Do-it-yourself electric shepherd: the best ideas. Benefits of using an electric shepherd when grazing cattle How to make an electric shepherd at home

The reproduction and health of domestic animals cannot achieve positive indicators without ensuring proportional grazing. Carefully planned livestock walking on pastures is the key to high productivity of livestock farms, reducing the financial costs of feeding and silage for animals. Electronic equipment such as electric shepherd will help to organize livestock grazing by reducing the level of efforts to ensure productivity and clearly limiting the required areas of pasture.

The electric shepherd is a special generator for single- and multi-wire fencing. Such a device is mainly used for the rational use of pasture lands. By equipping the grazing area with an electric fence, you can avoid the cost of maintaining a large number of working personnel. removes the need for constant control over the movements of animals and is able to replace several workers on pasture.

The device of the electric shepherd and its characteristics

A device for walking animals in pastures, an electric shepherd, is a transformer that is wound on an armor core separated by paper layers. The transformer winding is carried out using an electric wire of the type PEV 0.31 and PEV 0.18. Cardboard spacers in the internal structure of the product provide the necessary clearance between the two halves of the core (0.4 mm). To obtain a certain capacity, the electric shepherd is equipped with film capacitors and capacitors made of paper materials, designed for a certain voltage supply of electric current to an electronic device.

Generally electric shepherd It is a barrier of non-insulated plates (wires) that are fixed on racks made of metal or plastic material. Unlike the conductor elements of the fence, the racks are equipped with special insulators. The height of the fence depends on the type of animals that will be walking on this pasture. Current pulses up to 12 kV are supplied by a pulsator device with a frequency of at least sixty pulses per minute.

The principle of operation of the electric shepherd

Upon contact with the barrier, the animal receives an electric current discharge with a maximum power of 3 mA per second. Such voltage does not pose a danger to the health and vitality of pets, but the impact force of an electric discharge makes animals avoid touching the fence in every possible way. Pulse receives power from a network with a standard voltage of 220v. Also for work electric shepherd 12v solar panels can be used.

The set of the electric shepherd consists of a pulsed current generator, special insulators and conductors of the established sample, spring components for the input elements of the fence and a pole for grounding the device. By purchasing electric shepherd in the kit, it will be enough to buy supports for the future hedge and, without involving specialists in the installation, make a pasture fencing with your own hands.

Video of the work of the electric shepherd

As for the cost of installing an electric fence on their farmlands for a full-fledged, measured grazing of animals, it is approximately 30-40 percent of the cost of a conventional stationary fence. For fencing a pasture with an area of ​​15-20 hectares, financial costs will amount to 20-25 thousand rubles. The electric fence has a longer service life, is not subject to damage from natural precipitation and temperature changes (humidity).

Electric fence use in his summer cottage contributes to an increase in the volume of grazing of domestic animals and the protection of the territory and site from the possibility of alien penetration.

The distributor of electric impulses used gives impulses of short duration and a voltage of about 700 watts. Since the resistance at the distributor output is high, when the pet touches the fence, the output voltage decreases from 600 W to 10 W, which is safe for pets. The distributor also contains a burglar alarm that is triggered after a short-term absence of impulses, a break in the electrical wire, or in the event of the distributor posts and cable tipping over to the ground and winding grass on the electrical wires of the electric fence. In addition, the alarm system performs night protection of pets.

The distributor of high-voltage electrical impulses is composed of two voltage converters, which are included in the electrical circuit one after the other. One of them is a relaxation generator on VT1 and VT2 radio receivers. After its rewinding, a series of short pulses is fed to the second thyristor converter, where the pulse frequency of the relaxation converter is controlled. The pulse frequency of the relaxation generator is tens of kHz, and the frequency of the pulses applied to the fence is several Hz, which makes it possible to achieve powerful and strong pulses from a weak generator.

