Four Tips for Maintaining Electric Fences

Article written by Career advantage portal

Livestock fencing is an art as much as it is an essential skill. Last year, the U.S. cattle inventory hovered around 95 million, according to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a figure that’s larger than the population of California, New York and Texas combined. That’s a lot of cattle to care for. And whether you’re transitioning from traditional wood and wire fences or looking for new ways to improve your fencing techniques, an electric fence requires a few different strategies that you might not be accustomed to.

The 1 to 1 Ratio

An electrified fence needs power. Too much can prove harmful to soil and vegetation while too little can hardly scare a 1000-pound cow. The guideline is always the same, no matter how many strands of wire you use—1 joule for every 1 mile of fence. If you’re attempting to power 10 miles of fence, you’re looking for at least 10 joules.

Laying The Ground Rules

Let’s say you bought a Gallagher fence—six miles of it. From the 1 to 1 ratio, you know you need at least 6 joules. According to Beef Magazine, you also need 3 feet of ground rods for every output of joule. So those 6 miles of fencing will require at least 18 feet of ground rods spaced at least 10 feet apart. Positioning the rods too close can cause the electrons flowing from energizer to the rod to interact negatively with the soil.

Even the type of material proves essential as well. If you use galvanized rods, your system, wires, rods and connections, all must be galvanized too. Mixing copper with galvanized materials will usher in unwelcomed results.

Fence Flexibility

Next, the wildlife surrounding your land should determine your fencing setup. If elk and moose roam your grounds, you want fencing that allows these animals to move about freely. A strong, stout fence with high tensile and T-posts will prove more troubling than useful. Why? Wildlife like elk and moose can trample over insulators and bend fencing posts. Instead, building a lower-profile fence with fewer wires can allow wildlife to move about freely while still keeping livestock safe.

Check Your Grounding System Seasonally

That nice fence you purchased and grounded during summer needs to be checked again in winter. During the driest and wettest seasons, you’ll want to check the grounding system and voltage to ensure no unnecessary changes have occurred. Neglecting either can lead to outages and damages to your fences.

So while caring for your livestock proves essential to your livelihood, so too is ensuring your fencing setup remains adequate.

Change the Look of Your Outdoor Seating

Written by The Foam Factory

Your outdoor seating might be in need of a revamping after several years of use. Elements such as wear and tear, rain and mold might be responsible for the deterioration of your outdoor cushions and furniture. With proper maintenance you might be able to prolong the life of your furniture and cushions.

The general care required by outdoor seating would vary depending on the material they are made up of. For instance, metal or wrought-iron seatings might be requiring a fresh coating of paint every once in a while to maintain their color and to avoid rusting and oxidization. Wooden furniture would be requiring varnishing especially if you live in an area that tend to be exposed to regular rain. You might also in that case consider waterproofing your wooden or wicker furniture. Plastic garden furniture also tend to be subject to deterioration after some years of use and might be restored with a fresh coat of paint.

When it comes to your seat cushions, you might consider going for an outdoor foam replacement to give a new look to your furniture. You could also consider replacing the casing of your cushions with brand new ones to make the change more noticeable. Carlo Badalamenti has risen to the position of VP of a foam manufacturing company. He has gained expertise in helping customers choose the right outdoor foam. Ideally, outdoor foams should be fast-drying and antimicrobial.

The Foam Factory specializes in manufacturing foam for different uses, including outdoor furniture cushions.

Finding used grain augers

If you are starting out your agricultural business, you might have considered acquiring second hand farming equipment. Buying second-hand farm implements can be a good investment and can help you find quality materials at a relatively low price. If for instance, you are looking for grain augers or farm tractor parts you might consider buying secondhand.

Predictable lifetime

Most agricultural equipment have a predictable lifetime. This means that you would have easy access to used equipment. As a matter of fact, several lending institutions have preferential policies for farmers buying used machineries. Machine experts can provide estimates on the remaining life of a used machine, facilitating agricultural companies in their decision to choose used farm equipment.

Cost effective

Used machines are naturally cheaper. Some stores provide refurbishing services of secondhand farm equipment. This is good news for customers as they would be able to make stress-free purchases. Farmers would find it better to buy seasonally-used equipment secondhand. Since these would not be used the whole year round, secondhand equipment are wise investments. The same would apply for repairs. As a reflex, several agricultors tends to go for new parts. Used and refurbished parts would be cheaper alternatives. You might also think to combine parts to restore a machine.

Tried and tested

Several tests have demonstrated that older machine parts have almost the same functionalities than their more modern counterparts. This can be attributed to the fact that these equipment have been tried and tested over several years.