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Stray Voltage and Dairy Farms, NRAES-149 -- the proceedings of a conference held in April 2003 -- presents the latest research on this complex topic. This 408-page book discusses electricity fundamentals and the impact, sources, measurement, prevention, and mitigation of stray voltage on dairy farms. Included are twenty-six papers authored by more than twenty researchers from seven states and Canada. Published in July 2003 by the Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service (NRAES), Stray Voltage and Dairy Farms, NRAES-149, is available for $45.00 plus $6.00 S&H (within the continental U.S.) Make checks payable to NRAES; all major credit cards accepted. New York residents, add sales tax (on both the cost of the book and S&H). Contact NRAES for other S&H rates and possible quantity discounts: NRAES, Cooperative Extension, PO Box 4557, Ithaca, NY 14852-4557; phone (607) 255-7654; fax (607) 254-8770; e-mail NRAES@CORNELL.EDU; web site WWW.NRAES.ORG.

New Book Updates Stray Voltage Research

A new book published by NRAES, the Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service, presents the most up-to-date information on the complex subject of stray voltage. As defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), stray voltage is "a difference in voltage between two surfaces that may be contacted simultaneously by an animal." When this occurs on a dairy farm, the cow acts to complete the circuit and experiences a small shock or "tingle." Research shows that stray voltage may increase cow stress and health problems, as well as decrease milk production. Sometimes, however, problems attributed to stray voltage are in fact caused by something else, and a multidisciplinary team is needed to identify the actual problem.

Stray Voltage and Dairy Farms, NRAES-149 ($45.00 plus S&H/sales tax, July 2003, 408 pages) is the proceedings of an April 2003 conference held in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. More than twenty researchers, educators, consultants, and investigators from Wisconsin, Michigan, Nebraska, New York, Arizona, Ohio, Vermont, and Canada share their latest research and experiences in this informative 408-page book. It is the only comprehensive source of research accomplished since the 1991 publication of Effects of Electrical Voltage/Current on Farm Animals: How to Detect and Remedy Problems, the most current USDA handbook on the topic.

Stray Voltage and Dairy Farms includes twenty-six papers divided into eight sections. The first section presents an overview of electricity and wiring fundamentals to provide the background necessary to understand subsequent, more technical papers. Topics of the following sections are: recent research on cows and stray voltage; sources and characterizations; stray voltage investigations; instrumentation and measurement; state and utility responses; data interpretation; and prevention and mitigation. This resource will be useful not only to dairy producers and their advisors, but also to veterinarians, dairy scientists, extension educators, engineers, builders, rural electric contractors, agribusiness, utilities, public policy advisors, and milk cooperatives.

The "Stray Voltage and Dairy Farms" conference was coordinated by NRAES. Conference planning was funded by a grant from The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. The planning committee consisted of Robert E. Graves, Penn State University (conference chair); Daniel J. Aneshansley, Cornell University; Mark A. Cook, Public Service Commission of Wisconsin; David Hansen, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection; David Ludington, DLtech, Inc.; Richard (Dick) A. Peterson, New York State Electric and Gas Corporation; Douglas J. Reinemann, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Richard S. Reines, Public Service Commission of Wisconsin; Marty Sailus, NRAES; Lee Southwick, Diversified Dairy Services; LaVerne E. Stetson, Consulting Agricultural Engineer; Keith G. Tinsey, Michigan Agricultural Electric Council, Michigan State University; and Thomas H. Wilson, Penn State Cooperative Extension.

Stray Voltage and Dairy Farms, NRAES-149, is available for $45.00 per copy (plus shipping and handling) from NRAES, Cooperative Extension, PO Box 4557, Ithaca, New York 14852-4557. Shipping and handling for one copy is $6.00 within the continental United States. New York residents, add sales tax (calculated on both the cost for publications and the shipping and handling charges. Click here for more information.) If ordering more than one book, or if ordering from outside the United States, contact NRAES for shipping rates and possible quantity discounts. Orders from outside the United States must be prepaid in U.S. funds. All major credit cards are accepted, and checks should be made payable to NRAES. For more information or a free publications catalog, contact NRAES by phone at (607) 255-7654, by fax at (607) 254-8770, or by e-mail at NRAES@CORNELL.EDU. To learn more about NRAES and browse through our entire catalog, visit our web site at WWW.NRAES.ORG

Preface

Stray Voltage

Stray Voltage Overview
Robert J. Gustafson, P.E., Ph.D.
Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering
The Ohio State University

Electricity 101 As It Applies to Stray Voltage
Richard S. Reines and Mark A. Cook
Public Service Commission of Wisconsin

