Texas Fencing Qs

Margali

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I am getting ready to start fixing the fencing at our new property. I have a several questions regarding fencing vs neighbors animals and human kids climbing the fence. We've already had a couple hundred dollars worth of stuff stolen.

What I've found so far:
Texas
- purple paint = no trespassing posted
- open range except US and State highway frontages and counties or municpalities that enacted stock laws
- There is a legal standard for "fence-out" but not "fence-in" fencing.
Johnson County
- stock law to fence in horse, mules, jacks, jennetts, and donkeys.
Municipality
- My property is outside city limits.
- If my animals get outside of fencing and cross county road then they are "At Large" inside city limits.

The property line between myself and neighbor with donkeys has 2 fences run in tandem. Both are woven wire and barbed wire on tposts. Her donkeys have trampled it reaching good grass in my pasture. Can I put hot wires on my fence pointed to her side to keep donkeys from stepping on it? Or do they have to stay on my side? 20210829_172529.jpg

The neighborhood kids have been using above ground pool ladder to climb the fence and enter property for who knows how long. When we closed on property I threw ladder back into neighborhood. They put the ladder back and I removed it again this weekend. I want to break them of habit of randomly entering property BEFORE I get sheep and LSG dogs. What would be next step besides bilingual "No Trespassing" signs? Will I ever be able to put electric along this fenceline?
 

Baymule

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Good questions on the electric fence on the back. If the pool ladder is still there, Just take it.

My guess is your insurance company wouldn’t like hot wire on kids. But to keep LGDs in your fence, you will need hot wire top and bottom. If kids are entering property, that’s a bad mix with LGDs. Are you going to let dogs/sheep go to back of property? You may need to run a cross fence to keep dogs and sheep from back of property. One of your ideas was to put a steer at the back, that may be the way you need to go.

Neighbors donkeys, go talk to neighbor. Neighbor might not care which way the hot wire is pointed, but my answer is stay on your side of the fence. Why 2 fences? They look like a mess.

Couple hundreds dollars of stuff stolen? THAT would royally piss me off. Put up no trespassing signs. Call Sheriff department and report it. Make sure you get written reports and get a copy. Then if there is ever a dog bite incident, you have proof of repeated trespassing

I don’t know the laws on this type situation with hot wire, trespassing kids and keeping them out. You need to investigate this further to know your legal rights.
 

Margali

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@Baymule I have no clue why there are dual fences along the north line with the donkeys. That neighbor is moving out and I think the thief. 😡 The metal for our power station and our plastic work table disappeared. She was on her property feeding the donkeys. Dominic (3yr old) kept on saying "Give our table back". It was after she left we realized stuff was missing.🤷‍♀️ Right now anything of value is locked with chains and locks.

The SW corner of property shares 550ft of fenceline with a small manufactured home subdivision. I DEFINTELY need to use that area for livestock in future. I guess I need to research more.
 

farmerjan

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I am not in Texas and laws are different in different states. First.... talk to your insurance company. Find someone, if you haven't already, that is knowledgeable in FARM policies. Make sure they are aware of the LGD's as protection for the sheep.... They may or may not also be well versed in the fence laws...make sure you will be covered for the LGD's... there are insurance companies that will not cover for certain breeds of dogs as they are considered too aggressive or vicious. Liability issues.
That is number 2.... research the fence laws for your county/area.... here in Va there are fence in and fence out counties. We have definitions of a legal fence for different applications.... between properties in town, different applications.... for Livestock here are required to have certain heights... and in the case of wire... it must be 8 strands with certain amount of space between strands... 75% of the wire fence in this area is not "technically" legal... most barbed wire fences are 6 strands.... high tensile is more often 8 strands... then there is the standard "field fence" or woven wire fence like what is in the picture. So... be sure of what is a legal fence.

That said... better safe than sorry.... you can run electric on either side IF the fence is at least 6 inches on your side of the actual property line.... and here in VA if the fence is more than 6 inches on "your side" then the opposite property owner cannot legally use it to contain their own animals... we have a reciprocity law in regards to fences...
Could have been that the one fence was in poor shape so a second fence was put up alongside it to keep that landowners animals in.... and again... here, you cannot take down an existing fence between owners without permission of the other property owner.... and they are then responsible for half the cost of replacing that fence along the shared border... so that can get tricky.... again, a reason for someone to just put up a new fence on their own side....

The problem with "woven wire " is horses and donkeys/mules will walk it down with their feet.... they will also push it over on top to bend it down or cause it to collapse down.... cows do it too but horses are famous for it.... Barbed wire and or electric is essential on top to give them a good jolt to stop the reaching.

Although the purple paint is supposed to mean no trespassing.... many people don't know that. There are also legal ways to post no trespassing signs here.... not supposed to be on trees... stuff like that.... I would get some, dual language if necessary, and find out what is considered legally posting the land.....and do it. Then you are covered from that direction. Parents can not bring lawsuits if you are legally covered......really....
Take the ladder and take it to a recycling place or dump, and get rid of it. Half on your property makes it fair game since you took it off and it was replaced again over the fence. Readable signs are necessary along that stretch of fence. I would also put up something about guard dogs. Again... better forewarned.....You also can put up electric along the top of YOUR fence..
 

Margali

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@farmerjan I DO have a "hobby farm" insurance rider that covers livestock and outbuildings. I will confirm that rider covers livestock guardian dogs before I get them.

I went thru the brush on subdivision side and found several dumps of trash. I think I will redo that section with tall chainlink. With hotwire on inside to keep sheep off.
 

farmerjan

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I would think that redoing that section of fence on the subdivision would be better in 2x4 NO CLIMB fence. @Baymule did her place with that I think. And you really cannot climb it. Chain link can be climbed.... Also the no climb actually has alot more strength and should even be a little easier to put up since it does not have a "frame" like chain link does. I have never liked chain link fence... and it offers a "solid" bar around the top for anything to be able to use to get over it... including a chicken, dog, coyote, whatever.
Put the no climb fence right on the property line... if put up right then the chance of something climbing it is next to nothing. Horses and mules also cannot "walk it down" . One place that we rent has that for their fence... it was a horse farm at one time. I went to go over it and realized there is no way to even get a toe in it to go over it. It is heavier and more dense than normal woven wire/field fence.... due to the spacing of 2" verticals.... You just have to make sure it is put up right with proper posts, bracing, and pulled TIGHT.

I also think it comes in different heights.... 47-48 inches is normal for woven wire... I think you can get no climb in 5 and maybe 6 ft. It is NOT CHEAP.
 

Baymule

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Great point. I love my non climb wire. Maybe on that side, put up the 5’ wire with a couple strands of barbed wire on top to make it a 6’ fence. I used the 4’ wire with 7’ T-posts. On the horse pasture I had room to put barbed wire on top. Haven’t run the rest of it, I guess because sheep don’t jump or try to reach over the fence. LOL. But I plan on letting the steer in pasture #2 which is up front by the road, and the pipeline pasture. So I want/need to finally put up the barbed wire to raise the fence and make it less inviting to reach over or jump.

And yes cattle, for all their size, can jump a 4’ fence. I had a Longhorn Bull that could leap the fence like a deer. Also had a real sweet cow that would eat out of my hand, but couldn’t pen her. Over the fence she’d go! To move her we finally had to get a couple of cowboys and dogs to load her up. And that’s a few of the reasons I wanted small livestock!
 
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