Stan & Jean Potratz, Owners |
New from Premier in 2006
If you're a long-time member of the "Premier family", you know that
change and improvement is a constant with us. Though more are on the
way, these are "now".
- Lower prices for our unique welded wire sheep and goat panels. More options (height, length and rod size) are in the pipeline.
- 2Xte ear tags. Replaces both 2X and 2X TamperProof. More flexible. Safer for lambs and kids.
- Special prices for selected electric fence products (see below).
- And we hope, by July, to offer a simple way to prevent the ear infection that often occurs when tagging in damp climates.
Best wishes to all,
Stan Potratz
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Premier Pos/Neg Fence TipsA normal electric fence consists of:
- Wire(s) connected to the fence (positive) terminal of an fence energizer.
- The soil's moisture connected via metal ground (earth) stakes to the negative terminal of the fence energizer.
But the top soil moisture in many areas is too low to be a reliable
conductor. In this situation the animal may receive minimal pain even
though a voltmeter touching a steel spike may register 3000 plus
volts.
For these sites one solution is to connect one or more wires in the
fence to a second ground stake that is then 'connected' via subsoil
moisture to the energizer's ground stake. So some wires are now positive and
some are negative-a Pos/Neg fence.
How does the animal receive a shock?
- On a normal all-positive electric fence the animal completes the circuit by standing on moist soil (which is connected to the energizer via metal stakes) and touching a hot wire. The current flows down the wire through the animal's point of contact with the wire to his feet (which are on the soil) and back through the soil moisture to the ground stake.
- With a Pos/Neg fence, the animal completes the circuit by touching a positive wire and a negative wire at the same time.
When is Pos/Neg wiring needed?
The simplest test is to look at the grass and soil. If the grass has
been brown for 3 or more weeks and the top 3 inches of soil are very dry
you need it. A second test (not advised) is to wait until your animals
escape. A 3rd test is to lay the voltmeter's probe on the dry
ground (instead of sticking it in the soil or contacting a metal stake).
If less than 2000 volts appear, revert to Pos/Neg wiring.
Are some energizers
better in dry soil situations with all positive fences than others?
IntelliShock & Kube units are superior – particularly the
284,
506,
88B,
20B &
Kube 4000.
They continue to deliver an animal stopping pulse long after traditional low-impedance units
(HotShock,
Patriot,
and most other brands) have ceased to do so.
What energizers work for Pos/Neg fences?
All do. From a safety aspect, it's actually best not to use too large a unit.
What are the negatives of Pos/Neg fences?
- Fences must be kept very clean. Any conductor
(green weed stem or tree, metal post/wire) that touches 2 opposing wires will cause the pulse to drop from powerful to ineffective.
- An animal or person that remains in contact with both wires (positive and negative) could be killed. That's why, in Premier's view,
offset metal hot wires should be installed high enough to allow human contact to be broken by gravity.
Click here for Premier's Fences.
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Electric Netting Can Work with Goats
by Clint N. Evans
Do you ever wonder how you're going to keep the goats in and the predators out? Are you always
worrying that someday your goats are going to be a coyote's next supper or your neighbor's next
nuisance? Or, do you need to pen up your goats while constructing a new fence? Maybe you need a
temporary enclosure for your mothers-to-be.
At Surefoot Boer Goats we've found that electric netting can help solve those
problems.
Electric netting is not the magic cure for all of your worries. If haphazardly slapping together
a project is your idea of time well spent, electric netting is not for you. It takes time, effort,
and proper equipment to make it work. But, having the right attitude is your most important asset.
You must be willing to research the technology and learn from your mistakes. Patience is
important.
First, the goat rancher must start with the right equipment. Ground stakes, support posts, and
the proper charger are needed when putting up electric netting. You must also have the proper kind
of netting for your specific purpose because not all of it is intended for goats. For example, some
netting is meant for lightweight, temporary duty, such as keeping the pet dog in the yard. Evaluate
the product carefully before buying, and see if the company you're buying from is well known for
supplying livestock fencing.
Also, don't allow yourself to become distracted by specialized terminology. You'll read such
words as joules and pulse flow in the advertisements. These terms might confuse you, but they are
insignificant to the beginner. Instead, concentrate on finding the right company, with the right
service and the right products. You're looking for a supplier who is willing to give the customer
100% attention.
