Pen Suggestions ~ Updated with PHOTOS

[patandchickens]

I'll have to ask at the co-op but I think its more expensive for our field fence.

It may vary a little, but FWIW I was just pricing that sort of fencing last week (for sheep not goats) at our local co-op. I ended up spending $199 (before tax) on a 20-rod (330') roll of 9-wire 39" fencing, the kind where the bottom holes are approx 2x4" and the upper holes more like 4x4". "Normal" field fencing, with the 6x12" holes and 48" high, was essentially the same price per running foot, but I felt the holes were too big for lambs. They also had some 48" 4x4" fencing but it only came in a 40-rod roll for like $400 and I really don't have almost 700' worth of sheep to fence LOL

The main concern is the small pen, which I'm okay with panels for... the big field may be more worth it to go with field fence but that is for another day, yanno?

IMO if you are making a small pen, like 16x16 or something, it really does make good sense to use cattle panels or like that, because they are more rigid than roll fencing and thus will wibble and flop a bit less. (Which is particularly important without the ability to put in good posts, since you won't be able to put much tension on the fencing). Plus I can certainly understand the "total investment at the moment" type issue, even if "price per linear foot" is cheaper when buying a whole roll of fencing.

Actually another option for a 16x16ish pen, albeit not an inexpensive one but very REUSABLE and handy, is to get four 16' gates (or three, and use the wall of a building as the fourth side), put t-posts at the corners where you connect them, and 'sew' 4x4 (or whatever) wire mesh on to smallen-up the gaps. Gates are a bit pricey unless you can score some at auction, but they last more or less forever and then you will HAVE 16" gates that can be used for any number of things (gates, emergency horse stalls, small structures, etc)

Here is another idea, don't know if you've considered it -- make a stout rectangular frame out of 2x6 wood or heavy steel pipe, and then attach 2x4 mesh (or chainlink, if you have a source of recycled or cheap stuff and enjoy dealing with chainlink installation). The nice thing about that is you can make it ANY height, even 6' if you want, just as long as the panels are not so tall in relation to the length of the pen sides that they are prone to blow over. Then just attach those rigid panels you've made (like kennel panels) into a square or whatever, and there ya go.

Likely you will HAVE to run a wire on the inside top to discourage climbing, and a low digproofing wire on the outside vs coyotes. But, I am with you on not wanting to put TOO much electric wire in a small pen, as it can really cut into animals' ability to use what space they got.

Pat

 

[lupinfarm]

Thanks for the awesome suggestions Pat. I had thought about the gates but I seriously just watched Cissy and Mione escape for a 50ft roundpen through a 6" gap... no joke... They went right under it. Now, okay fine there was no electric to keep them away from it but they are pretty chunky little beasts and it was somewhat disturbing to watch haha.

I was just gassing up in town/getting a coffee and my friend with horses who lives around on the next road works at the gas station and she USED to have goats (lots of boer goats, she taught them how to walk on leads and do tricks and such... the woman can train anything I swear) and she got rid of her goats a while ago and has had issues with her 3 younger horses busting through the wire fence and has offered me some 2x4 chainlink type fencing, about 120ft of it (this is about 6ft more than I need for my pen) for free/in exchange for man power (we've offered up my brother ha) and some electric fence supplies (which we have lots of) as she plans on replacing with just polyrope which is much less precious and just about the only thing her horses actually respect. So now that I've got the fencing itself sorted (thank heavens!) I'm almost good to go aside from purchasing about 10 bags of cement to do the remaining posts we WERE able to dig.

I'm going to try out the wedgeloc too for 2 of the corners, see how it works out. I am still going to have electric, 2 lines maybe 3 if Cissy won't stop rubbing on the fence but I'll let you know how it goes. LeAnn (lady with the fencing) has hers on tposts with wood corner posts and hers has stood the test of time for about 5 years so IMO thats not too bad.

I've probably got around 300-400ft of field fencing to put up in the actual pasture. yikes. the pen is definitely a necessity. i have a small pen behind our garage that the two go out to during the day with April staying in until she's socialized enough that she won't run off and never be caught again should she escape but I leave in about 25 days to live in Toronto and they need a pen before I leave!


Oo, may as well note that our pen is about 35ftx35ft, thankfully I finally got my hands on a metal roundpen which we use in emerge situations for the pony as it can be a good sized pen or a boxstall or whatever.

 

[lupinfarm]

cmjust0, do you have your electric on t-posts?

Oh yeah! More t-posts than wood posts, probably.

The only places where I feel it's necessarily to bury a wood post is:

1) A corner or turn in the line.
2) Where a fenceline ends.
3) Where there's a big dip in the ground and the tension on the wire will pull a t-post out of the ground.

That's it.

