Caution! Cows will chew on your wire!

TonyR

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ALL rodents (squirrels, gophers, rats) just LOVE polystyrene items and thermoplastic wiring insulation.....not sure why, but they do!
 

Francisco73

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Rats eat some brands of soap also. How can the cables survive with so many enemies?
 

J Sigmo

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I once drove about 200 miles each way to troubleshoot a telemetry RTU that had failed. Turned out a horse had switched it off scratching his backside on the RTU. I caught him doing it when I arrived. I offered to relocate the power switch to the inside of the enclosure, but the customer opted to build a fence around the unit.

And don't discount rabbits as cable-chewers. They love PVC for some reason!

I know that many plastics use plasticizers that are estrogen-mimicing. Maybe they also attract rodents with their smell. Rabbits will completely strip the outer sheaths from COAX or Heliax if it is low enough for them to reach it.
 
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dudemaar

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Do the cows have fans for the summer and heating for the winter in Canada?
yes they are bigassfans.com and in the winter its not heated, cows are sheltered and keep warm from each others body heat.
 

vandyman

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I remember when a bull chewed up a garden hose.
It was nasty when it was pulled back out his mouth from his stomach.

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Francisco73

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Sounds like endoscopy ! I have a friend whose education finished at age 10 when a cow called Gertude ate his school book.His father became angry.
 

dudemaar

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Use the attic to run your wires if possible. Calving pens and inside the robot milking parlours are some main focus points I’ve done. Also the outside petro tanks too. maybe a couple of good motorized zoom lens cameras inside, depending on how long your barn is.
 

gwminor48

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cows are sheltered and keep warm from each others body heat.
I once worked with a guy who grew up on a dairy farm in an area with cold winters. He surprised me when he said the barn was warmer than you would think with all those warm-blooded cows in there.
 
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