This cracked green piece is from a Nofence collar strap. It goes over the top of the cow's neck so the chains on either side are not electrically connected. It looks like it just cracked from the cattle wearing it. It didn't stop the collar from working, but it was good to get it swapped out, and we'll be checking for this from now on as part of our collar maintenance.
I'm going to contact Nofence about it. They have a really good warranty program, and they've gone out of their way to take care of me. I've been really happy with them as a company.
The collars have really helped our rotational grazing. We're able to graze more of our land, so we can move the cattle sooner when the grass runs low. That helps us take better care of the grass, instead of grazing it down until we can build a new temporary fence. This year I've seen more of that knocked-down, thick mat of grass left behind when we move them off a pasture. That's much closer to what Joel Salatin tries to do with his herd.
Nofence isn't perfect. Sometimes the cows escape, and collars break. New cattle need to be trained to the collar, and it doesn't always hold a determined cow that is moving fast. Even with that, it has been a good fit for us.
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