they did it at speed but they're very woolly. I've seen our pony stretching in an attempt to go under the single tape which keeps the horses secure and added a second tape.
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Being only 3 months old she is also very hairy, she has just lost it on her chest and neck so :fc: once she looses it on her back things will change :-\
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that game your donkey is playing that is what some farmers have donkeys for if they have a lot of bulls in the one field they have a donkey to separate them when they start to tussle :farmer:
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I have had donkey foals but never had a problem with them with electric fencing. How is she getting through it. If she isn't breaking it she must be going under it? Add another strand low down if this is the case.
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Does she still walk through when she's wet? This usually makes them feel it more, I know I did when I tried to crawl under ours in the wet grass! Clearly didn't get low enough and it's a mains fencer :-\ seriously painful!
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I have had donkey foals but never had a problem with them with electric fencing. How is she getting through it. If she isn't breaking it she must be going under it? Add another strand low down if this is the case.
there is 2 strands of the green tape. she goes between the 2 and definatly touches the tape :o
Does she still walk through when she's wet? This usually makes them feel it more, I know I did when I tried to crawl under ours in the wet grass! Clearly didn't get low enough and it's a mains fencer :-\ seriously painful!
TBH if its wet they are not in that field, they stay in the small padock so that they have the stable.
Yes I agree i have touched this fence and it gives you a serious wack !
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If she is going between the strands I would put a strand of polyrope in between the two tapes, I prefer polyrope to tape personally, it doesn't flap or twist as much in the wind. She could be just catching the bottom edge of tape on her back which won't give her much of a zap. Also can you turn the energiser up to go faster? She could be timing it well and getting through between pulses.
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We've had voltage problems with the wet weather this year and the fast growing grass. It has sometimes been under 4k so I've been re-running some of the lines and strimming a lot.
But I've seen a sheep leaning on a tape with nothing happening for perhaps ten seconds followed by a loud CRACK and the animal leaps in the air. I can't explain that one: I guess the wool is a good insulator until it isn't.
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Clip a narrow strip off the topline! I wouldn't worry about the bull game, she knows her limits.
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Well the farmer has moved the cattle so the only down side to her getting through now is the weight as she is getting very fat
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A few years ago we bred a foal who would regularly end up in the next paddock to the one he shared with his mum. We would go out in a morning to find him in with 'grandad' and his mum couldn't have cared less. We couldn't work out how he was doing it until he did what can only be described as a commando roll under the rail. Obviously mum was sick of him and told him grandad would look after him. Thankfully thats what 34 yr old grandad did until we got him back in with mum and sorted out a lower rail. :horse:
The electric fencing we have pulses also and the horses know when its on or off.