Strong fences for a big job

Located near Nightcaps in Southland, dairy farmer Mike Adams runs a complex dairying operation that demands a fencing system he can rely on in all conditions.

Arrow Dairy Farm milks 2,300 cows, and runs a further 1,200 young stock, while growing all their own winter feed. Mike and his team run the operation at a scale where small inefficiencies can quickly turn into big problems.

Wintering is a major focus of his farm system where they grow fodder beet, kale, and swedes. The cows are wintered on these crops in controlled mobs, so managing this many animals through winter means fencing needs to be strong, safe, and quick to move.

Managing scale through break feeding

During winter, Mike runs cows in mobs of around 75 animals, resulting in close to 50 mobs across the farm when young stock are included. Each mob is break-fed, with fencing moved twice a day, advancing the break by roughly a foot at a time.

Mike says, “Our team can’t afford to be fixing fences when we need to be focused on feeding cows.”

Portable electric fencing has been part of Mike’s system for decades, dating back to his time wintering stock as a sheep farmer. But the portable posts he formerly used didn’t deliver the performance he needed.

The problem with other posts

Before switching to Gallagher Electrified Ring Top Posts, Mike used traditional plastic topped pigtail standards. Over time, he found these created ongoing issues.

“The plastic would often wear through, meaning the wire would cut in, and then the fence would short out,” he explains. “Also, you could end up getting zapped when you tried to move them.”

More importantly, the posts weren’t fully electrified. He found cows would often push the standards over to get to fresh feed, flattening the fence.

“There’s nothing worse than cows breaking out on crop in the middle of winter,” Mike says. “They’d push the old standards right over until the wire was nearly on the ground, then jump it.”

A live standard that changed behaviour

Mike switched to Gallagher Electrified Ring Top Posts as soon as they became available in 2022. The key difference, he says, is that they are live standards, electrified all the way to the ground. Plus, there’s no plastic to wear out and cut through, drastically decreasing the number of shorts.

“Because the posts are hot right to the bottom, the cows don’t push them,” he explains. “They learn pretty quickly not to go near them.”

Since making the change, fence breakouts have essentially stopped, even in cold, wet winter conditions when cows are more likely to test fences.

Practical benefits every day

Beyond keeping stock where they should be, Mike has seen other advantages of using the Electrified Ring Top Post. The insulated handle makes posts safer and easier for his team to shift, eliminating shocks caused by worn plastic tops. With fewer failures and less maintenance, the system has also reduced labour and stress.

“If a mob breaks out, it can take half a day to sort,” Mike says. “Not having that happen nearly as often is a huge advantage for us.”

Mike believes Electrified Ring Top Posts are a practical upgrade for any farmer break-feeding, especially in tough winter weather.

“The Electrified Ring Top Posts stay up, they stay hot, and the cows stay where they’re meant to be. It’s as simple as that.”

For more information on Electrified Ring Top Posts, contact your TSR today.

Article supplied by Gallagher