At Surefoot Boer Goats we have found that ElectroNet in the 164 ft. rolls, 35 inches high, gives
good results when energized with an IntelliShock 42B charger. These products were purchased
through Premier (1-800-262-6631 or www.premier1supplies.com). We use up to six rolls
of netting at a time, which gives between three and four acres of grazing, depending on how the
fence is laid out. But, what works for us might not work for you. Each rancher's situation is
unique. The key is to call and discuss your situation with knowledgeable people who have actual
field experience. Also, it's important to purchase equipment with a solid guarantee, but remember a
guarantee is not better than the company standing behind it.
You want electric netting that's simple to put up and take down. It's easy to become frustrated
with any kind of electric fencing the first time you handle it. When you don't have experience,
putting up electric netting can be like wrestling a bowl of spaghetti. Placing the stakes in the
ground might be a little harder than you imagined, especially if your land is rough and rocky. As in
most endeavors, the more you practice the easier it gets.
The good news is that electric netting can be adapted to just about any type of terrain. For
example, the soil on our ranch in the Texas hill country is mostly dry, rocky caliche. Sometimes we
have to work at it, but we've always been able to erect the fencing. Just stay with it, and exercise
some patience.
We have discovered one of the keys to success is training your goats properly to the electric
netting. You can't just run excited goats into a pasture and hope that they will respect the fence.
Gordon Shelangoski, who works in research, development, and sales for Premier, says, "Electric
netting is not a physical barrier; it's a pain and visual barrier." That means, the goats need to be
calmly trained to the netting. Scared goats might blindly charge into the fence and keep
going.
Let me share with you what's worked best for us. We just let a few goats roam out at a time to
investigate the electric netting. We make sure that nothing exciting is going on-no dogs barking,
children running, or horns honking. Almost always they come up and nudge the fence with their nose,
and that is when they are shocked and jump back. Most goats require three or four "lessons" before
they get it in their heads to Stay Away! Our goats rarely need a reminder after the 4th
time.
Because electric netting is potentially dangerous, the rancher must exercise caution. You need to
check with state and local officials about required warning signs. And, it just makes good sense to
tell people that this fence is electrically charged. Also, you should inspect your fence daily to
make sure that it is working properly and that no animal is entangled in it. You just can't abandon
your electric netting out in the pasture and expect it to maintain itself.
It's common for beginners to make mistakes. Gordon Shelangoski and Stephanie Sexton, Marketing
Director for Premier, report the most common errors include not making the proper connections,
failing to use a powerful enough energizer, and not using the proper ground stakes. It pays to be
careful and to double check your work. We still make mistakes, but we learn every day.
Electric netting is not suitable for some goats and some situations. Myotonic (stiff-legged)
goats when startled might fall against the fence resulting in injury or death. The wild ibex goats
might sail over the fence without touching it. All goats with horns are at a somewhat increased risk
of becoming entangled. If your purpose is to keep white-tail deer from stealing your goat feed, it
won't work! We have a doe at our ranch that routinely jumps over the netting to get food.
Keep in mind that there are other items to purchase besides the netting, energizer, and ground
stakes. If you buy a solar-powered energizer,
you will need to get a deep-cycle marine battery of the proper voltage and
amperage. You will also want a good fence checker. Extra support posts, power connectors, and a few more warning signs would be smart buys. Remember to budget for
these items, or the dollars may run out before the purchases!
We've been pleased with what electric netting has done for our goat operation. The fencing allows
us to divide our goats into different parts of the pasture while offering protection. I have walked
the fence and found where predators tried to dig under and were repelled. The netting can also be
used to prevent the goats from over-grazing any spot. Once every couple of weeks we move the
electric netting to different sections of the pasture so we can give the browsed areas time to
recover. Our ranch benefits because the electric netting is good for the land and the
goats.
Electric netting is not the answer to all goat problems. For example, it does not substitute for
a permanent boundary fence. But it is a valuable tool that increases the rancher's flexibility. It
helps deter predators while dividing your goats into different parts of the pasture. It can even be
used in a rotational browsing system. Just make sure you have the right equipment, it's connected
right, and the goats are properly trained to it.
