Winter weather can bring several challenges for your farm regardless of its size or the livestock you tend to. Among these challenges, damage to your electrical fence can be among the most difficult to deal with. As leading providers of high-quality farm fencing products for farms of all sizes, the team at Edge Wholesale Direct knows how important a functional electric fence is for farms that rely on them. That is why our experts have compiled some information outlining how to keep your electric fence working through winter.
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Winter Conditions and how they Affect Your Electric Fence
Electric farm fencing relies on a simple principle: when your livestock touches the electrical wire, their body completes the electrical circuit and allows electricity to flow down through the ground. Unfortunately, there are a few vulnerable areas where this circuit can become interrupted. These vulnerabilities are often more noticeable in the following winter conditions:
Dry or Frozen Ground
During winter, soil may freeze and become dry due to reduced moisture contact. Since moist soil is a better conductor than dry soil, this may negatively impact the electric pulses emitted from your electric fence and potentially cause it to stop working. If the soil moisture content drops during winter, you may need to run a ground-wire return circuit back to the conductors on your electric fence to help improve the grounding. To complete this task, install two extra wires to your electric fence that do not receive current from the charger. One should be installed near the bottom and the other near the top of your farm fencing, connecting them to the grounding system on the fence’s electric circuit.
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Heavy Snowfall
Heavy snowfall in the winter can also cause problems with electric fencing. Snow drifts can accumulate and build up on the ground below your fence, eventually touching the bottom conducting wires. This can cause power to be drained from the fence in the same way as weeds or grass touching the wires does. This can be prevented by installing a cut-off switch that will enable you to disconnect the bottom wires during periods of heavy snowfall. By cutting the power to the lower wires, power will no longer be needlessly drained and the wires further up will continue to emit electric pulses, keeping your livestock safe and secure in the field.
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To learn more about electric fence maintenance or to inquire about our selection of farm fencing products, get in touch with the team at Edge Wholesale Direct. We can be reached through our online contact form and will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