Do-it-yourself electric shepherd: Scheme

Transformer TP1 is wound on armor rod B22, the number of windings is shown in parentheses. The fourth and fifth windings are made with PEV 0.31 wire, other PEV 0.18. Heat exchangers C1 and C2 - film dielectrics K 73 - 17.

Paper dielectrics C6 and C7. Instead of a high-voltage radio receiver TP2, an ignition coil was taken from a car. Structural elements outlined by a dotted line are installed on a printed circuit board, while others are mounted on a hinged installation.

Electroshepherd (electric fence)

An electric fence (electroshepherd) is a light wire fence, to which high voltage pulses are supplied from a special generator. The wire rests on insulators attached to metal, plastic, and wooden posts. The fence is designed to protect the pens and pastures of domestic agricultural animals and poultry, crops from losses caused by livestock and animals, as well as to prevent livestock from entering highways and ravines.

The principle of operation of the electric fence is a short-term electric shock of high voltage when the animal comes into direct contact with the bare wire of the fence.

Installing an electric fence makes it much easier to look after animals while grazing. The electric charge that occurs when it comes into contact with the fence does not harm the animal at all, it simply scares it away, not allowing it to go beyond the boundaries of the allotted territory.

Thus, electric shock does not pose a danger to the life of animals and develops in them a stable reflex not to approach the fence with the installed system - the electric shepherd.

Electric shepherds for cattle (cattle), sheep, birds and other animals on the market can be powered by a network, battery or solar battery.

The price of the device depends both on the type of food and on the perimeter of the fenced pasture.

The range of choice of electric shepherds on the market is quite large.

Electric fences are produced both in our country and abroad. There is also a lot of information with an electric shepherd scheme on the Internet to make an electric fence with your own hands.

The main elements for building an electric shepherd (electric fence): a pulse generator, insulators, conductors, a set for a gate.

Electric shepherd for livestock video.

Video - the operation of the electric shepherd device for grazing sheep in action.

To protect your land from animals (and not only), you can use an electric fence, which is made of wire or metal mesh stretched on insulating poles, it does not come into contact with the ground, but is connected to a grounded source of high-voltage impulses. In relation to the life of animals or people, this does not pose a danger, but it gives a rather unpleasant and frightening sensation.

In order for the electric fence to perform only a scaring function, it is necessary to apply short high-voltage pulses to it, which are repeated at some interval.

The pulse generator can be made according to the scheme shown in Fig. 1. At the heart of the generator is a ready-made high-voltage transformer, its role can be played by an ignition coil taken from a passenger car. The ignition coil is a transformer with a low-resistance primary and a high-resistance secondary coil. When there is a ripple of current in the primary, high voltage pulses are formed on the secondary. In the car they go to the spark plugs, but here they go to the fence.

For the circuit to work, it is necessary to apply a pulsed voltage to the primary, which consists of interrupted bursts of audio-frequency pulses, they are repeated after a certain period of time. The circuit for recreating these pulses is made on three integrated timers of the 555 brand.

On the basis of timers A1 and AZ, generators of infrasonic and sound vibrations, respectively, were made. Based on the A2 timer - a single vibrator.

The current to the primary of the ignition coil T1 goes through the key on the field-effect transistor LG 1. In order for a high voltage to form in the secondary of T1, it is necessary that the current pulsate in the primary. Based on the AZ timer, a sound pulse generator was made. When it works, audio frequency pulses from its output (pin 3) go to the gate of the transistor. As a result, a pulsating current is formed on the primary T1, it induces a high alternating voltage on the secondary.

The sound pulse generator is controlled by the level at pin 4 AZ. In order for the generator to work on this output, a logic-one voltage is needed. At a logical zero, the generator is blocked and its output is set to a logical zero.

On the basis of the A1 timer, an infrasonic generator was made, it generates pulses. The frequency of these pulses can be adjusted using a variable resistor K1. The frequency of high-voltage pulses to your fence depends on this generator.

