Bruce
Herd Master
I don't know how I would get a hole that deep even without rocks.
Looking for Advice and Experience
- Thread starter CntryBoy777
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #72
CntryBoy777
Herd Master
I dug the hole for the meter pole here at the trailer, I had to put a third of the pole in the ground and it was even with the tips of the handles on a 6' digger. The only hole I ever dug that deep. I was driving trucks at the time, so I put it higher than the recommended minimum of 13' above ground.
greybeard
Herd Master
no sense digging just 1/2 a hole guys..corners are the life of your fence.
There are some big posts I've put in at just 3-3 1/2' deep when the ground was hard as a hooker's heart, but most by far are 4' deep or better. Ideally, I want nearly as much in the ground as I have wire height, but I have to consider the type livestock I have, which is brahma influenced cattle.
There are some big posts I've put in at just 3-3 1/2' deep when the ground was hard as a hooker's heart, but most by far are 4' deep or better. Ideally, I want nearly as much in the ground as I have wire height, but I have to consider the type livestock I have, which is brahma influenced cattle.
Where do you get your posts from and what length do you use? An 8' post sunk 5 feet would only leave 3' above for wire? I need at least 5 feet above ground level. Right now the fencing being done is only for goats/sheep. However, when I get to the front pasture, that will be for steers, but I doubt they'll be Brahma influenced...
greybeard
Herd Master
About 1/2 of the crossties I got in a big container load were 9' long. But my preference is to use cut up utility poles.
- Thread starter
- #76
CntryBoy777
Herd Master
These are of the front of this area, it is somewhat "V" shape
..this post in the foreground is the end post of the line, angling back to the left of the cedar tree. The pic is taken standing in the 4' gate. The post seen is the gate post. The other end, looks like this...
...this is going to be a corner of the "Quack Shack" yard, but will get back to this area after the other is fenced. I'm just going to hand tighten some welded wire from the corner post to the existing corner post of the temporary yard. This area will not be used by goats, just ducks and chickens.
This is the other line of the "V" ....
...This is the strike post of the gate and it angles over past the blue tubs, to the trees in this pic, and will end...unattached to the existing corner of the goat yard. What I'm actually doing is replacing the 25+ yr old, rotting fence and posts by engulfing them into a bigger border fenced area. This is only phase 1 of a major overhaul.
The holes are all dug, and the posts are in the ground. Next come the bracing and brace wiring.
..this post in the foreground is the end post of the line, angling back to the left of the cedar tree. The pic is taken standing in the 4' gate. The post seen is the gate post. The other end, looks like this... ...this is going to be a corner of the "Quack Shack" yard, but will get back to this area after the other is fenced. I'm just going to hand tighten some welded wire from the corner post to the existing corner post of the temporary yard. This area will not be used by goats, just ducks and chickens.This is the other line of the "V" ....
...This is the strike post of the gate and it angles over past the blue tubs, to the trees in this pic, and will end...unattached to the existing corner of the goat yard. What I'm actually doing is replacing the 25+ yr old, rotting fence and posts by engulfing them into a bigger border fenced area. This is only phase 1 of a major overhaul.The holes are all dug, and the posts are in the ground. Next come the bracing and brace wiring.
Bruce
Herd Master
Sounds like me! Except that the rotting fence I am "replacing" by enclosing a larger area probably isn't even 15 years old.
- Thread starter
- #78
CntryBoy777
Herd Master
I didn't get pics of the actual notching of the posts, but I used a chainsaw to accomplish it. The brace post should be 75% of the fence height, which in my case was 45". Since I was working by myself, I tapped in a fence staple at the height on one post, propped up an end of the brace post on the staple and put the level on top of the brace, raised it to level and marked the other end. Then I cut the 2 notches, put one end in the notch held the brace up and marked to cut to correct length, set the post in the notches and used 4" deck screws toenailed to hold in place.
I used a double-stranded twisted wire as the brace wire, and metal electrical conduit for the twist rods cut to 2' in length. There were 40 brace wires, and the conduit cost me $23 for 8 sticks. They seemed to work pretty well, however if I were to do it over again, I would make sure they all twisted so that the rod would be on the opposite side of the fence. It would lessen the obsticles when stretching the fence to the post. Here are some pics that show up close how I did this....
....this is how I ended the brace wire, but then went back and twisted them together and cut them....
....There was much learned with each step of this project, and there sure are things that I'd do a bit differently today, than I did when it was done....but, we all live and learn. The next step is the stretching of the fence. I will tell ya that I will more than likely be replacing this fence in a couple of yrs, but it will be only fence cost that I will have to be concerned with then. I do agree and understand all that others say about the welded wire, but a poor man does as he can, with what he can....til he can do better. That was stated for any others that may seek this advice in the future. Welded wire is only 14gauge wire and can be easily bent and twisted with just your fingers, so thinking it will last very long is only a foolish thought. I have some other that was brand new just 2-3yrs ago and it is starting to rust, so it is already getting weaker. I can see replacing it more sooner than later, but just hope it holds up until I can get back to it....better prepared than I am today....
I used a double-stranded twisted wire as the brace wire, and metal electrical conduit for the twist rods cut to 2' in length. There were 40 brace wires, and the conduit cost me $23 for 8 sticks. They seemed to work pretty well, however if I were to do it over again, I would make sure they all twisted so that the rod would be on the opposite side of the fence. It would lessen the obsticles when stretching the fence to the post. Here are some pics that show up close how I did this....
....this is how I ended the brace wire, but then went back and twisted them together and cut them.... ....There was much learned with each step of this project, and there sure are things that I'd do a bit differently today, than I did when it was done....but, we all live and learn. The next step is the stretching of the fence. I will tell ya that I will more than likely be replacing this fence in a couple of yrs, but it will be only fence cost that I will have to be concerned with then. I do agree and understand all that others say about the welded wire, but a poor man does as he can, with what he can....til he can do better. That was stated for any others that may seek this advice in the future. Welded wire is only 14gauge wire and can be easily bent and twisted with just your fingers, so thinking it will last very long is only a foolish thought. I have some other that was brand new just 2-3yrs ago and it is starting to rust, so it is already getting weaker. I can see replacing it more sooner than later, but just hope it holds up until I can get back to it....better prepared than I am today....
Mike CHS
Herd Master
You had a plan and stuck to it. I understand doing what the budget allows but it does get it done. We are going to use the Gaucho high tensile woven wire for our perimeter since any lambs will be in the inside pens. It doesn't have the spacing of Sheep & Goat fence but the price is decent (I think it was $159 for a 330' roll and it is half the weight of the other wire. After watching our sheep and LGD with the electric netting for the last few weeks we are going to use more of that and ordered 3 more 164' rolls to rotate better. I fed the sheep enough grass and introduced them to the new pasture that they are going to go wherever I call them to. There can always be issues but I always have a bucket of grain on the golf cart just in case.
We have enough fence chargers to cover anything we need to add for security.
We have enough fence chargers to cover anything we need to add for security.
- Thread starter
- #80
CntryBoy777
Herd Master
That's the next thing I'm gonna be worrying ya about...learning about the electric stuff, but I have to stay focussed on what's at hand for now with my learning. However, I pay attention to yours and other's posts on it and it certainly has my interest....in fact, I have started looking as to what's available here...but, nothing seriously. My pocket is still "Bleeding" and with family coming, just nothing to spare. I did look at some marine batteries today.....I may hook some lights up to them.
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