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Stray Voltage on the Farm

  • Writer: Simon Touchette
    Simon Touchette
  • 7 days ago
  • 3 min read

Updated: 5 days ago

| The Complete Guide to Protecting Your Animals and Your Productivity


Is your animals' behavior being affected by an invisible stress factor? Is your herd's productivity declining despite proper management? Stray voltage could be the unseen cause affecting your animals' health and well-being.


In this article, you'll discover exactly what stray voltage is, how to detect it, and most importantly, how to eliminate it to restore peace of mind and performance to your operation.


| What is Stray Voltage?

Stray voltage refers to unwanted voltage differences between two contact points in your animals' environment. Specifically, it involves low-level electrical currents flowing where they shouldn't be present.


Technical Definition

According to the practical guide Stray Voltage on the Farm published in 2005 by Hydro-Québec, MAPAQ, and the Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA), stray voltage is defined as: "any voltage difference (volts) recorded between two points likely to be touched by an animal that can cause current flow affecting its behavior."


Why is this a problem?

Unlike humans who typically wear insulating shoes, your animals are in direct and constant contact with wet floors and metallic structures in your building. This combination creates perfect conditions for even low voltages to become perceptible and problematic.



| Where Does Stray Voltage Come From?

The sources of stray voltage on your farm are numerous and can combine to worsen the problem. Here are the main culprits:


1. Primary Electrical Network (off-farm)

Return currents from your region's electricity distribution network can introduce stray voltage into your installation. These voltages, called neutral-to-ground voltages, normally flow through the neutral wire and are proportional to the electrical consumption on that same network. Since the neutral conductor is necessarily connected to the metallic structures of your building (Ground/MALT), this enables transmission of this voltage to the animal.


2. Farm Electrical Installation

  • Aging, damaged, or inadequate wiring: Normal wear, mechanical damage, or installation errors can cause current leaks that ultimately generate stray voltage.

  • Defective connections: Corroded or loosely tightened junction points increase electrical resistance.

  • Inadequate grounding: A deficient grounding system allows currents to flow through unintended paths.


3. Modern Equipment and Automation

Your farm's technological evolution, while necessary, brings its share of electrical challenges:


  • Variable speed drives: Variable frequency motors generate harmonics and leakage currents

  • Sophisticated ventilation systems: Electronic controllers create parasitic currents

  • LED lighting and electronics: Ballasts and transformers generate current leaks

  • Electric fences and trainer devices: create parasitic currents at medium frequencies


4. Defective Motors and Equipment

Worn electric motors, cables damaged by vibrations, or equipment with deteriorated insulation become active sources of stray voltage.



| How Does Stray Voltage Affect Your Animals?

The presence of electricity in your animals' environment, regardless of its source, generates chronic electrical stress that has measurable repercussions on your operation.


Impacts on Dairy Cows

Impact of stray voltage on dairy cows

Impact of stray voltage on dairy cows.

Cows are particularly sensitive to stray voltage. Here's what you might observe:


Behavior:

  • Increased nervousness, especially during milking

  • Kicking and reluctance to enter the milking parlor

  • Constant tail swishing

  • Agitation at waterers

  • Reduced water consumption (up to 30% in some cases)


Production and health:

  • Drop in milk production: up to 10-15% in severe cases

  • Increased somatic cell count: stress weakens the immune system

  • More frequent mastitis: chronic mastitis rates on the rise

  • Incomplete milking: cows don't empty properly

  • Reproduction problems: less demonstrative heat cycles, reduced pregnancy rates (some farms have seen their rates increase from 8% to 30% after correcting stray voltage)


Client testimonial: "After installing the PrevTech solution, our herd's somatic cell counts went from over 300,000 to less than 100,000, and our pregnancy rate tripled." - One Oak Farms


Impacts on Pigs

Impact of stray voltage on pigs

Impact of stray voltage on pigs.

Pigs, with an even lower tolerance threshold (0.25 volts), may exhibit:


Behavior:

  • Increased aggression and nervousness

  • Abnormal behaviors (cannibalism in extreme cases)

  • Reduced water and feed consumption

  • Cleanliness problems (pigs avoid certain areas)


Production and health:

  • Fewer piglets per litter

  • Lower than normal weight gain

  • Increased piglet mortality rate

  • Weakened immune system making the herd more susceptible to diseases

  • Reduced feed conversion ratio


Impacts on Poultry

Impact of stray voltage on poultry

Impact of stray voltage on poultry.

Poultry manifest their discomfort differently:


Behavior:

  • Widespread nervousness and agitation

  • Avoidance of certain areas of the poultry house

  • Reduced water consumption


Production and health:

  • Decreased laying rate in laying hens

  • More floor eggs

  • Increased mortality

  • Affected meat quality

  • Increased susceptibility to infections



| How Does Stray Voltage Affect Your Animals?

To learn about the methods we use to detect and control stray voltage on the farm, visit the section on our solution!



 
 
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