Pulses from pin 3 A1 go to pin 2 A2.

Printed circuit board

Based on the A2 timer, a single vibrator circuit is made.

Upon the arrival of each of the pulses at pin 2, it generates one pulse of a given duration, you can adjust it using a variable resistor K4. This pulse signal goes through resistor B10 to the gate of a powerful key field-effect transistor UT1A in its drain circuit, the primary of a standard automobile ignition coil T1 is connected. Almost any ignition coil can be used. It is better to use a coil from cars with a "contact" ignition system. For example, from the "Zhiguli" VAZ - 2101 or 2106, "Moskvich" 412 or 2140.

The basis of the article is taken from the magazine "RADIOCONSTRUCTOR"

A device such as an electric shepherd (a mobile electric fence on a pasture site) allows grazing various types of farm animals or birds without direct human participation. Cattle grazing freely inside a fenced area do not suffer as much from blood-sucking insects as they do on a leash. The electric wire protects the livestock from the encroachment of predators. Electric fences are also used to protect sown areas or hay stocks from damage. It is possible to protect dangerous areas of the landscape (ditches, ravines) with a similar fence.

An industrial electric shepherd is quite expensive equipment. But if you want to save money, you can make it yourself at home.

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The principle of operation of the device

An electric shepherd is a device that is a generator operating from a 220 volt network (or from a 10-12 volt battery) and transmitting current pulses to a bare wire stretched over the insulators of the support posts. The wire encloses the area inside which animals graze.

When touched, a current discharge passes through the body of the animal and goes into the soil to the grounding part of the device. A discharge of small force is not capable of harming the body, but causes discomfort in the animal. The reflex to bypass the wire is developed very quickly.

Do-it-yourself electric shepherd

Making an electric shepherd for animals (cattle, pigs, sheep, goats) with your own hands is a task that even a novice radio amateur can handle.

Most of the components necessary for this can be found on the farm. What you can't find, you'll have to buy.



Support posts

First you need to decide which area around the perimeter you want to fence. The maximum distance between two support posts should not exceed ten meters (if the animals are large and active, then even less).

To find out how many support posts you need, you should divide the perimeter of the site by the distance between them. A homemade electric shepherd can have support posts made from:

• metal;
• tree;
• polymer materials.

Metal posts (pins sharpened at one end) are heavy, but they are easy to drive into the ground. Carved from wood will be cheap, but fixing them in the ground will not be easy, you have to dig in. Ready-made posts made of polymeric materials purchased in a store are an expensive pleasure.

The height of the support posts is selected depending on the type of animals for which the electronic shepherd is made.



insulators

Each support post must have an insulator to which the wire will be attached. Insulators of industrial production sometimes appear on sale. Well, if they are ceramic.

You can make insulators with your own hands. A good insulator will come from a plastic bottle without a bottom. It is put on a post, and several turns of wire are made around the neck.

The wire

The wire must be resistant to adverse environmental factors. Iron will rust quickly. Well suited galvanized with a diameter of 2 mm.

By itself, the bare wire is hardly noticeable to animals, so it is worth using it in combination with brightly colored ribbons. There is also a warning label for people.

Generator and ground

You can buy a ready-made pulse generator for an electronic fence, but with some experience it is easy to assemble it yourself from an ignition coil and three 555 timers.

If an experienced radio amateur takes over, this scheme can be somewhat simplified or supplemented.

It is convenient to use an iron rod (one or several) with a length of at least 120 cm as grounding. The grounding is deepened by 1 m into the soil. In dry weather, for better electrical conductivity, the soil around the ground must be poured with plenty of water.

A person cannot always exercise control over large farm animals during grazing. An electric shepherd for cattle, small cattle, horses will help control pasture walking, ensure the safety of animals and crops.

