rachels.haven's Journal

[farmerjan]

The cattle panels and t-posts are a good temp fence solution. If you ever move, they can be taken down and moved and a new pen set up easily at a new place. And steel isn't getting any cheaper, so are a pretty good investment to be able to take. I don't see any more predators through them than woven wire, like possums, fox and, coons.... holes are about the same a couple strands up on the "field fence" and most will try to go under and they will go under anything they find a slight depression in the ground. Unless you use something like the no climb horse type fence that is very closely spaced; and expensive.....
I think that @Baymule used them as she was trying to decide where - how she wanted some fences and they are much more sturdy that just field fence to use to patch a hole or something just because of their rigidity.

 

[Bruce]

A fox can get through a 6" opening and drag a full grown White Rock through as well. And it can EASILY go through a cattle panel. Know that from personal experience as well. If a fox can get through something, a coon or possum can do so even easier. Sheep and goat is 4" and while the latter 2 can get through that, I do not believe a fox can.

 

[rachels.haven]

Fox and possum can't get through the dogs though, although the dogs would love it if they tried. My chickens will probably need to stay in their covered pen unless the hawk moves on. That sucker was just killing and killing and killing and hanging chickens around the property in trees everywhere, and THAT made me mad and he's still here and would love an opportunity to go back to killing and wasting my chickens.

 

[Baymule]

I have 4 of the 2"x4" horse panels, they are HEAVY and hard to deal with by oneself. I have lots of the cow panels and drag them all over the place. If I were to start over, I think I would go with the sheep and goat panels. I do lots of temporary fencing, lots, pens and whatever.

As far as the hawk goes, sounds like he struck a Bonanza until you shut it down and your chickens are going to have to deal with lockdown. Our female GP, Paris, hates predatory birds, leaps in the air, teeth snapping and them. She also hates snakes, kills every one that she can. So Mr. Hawk hung your chickens up in trees like a personal pantry? That was adding insult to injury.

 

[rachels.haven]

Today something odd happened to Badger. I let him and Bailey out. With the neighbor dog gone Bailey no longer runs out of the yard to go conduct her shenanigans. Badger followed her and I went back into the barn to organize something or whatever it is I do when I'm not looking. I'm pretty sure she outran him as he did his usual "I'm going to pull your tail off" trick that he does when they go out to be a pill (he likes being "beat up" by her I guess), so she was running laps, he was in the side yard, probably watching. When I called him for treats he came, then she came for her treat a bit later, but instead of trying to get her treat and needing to be corrected as usual he started acting like one side of his body wouldn't move and he dragged himself over and couldn't stand up. I had him drag himself over to the barn so I could watch him. He wasn't acting in pain, just like it was really, really hard. He'd been running a few minutes ago, so I wasn't terribly worried so I put them both up in the doe pen instead of putting him in with the randy bucks (new buck included) and watched for a few minutes and it looked like he was still a little shakey in the back end, like one of his rear legs didn't want to work, but his front legs were working again. He wasn't faking, but over about ten minutes he went back to normal.

I wonder if he pulled a muscle. That sure was weird.

No chance of trauma with a vehicle, btw.

 

[Baymule]

A pinched nerve maybe?

 

[rachels.haven]

Hope so! He's a good goofy, fluffy guy.

 

[rachels.haven]

These aren't aluminum. Curious.

LockJawz Corner Brace Kit

All New T-Post Corner Bracing system by LockJawz. No tools required and it fits all standard t-posts (1.25-1.33 lb)

www.lockjawz.com

 

[Bruce]

That looks like it would work better than the ones I got since the posts don't have to be so carefully lined up. I think one reason I had a problem is because mine aren't (hard to put T posts in rocks) and the aluminum fittings twist. Not sure with this one just how you get the 1st posts from the corner PERFECTLY lined up distance wise though.

Tractor Time With Tim showed the LockJaws post insulators. Again they can be installed in any orientation on the post so if the post isn't dead on straight it doesn't matter.

 

[Baymule]

I bought the lockjawzs electric fence insulators. They fit a T-post, no matter what side it is on. I like them. That corner brace kits looks TEMPORARY to me!