One of the most significant developments in pasture and grazing management over the last 50 years has been the introduction of electric fencing. This was pioneered by an innovative Kiwi by the name of Bill Gallagher in the 1930's. Faced with a horse 'Joe' who took too much of a liking to using Bill's car as a scratching post, Bill devised a cunning electrical circuit that delivered a shock whenever Joe rocked the vehicle.

Much to Bill's Gallagher's (pictured) delight, this quickly cured the problem – and sparked the idea for his electric fence invention. And as they say, the rest is history. The Gallagher's Group electric fencing division is now a  multinational, multi million dollar business. The reason electric fencing has been so successful is because the  requirements for controlling animals using electric fencing  is so much less compared to conventional fencing. This results in immediate cost savings in terms of materials and labour upwards of  80%. In particular, it is the ability for a grazing manager to set up and dismantle an electric fence quickly and easily and still have very effective control of stock that has seen electric fencing technology so widely adopted.   Since the advent of electric fencing, dramatic on-farm production increases from pasture based systems have been made possible greatly improving farm profitability. Much of this can be attributed simply because electric fencing has allowed much better utilisation of pasture through more intensive (higher) stocking rates.
With increased grazing intensity comes an increased requirement to get the 'timing' right. It is much more likely underfeeding of stock or damage to pastures from overgrazing will occur if the stock are not moved when required. Sometimes as little as one hour too long on a break can cause pasture damage to occur that will take months to recover. Avoiding these sorts of problems often requires a grazing manager to be on the job and available to open a gate when 24/7.  At least this was the case until the advent of the Batt-Latch!   The Batt-Latch is a small, battery powered electronic gate release device that can be programmed to release an electrified spring gate (or wire or tape) at a predetermined time of day, on any day, for up to two weeks in advance.
The Batt-Latch was developed by another clever Kiwi electronics innovator Graham Lynch of Novel Ways, who recognised the need for a farmer to be able to open a gate when not around to do so. By utilising modern electronics he was able to produce an affordable, robust and water proof unit that is ridiculously simple to use but with powerful programming features.  The original Batt-Latch units required the battery to be recharged every few months. Batt-Latch’s now recharge their battery with an integrated solar panel meaning the Batt-Latch no longer requires taking away from the job for recharging. Each new Batt-Latch is supplied with a quality spring gate (for use across gateways) and a strong nylon strap for attachment to a gate post or similar structure.  Setting the Batt-Latch up simply involves selecting a time and day for it to activate, then stretching the spring gate across a gateway or part  of a pasture break and  hooking the spring gate into the cam operated lobe on the Batt-Latch. When the Batt-Latch activates, the lobe turns allowing the spring gate to release from the Batt-Latch and spring clear of the gateway.
Batt-Latch accessory options include the ability to activate the unit to release by remote control from up to 5 kms away. Another option allows the Batt-Latch to open or close any standard pipe gate by means of a very affordable 'gate adaptor'. The Batt-Latch is particularly suited to small farms, especially where farmers have to spend time working off-farm for extra income. With two or more units, it is possible to release stock onto new breaks over several days if need be, allowing a farmer to be away for days at a time.  The Batt-Latch is not limited to use with domestic stock. Batt-Latch's have been used to let dogs out of kennels, open chook runs, release horses into paddocks and release grain into feeding troughs. The uses for the Batt-Latch are really only limited by one's imagination. Over the last 15 years, tens of hundreds of Batt-Latch's have been sold into New Zealand dairying, sheep, beef, deer and bird farming operations plus many hundreds more have been exported to countries around the world. Batt-Latch’s are sold and supported in Australia by Grazetech. Further information can be found by visiting the Grazetech website site at www.grazetech.com.au or contact Grazetech on 0431879196.