The principle of operation of the electric shepherd

The device, with a frequency of passage of high voltage pulses through conductors - 1 time per second, conducts current into the ground through the body of an animal that has touched the fence. The maximum current strength is 3 mA, which is absolutely harmless to the animal's body, but sufficient for the gradual development of a conditioned reflex. The concept of a fence - pain is remembered by cattle rather quickly, provided that the fence is in a stable location.

Rules for choosing the right model

When choosing an electric fence, first pay attention to what the device is powered by: solar panels, power grids or batteries. There is a combined option - battery-solar, it is considered the most profitable from the economic point of view.

Pay attention to the voltage and current strength in the characteristics of the device. However, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• what age category you are going to herd. If there is a mixed herd with medium-sized animals, then a device with medium voltage will do, if adult large individuals are walking, then you will have to take a powerful device;
• the density and height of the vegetation at the place where you plan to install the electric shepherd. Some manufacturers claim a possible decrease in current strength if the wire is in heavy contact with the grass.

If you plan to create a stationary pasture, then you should choose products of a permanent type. It is characterized by massive size and less mobility, but allows you to protect a large area for grazing.

What is an electric fence made of?

• Metal or plastic racks (columns), between which a wire is stretched in several rows (the height from the ground to the lower layer, according to the norms, is 25 cm, and to the upper 90-110 cm). Racks are equipped with insulators and are located at a distance of 10-30 meters from each other.
• Generator. It provides a short-wave voltage supply around the entire perimeter of the fence.
• Conductor. This is the positive direction of the current going around the perimeter.
• Grounding. The second direction (negative), going to the ground.
• Lightning rod (lightning rod). Protects the generator from electric shocks, installed between the generator and the fence.
• Gates. Used to release and launch animals without turning off the pulse generator. They consist of an insulator, a plastic handle and a spring.

Benefits of using

The electric shepherd for cattle has many positive aspects:

1. Budget. If we take the same pasture area and compare the construction of a permanent paddock and the installation of an electric fence, then the second will be 30-40% of the cost of the first option.
   Grazing is carried out almost without the participation of a person, which means that you can save on maintenance personnel, because the electric shepherd replaces several workers on the pasture.
2. Mobility. The design is easy to assemble and disassemble. Moving the fence to different places will allow you to take control of the herbage, and choosing places with more valuable vegetation will improve the dairy and meat qualities of livestock.
3. Strength. High quality construction materials, resist various environmental influences.
4. Security. The pain inflicted by the animal is within reasonable limits. Electric discharges do not violate the sensitivity of receptors on the body of cattle, do not affect productivity indicators.

DIY manufacturing

Skillful owners of households and farms make hedges with their own hands. The design seems complicated only at first glance. In the budget home-made version, a lot of improvised means are used.

1. For example, instead of a conductor - a thin wire.
2. As insulators, plastic bottles, caps from them, pieces of bicycle chambers fixed with self-tapping screws can be used.
3. For grounding, iron bars with a length of at least 1.2 meters are suitable.
4. Component parts can be fastened with high-voltage cords.
5. Fiberglass pipes perfectly fulfill the role of racks. This option will give greater mobility to the created structure.

That is, you can turn on your imagination, select similar materials at hand, start building, but do not forget about safety precautions.

Reference. People with experience in the construction of such a structure are happy to share diagrams and detailed instructions on various Internet resources.

In order for the electric shepherd to be more effective, certain conditions must be met:

• give preference to porcelain insulators;
• the best option for an electrical conductor is a galvanized wire with a diameter of 2.5 mm. Iron - not suitable due to a predisposition to rapid oxidation in air;
• ensuring the safety of the building. Do not ignore the installation of elements that will control and, if necessary, turn off the system if it becomes faulty, in order to avoid harm to both animals and people.

Installing a taming fence will free up time that was spent constantly looking after animals. The need for workers will disappear. The fence will pay for itself within a few months. The demand for an electric shepherd in farms where cattle are kept is gradually increasing. However, some farmers remain committed to sustainable massive structures.