LIGHTNING AND ELECTRIC FENCES: HOW TO PROTECT YOUR LIVESTOCK AND PROPERTY
Lightning is an unavoidable threat to livestock, farms, and ranches. Since most farm operations are located in areas where there are ample pasture land and plenty of open space, farm buildings and fences can often attract lightning during stormy weather.
Since this electricity follows the path of least resistance from the sky to the ground, it is often drawn toward objects that can serve as conductors. These objects include buildings, fences, trees, people and even the livestock themselves.
Protecting your electric fence from lightning strikes should be a top priority for ranchers, since a hit can destroy valuable electronics, kill livestock and destroy other property.
To best protect your electric fence, you should follow all of these steps:
- Install a lightning arrester between the fence and the controller. Install one on every corner of the fence if possible. Keep these devices at least 50 feet from the energizer.
- Add a Storm Guard to your 1 joule or higher charger to absorb any lightning that is able to move past the other devices. (Storm guard is included with all Zareba 100- and 200-mile chargers.)
- Disconnect the energizer prior to a major storm, if possible.
By adding these devices, your fence charger has a better chance of surviving the stormy weather as they divert the energy away and into the ground.