If it's a straight line of fence without a big dip, wood posts really aren't required. There are spans through the woods toward the back of my property where there's not a wooden fence post for hundreds of feet.

That's one of the beauties of hi-tensile...the wire basically just floats on the post, so the post is largely irrelevant. So long as it'll stay in the ground, you're good. And not only is it easier to sink a t-post in the ground, it's much much much cheaper.

:/ I'm not even sure in some instances we *can* get wood posts in corners or dips in land. Seriously. Its a goats paradise here, the whole hillside is pure rock... and not small rocks.. I'm talking probably some bigger than your house... connected to the earth... kinda dealio.

Mum is onboard for electric now though aside from on the driveway which is fine with me.

 

[cmjust0]

cmjust0, do you have your electric on t-posts?

Oh yeah! More t-posts than wood posts, probably.

The only places where I feel it's necessarily to bury a wood post is:

1) A corner or turn in the line.
2) Where a fenceline ends.
3) Where there's a big dip in the ground and the tension on the wire will pull a t-post out of the ground.

That's it.

If it's a straight line of fence without a big dip, wood posts really aren't required. There are spans through the woods toward the back of my property where there's not a wooden fence post for hundreds of feet.

That's one of the beauties of hi-tensile...the wire basically just floats on the post, so the post is largely irrelevant. So long as it'll stay in the ground, you're good. And not only is it easier to sink a t-post in the ground, it's much much much cheaper.

:/ I'm not even sure in some instances we *can* get wood posts in corners or dips in land. Seriously. Its a goats paradise here, the whole hillside is pure rock... and not small rocks.. I'm talking probably some bigger than your house... connected to the earth... kinda dealio.

Mum is onboard for electric now though aside from on the driveway which is fine with me.

Here's a handy trick I heard once..

Take a section of welded wire fence -- can be old fence, doesn't matter, and make a 'cage' out of it by connecting it back to itself. Maybe like 2' across, I guess?

Don't quote me on that.

Anyway, you set this cage wherever you need your corner to be and proceed to throw pretty good sized rocks into the cage. When it's full, it ain't goin' nowhere.

Voila -- there's your corner post.

 

[lupinfarm]

Yeah theres quite a few larger farms with corner posts like that. In some areas I may be able to sink corner posts since they're down by the horse pasture which is less rocky.

On the upside, I think Cissy and Mione have accepted that April ain't going anywhere lol. Also, Cissy is a bit down today... the vet mentioned she may be a little lack luster as she's on quite a high dose of anti-biotics (injected) for her nasty little infection. Still eating, drinking, pooping ect.

Plus its been like 30*C all week :/ way too hot. I think I'm just paranoid and the herd dynamic has changed lol. Its funny, they are accepting April as long as every now and then as they please they can ram her into a wall. I was surprised, it was Mione who rammed her into a wall this evening and Cissy half heartedly butted her in the face LOL.


ETA: Okay I'm just a little paranoid thats all. I went in to show mum how lack luster Cissy was and she up eating hay and evaded me at all costs when I tried to catch her to check her eyelids LOL. She needs deworming, but tis all good. I'll pick up safeguard tomorrow and go from there.

 

[patandchickens]

Remember that if you have a very strong, rigid and totally-continuous 'top rail' (metal or wood) on the fencing, it takes a LOT of the stress off the posts. You can use the metal pipe normally used for chainlink on any other wire mesh fence too, on chainlink type posts (with the fittings to receive the top rail ends) or on wooden posts (holes or metal fittings to receive it). Then tension it REALLY WELL, screw the joints if necessary. And then having well-set or deep posts is MUCH less of an issue, because the pen becomes sort of a self-supporting structure.

Mind you it is kind of more of a nuisance to install that way.

Pat, having spent all of last weekend installing about 80' of reused chainlink for the sheep's soon-to-be-new night pen, and not having enjoyed it much, but with digproofing and electric it is one SOLID fence

 

[lupinfarm]

Hahaha... Yeah it is not fun at all. I am going to be buying the wedgeloc pieces, they screw into the posts or on tposts lock in and will give you basically the same thing you're talking about. They're not terribly spendy either which is great.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

I like cattle panels for small pens (like Pat said), but I think if you were to make a larger pen I'd suggest the mesh. Also look for regular 2X4 mesh (you can get it at feed stores or hardware stores around here) which is normally cheaper and comes in shorter lengths (like 50' or 100' vs. 330'). T-posts are great for this type of fence. I'd definitely do a hot wire or two on the inside to keep them off of the fence.

 

[lupinfarm]

XD Well I got some of the 2x4 fencing for free. My brothers friends mum (friend of ours too) is taking down all her 2x4 fencing she had up for her goats and used for her horses to replace with just electric for the horses (its the only thing they actually respect) and she's offered me 120ft of it. More than enough to do my pen.

 

[glenolam]

I LOVE FREE!