The Rural Voice, 1995-08, Page 58BRUCE
County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER
446 10th St., Hanover, Ontario N4N 1P9
519-364-3050
• The Rural Voice is provided to Bruce
County Farmers by the BCFA.
As summer rolls around with
temperatures increasing, humidity high,
and rainfall frequency increasing, the
wheat harvest must be at hand. Why
else would we have this kind of
weather now! However, the crop does
look good in those areas that have
missed the severe storms.
Will the new provincial government
increase the level of distress or provide
positive leadership and help alleviate
some of our stress? Definitely the
federal government could use strong
provincial support with the upcoming
U.S. trade disputes over some of the
tariffs applied on imports into our
"supply managed" sectors. Ontario
agriculture has the most to lose from a
loss in this battle. Obviously the U.S.
is in difficulty when they want to
disrupt trading patterns with all of their
trading partners world wide.
Although tingle voltage is
seemingly not wide -spread, it can be of
considerable concern and cost to those
who might have it. As a result, we are
reproducing an Ontario Federation of
Agriculture "Fact Sheet" on tingle
voltage that provides some background
information and what to look for as
well as what the next step is, if you
think you have tingle voltage.0
Grant Collins
Public Relations Committee
IDENTIFYING TINGLE
VOLTAGE '
All grounded electrical equipment
produces tingle voltage. Although you
won't feel it, your livestock might.
Tingle voltage is the electricity that
exists between all grounded equipment
and the earth. It is also referred to as
"stray voltage", "neutral -to -ground" or
"neutral -to -earth".
When electricity is grounded, the
"ground" disperses the electrical charge
through the earth. But sometimes this
charge does not scatter, or it regains
strength as it runs through the earth.
This charge is then able to resurface if
it comes into contact with a natural
conductor.
Any conductor, such as water lines
or wet concrete floors, that touches
both the earth and part of the barn can
54 THE RURAL VOICE
Taking the tingle out of life
carry stray voltage up from the ground
into a point that could transmit a shock
when touched by livestock. Feeders,
waterbowls, metal grates, metal stalls,
stanchions and milk pipelines are a few
possible contact points for your
livestock.
Livestock are much more sensitive
to tingle voltage than humans. People
rarely feel stray voltage below 30 volts.
However, animals can show avoidance
reactions at 0.75 volts. Weekends,
holidays, and wet weather may have
higher levels.
Although most livestock are
susceptible to tingle voltage, dairy
cattle exhibit the most visible
symptoms. For cattle the symptoms
are:
• Cattle lap water from the trough or
bowl.
• Feed in the bottom of the manger
is not cleaned up.
• Milk out is slow and uneven.
• Cows are reluctant to enter the
milk parlor and quick to leave.
• Slow growth in calves and heifers.
Other livestock:
Pigs often take to ear and tail biting.
Mastitis and baby pig scours are
common. Piglet mortality may
increase.
Horses may paw the ground and shy
from watering or feeding troughs.
Cats leave the farm, become ill,
cease to bear litters or have small
unhealthy litters, or die. Coats are
usually dull and shaggy and eyes are
runny.
Household electrical problems often
occur in conjunction with tingle voltage
symptoms. For example, high rates of
incandescent lamp failures.
• Computers have to be protected by
surge arrestors to prevent periodic
failure.
• Radio and TV failure. Repair
persons comment the set was hit by
lightning even if it wasn't.
• Increase in motor burnouts.
• Occasional shocks from water
lines or faucets.
• Telephones are noisy, have lots of
service calls and may experience false
rings.
Health problems have been
observed in people exposed to large
amounts of tingle voltage, but have not
been proven to be caused by tingle
voltage.
Farmers and their families who
suffer from immune disorders such as
allergies or rheumatoid arthritis find
their symptoms get worse or remiss in
close co-ordination with livestock
symptoms. Periods of fatigue or
tiredness increase. Sleep disorders may
increase.
If you suspect you have tingle
voltage problems, contact your retail
Hydro Office and have a Hydro
Representative visit the farm and take
voltage readings. It is Hydro's
responsibility to reduce voltage on the
neutral conductor to below 10 volts. It
is the farmer's responsibility to address
levels of less than 10 volts.
The most effective form of
reduction is a tingle voltage filter,
which reduces stray voltage on the
ground system to levels well below the
level at which animals begin to show
signs of stress. Before investing in a
tingle voltage filter, contact your local
Hydro office for more information.
This information is provided for the
general guidance and benefit of OFA
members and should not be relied upon
to replace the requirement for specific
professionals.0
OFA REGIONAL
MEETING
Monday, October 2, 1995
OMAFRA Boardroom,
Walkerton
BRUCE COUNTY'
FEDERATION Off.
AGRICULTURE
Directors' Meeting
Monday, August 28, 1998
8:00 p.m.
OMAFRA Boardroom, Walkerton
i