Electricity Primary Distribution Systems -- Basic Theory
Michael F. Stringfellow
PowerCET Corporation; Scottsdale, Arizona

Farm and Home Wiring System Overview
Richard A. Peterson
New York State Electric and Gas; Ithaca, New York

Cows and Stray Voltage -- Research Update

Stray Voltage Research at Cornell University
Daniel J. Aneshansley
Biological and Environmental Engineering
Cornell University

Dairy Cow Response to the Electrical Environment: A Summary of Research Conducted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
Douglas J. Reinemann, Ph.D.
Biological Systems Engineering
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Electric and Magnetic Field Research at McGill University
Javier F. Burchard, D.V.M., Ph.D
Department of Animal Science
McGill University

Minnesota Science Advisors Findings on the Effects of Ground Current on the Health and Productivity of Dairy Cows
LaVerne E. Stetson
U. S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service
University of Nebraska
Lincoln, Nebraska

Sources and Characterizations

On-Farm and Off-Farm Stray Voltage Sources and Pathways
Truman C. Surbrook, P.E., Keith G. Tinsey, P.E., and Jonathan R. Althouse
Agricultural Engineering Department
Michigan State University

Stray Voltage Investigations

Stray Voltage Investigation Planning
David D. Hansen
Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection

Stray Voltage Education: A Veterinarian's Perspective
John R. Roberts, DVM
Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection
Mark A. Cook
Wisconsin Public Service Commission

Benchmarks and Bottlenecks: Identifying Management Problems Using Financial Data
Bradley J. Hilty
Penn State Dairy Alliance

Is It Really Animal Contact Voltage (ACV)?
Lee H. Southwick
Diversified Dairy Services; Cortland, New York

Cow Contact Current on Feeders and Milk Production Loss on a Dairy Farm: A Case Report
David J. Wilson
Quality Milk Production Services
Cornell University
Lee H. Southwick
Diversified Dairy Services; Cortland, New York

Instrumentation and Measurement

Protocols and Practices for Stray Voltage Testing
Truman C. Surbrook, P.E., Jonathan R. Althouse, and Keith G. Tinsey, P.E.
Agricultural Engineering Department
Michigan State University

Measurement Protocols and Data Acquisition Processes for Stray Voltage Investigations
Richard S. Reines and Mark A. Cook
Public Service Commission of Wisconsin

Measurement of Non-60 Hz Stray Voltage
Robert J. Fick, Ph.D., P.E.
Alliant Energy; Portage, Wisconsin

State and Utility Responses -- A Rap Session

A Brief History of the New York State Stray Voltage Committee
Ronald S. Edmister
New York State Electric and Gas; Ithaca, New York

Michigan Stray Voltage Protocols
Keith G. Tinsey, P.E., Truman C. Surbrook, P.E., and Jonathan R. Althouse
Agricultural Engineering Department
Michigan State University

Pennsylvania's Stray Voltage Perspective
Tom Wilson
Penn State Cooperative Extension

Stray Voltage -- The Vermont Experience
Daniel L. Scruton
Vermont Department of Agriculture, Food and Markets

Data Interpretation

Stray Voltage Database Synopsis: Wisconsin's Experience with Stray Voltage and its Mitigation
Mark A. Cook and Richard S. Reines
Public Service Commission of Wisconsin

The Bad Science of Stray Voltage
Michael F. Stringfellow
PowerCET Corporation; Scottsdale, Arizona

Prevention and Mitigation

Rural Applications of the National Electrical Code
LaVerne E. Stetson
U. S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service
University of Nebraska
Lincoln, Nebraska

The Equipotential Plane in New Livestock Facilities
Keith G. Tinsey, P.E., Truman C. Surbrook, P.E., and Jonathon R. Althouse
Agricultural Engineering Department
Michigan State University

On and Off Farm Stray Voltage Mitigation Methods
Charles Forster, P.E.
Phasor Labs; Oregon, Wisconsin

Speaker Biographies

Daniel J. Aneshansley
Javier F. Burchard
Mark A. Cook
Ronald S. Edmister
Robert J. Fick

Chuck Forster
Robert J. Gustafson
David D. Hansen
Bradley J. Hilty
Richard A. Peterson

Douglas J. Reinemann
Richard S. Reines
John Roberts
Daniel L. Scruton
Lee H. Southwick

LaVerne E. Stetson
Michael F. Stringfellow
Truman C. Surbrook
Keith G. Tinsey
David J. Wilson

Thomas H. Wilson

About NRAES

About NRAES
NRAES Member Universities