This article and photo was provided by:
Clint N. Evans, Surefoot Boer Goats
P.O. Box 181,
Bandera, TX 78003
8jne1958@idworld.net
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HotStop Rope, 1/2" Tape, SuperWide Tape and PigTail Posts
HotStop Rope - Sale $27.00
Identical to many farm store and catalog "ropes". Has 6 stainless steel filaments & 1400 ohms per 1000 ft. of resistance. For short term fences less than 1000 ft. in length unless wide impedance energizers are used with it. 1/4"
HotStop Tape - Sale $15.00
The easiest tape to wind onto/off reels and install/remove from portable posts. Has 5 stainless steel filaments and 2600 ohms per 1000 ft. of resistance. For fence runs shorter than 1000 ft. More visible to animals than wire fences. 1/2"
HotStop SuperWide Tape - Sale $39.00
If your need is a portable or temporary (up to 3 yrs.) wide tape, this is the best choice. Has 15 stainless steel filaments and 900 ohms per 1000 ft. of resistance. Suited for short runs (< 1000 ft.) of fence unless a
Kube or
IntelliShock energizer is used. 1-1/2"
PigTail Posts - Sale $2.70 & $1.80
These posts were designed for strip grazing but have many other uses. They're easy to carry and quick to step into the ground via the strong footplates.
Conductors are easily installed/removed and holds all securely. All
conductors slide through the eyes easily. Tops are 33" above soil. Soil spike plus plate is 8 and 9 in. long. Steel shanks are 3/8" in. and 5/16 in. dia.
respectively.
To get your special price when ordering:Use Code: News 17
If ordering from our website:
Enter News 17 in the "Catalog Source Code" box on the "Checkout-Confirm & Submit" screen. NOTE: The original price of the above items will be shown on your order, but we will adjust it to the sale price when we receive your order.
Offer good thru March 31, 2006.
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Kathryn Newman
Kathryn Newman of Brighton, Iowa is this month's featured employee. Kathryn has been with Premier
for almost 4 years and does a variety of jobs for us including accounting and imputing of the
mandatory scrapie tag orders and monthly reports.
When asked what she likes best about Premier, she says "When I first started, I worked on the
laser machine imprinting information on tags. From there I moved to the other side and actually
processed the orders. It is very challenging and rewarding to be able to help the individual state
offices and producers in collecting the correct information to process their sheep, goat or deer tag
orders."
What Kathryn likes best about Premier is the farm setting. She grew up on a rural Iowa farm with
a family of 13. This she says "is good preparation for work at Premier. My co-workers have become a
big part of my life. Premier has done a great job of keeping the work atmosphere friendly as well as
productive."
Kathryn and her husband Dick have been married for 3 yrs. They have four children and seven
grandchildren who live in Georgia, northern Iowa and close to home. She says that we do our best to
spend as much quality time as possible with them.
Kathryn loves the outdoors. "Bicycling has always been my passion, she says. I have made several
bike trips across the states of Georgia and Florida, plus one across the state of Iowa. From my own
experience you don't realize what you miss when driving in your car, but by riding a bike, you can
really stop and smell the roses." Their other hobby, when time allows, is to get together with
Dick's family and play some blue grass and country music. Kathryn plays a Dobro (lap steel guitar)
which is a guitar like instrument but sounds like a cross between a banjo and a mandolin & Dick
plays guitar and sings vocals.
Her favorite statement is "SUCCESS - I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is
trying to please everybody." by Bill Cosby. Kathryn is a great addition here at Premier and we hope
that she stays with us a long time.
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Caribbean Goat Meat Stew
2 lbs. goat meat, cut into chunks
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
2
sprigs of parsley, chopped
2 Tbs. curry powder
4 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs.
butter
2 onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 pint of beef stock
3 large carrots,
chopped
4 potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 tomatoes, diced
Season meat with salt and pepper. Heat oil and butter in a deep, heavy pan. Braise meat until
browned. Add onions and garlic and saute until translucent. Add beef stock, thyme and curry. Reduce
heat to low and simmer for 1 1/2 hours in a covered pan. Add carrots, potatoes and tomatoes and
simmer for 40 minutes or until done. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Premier thanks Michael Wade of Intl. Kiko Goat Assoc. at www.theikga.org for the recipe.
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