A NEW DIRECTION FOR THE OLD RAM

[greybeard]

TOR, I haven't had a gripple slip or fail yet, but I haven't used them very long but, I have pulled the HT in half using the tool in the picture.
I have not been bending the ends back or wrapping them around the stretched part of the wire. If it does get loose and sag for some reason, I want to be able to put the tool right back on that end and pull it some more.

 

[Baymule]

Thanks a lot y'all! (sarcastically) NOW that we have finished fencing our place, y'all trot out these cool Gripple things! I never knew about these things!

 

[Latestarter]

They do look quite amazing... Did a little searching but haven't been able to find the cost for all the various little parts... Seems like the costs will add up. GB, how expensive does it work out to be as compared to the old fashioned way of wrapping wire?

 

[The Old Ram-Australia]

G'day, here is an example of a "nifty" little clip for HT barb,if you fix it off to each star picket and it goes "slack" you have to undo the whole strain to re-tighten .They cost me 30 c ea delivered by the 1000,fixing them off is actually "quicker" than tying off with tie wire,IMO...T.O.R.

 

[greybeard]

They do look quite amazing... Did a little searching but haven't been able to find the cost for all the various little parts... Seems like the costs will add up. GB, how expensive does it work out to be as compared to the old fashioned way of wrapping wire?

About $1 ea. The tool is fairly expensive too, tho as I always do with everything, I average that cost out over it's lifetime.
Tractors are expensive, posthole diggers are expensive, barns cost a lot, headgates and squeeze chutes ain't cheap compared to the old fashioned way of roping the animal, throwing it and doing the work with the rope snubbed off to a tree.
I recently bought a pair of these, which cost a lot more than 2 2x6s with bolt holes drilled in them, but they'll last me a lot longer than the 2x6s and are a LOT easier quicker to use.
http://www.kencove.com/fence/Woven+Wire+Accessories_detail_TSC5.php

T.O.R. Aus..I haven't seen those available here (or the posts with holes in them) but Ken (a cowman and retired vet over on CT from S.E. Queensland) did reccomend something called clipex that is gaining popularity there. Lots of good ranching innovations coming out of Australia and N.Z. over the years.
http://clipex.com.au/media/catalog/...5fb8d27136e95/c/l/clipex-standard-post-04.jpg

 

[The Old Ram-Australia]

G'day Bossroo,If anyone is interested in the clips I will post details , which can be ordered with a poly insert to "hot wire " the fence .( he is not on the internet though).All of our "star posts" are manufactured with the holes to match all of the fabricated mesh made down here,but in reality you have to run 3 plains to support it top, middle and bottom to which the mesh is stapled to limit the damage from roos and wombats,so I just opt for a mix of plain and barb instead.
I have looked at the "clipex",but they are way more expensive than the standard posts.
Here are some photos of a fence gone wrong,a wombat burrowed alongside the strainer and undermined it with this result.

 

[Baymule]

I guess the wombat could be compared to the badger. We don't have badgers around here and that suits me just fine.

 

[The Old Ram-Australia]

G'day,so a few weeks ago we found out that a Wiltipol stud was going to disperse their flock through our regional livestock sale.Today we turned up to see if we could buy a ram or two and maybe some ewes.In the run-up to the sale most of the stock had been sold privately off of the farm,so there was a yard of rams and a yard of ewes offered and I had a word to the agent and he agreed to sell the "pick" of the rams and then offer the balance,bearing in mind the rams on offer were stud quality and were all AI with no natural mating.We were the winning bidder on the pick and took the two we felt were the best at (wait for it) $151.00 ea (which was the value of the meat only),now this studs rams sell for over $1500.00 at the big breeder sales.The yard of ewes (7 in all ) two of which look as though they could be in lamb cost us $117.00 ea which was the value of the meat once again.

We now have 3 distinct breed lines along with the Suffolk's to develop a "Composite" lamb for sale in the future.The moral to the story is don't discount your local livestock selling center when you are looking for new genetics for your flock,if you can spend some time there ,ask your agent to keep a "lookout" for lines /breeds which may suit you...T.O.R.

P.S. I will post some pic's tomorrow of the "new sheep".

 

[Baymule]

What a bargain! You sure did good on that one! Can't wait to see pictures of the new sheep! Congratulations on the great buy!

How is your wife doing? Does she enjoy going to the sales?

 

[Latestarter]

What a fantastic turn of events for you. Congrats! As Bay said, would love to see a few pics if you'd be so kind. (Had to google Witipol stud... )