NEW ULM — A Hortonville, Wis. electrician credited with solving stray voltage dairy herd issues on a rural Sleepy Eye dairy farm two years ago, testified for several hours in a civil case in Brown County District Court Monday.

Larry Neubauer testified that he used an oscilloscope and spent three days testing circuits for stray voltage at Olmar Farms before coming up with solutions that Brian and Jill Nelson said solved their herd health issues. The Nelsons previously testified they searched for years for something that would work.

The Nelson’s allege that stray voltage issues jeopardized the dairy farming operation and property. The Nelsons claim damages of greater than $50,000.

Neubauer said he found stray voltage on the farm he said was caused by the REA’s power supply. He recommended the Nelsons convert from one to three-phase electricity, add four-wire connections and install a monitoring system with strobe lights.

Last week, the Nelsons testified they spent $89,000 on the power upgrades and monitoring system before their cow herd health improved markedly.

The Nelsons said before the upgrades, their cows didn’t produce the milk they expected, were nervous, lame, didn’t eat or drink well, kicked excessively, had miscarriages and other ailments.

“Nobody else took the time to measure resistance,” Neubauer said. “I’ve been through this so many times. I can find it (stray voltage). You have to know where and how to look and go through the entire place.”

“I’m the trouble guy,” Neubauer said. “I’m called nationwide. I’ve crossed the United States 13 times this year.” Neubauer said. “When people can’t figure it out, they call me and away I go.”

Testifying to the Nelson’s attorney Scott Lawrence, Neubauer said he turned all farm motors off and on and found that none of them were defective.

“Stray voltage is a hotly-debated thing in the electrical engineering community,” Neubauer testified. “It is hazardous to people, cows and pigs.”

Defense attorney Scott Kelly of Mankato asked if there is a scientific study of how Neubauer finds stray voltage.

Neubauer said it was evidence theorem and Ohm’s Law (voltage equals current times resistance), which he called “a fundamental law of physics.”

“It’s simple math and his own notes,” Lawrence said.

Kelly objected, saying the Wisconsin Public Service Commissioner didn’t adopt his techniques.

Judge Robert Docherty over-ruled the objection.

Neubauer said cow environment needs to be considered more than it is.

“Basically, cows live in a swimming pool. They’re wet all the time. It’s not a lab,” Neubauer said.

Earlier in the day, Dr. Aaron Rendahl of the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, testified that milk weight decline in cows is steeper when higher voltages are applied to cows, according to a University of Wisconsin study.

Rendahl testified that he didn’t study Neubauer’s work.

The jury trial continues at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.

fbusch@nujournal.com