Fence Building for Dummies

[Stacykins]

I am sure there is a book by that title..haha.

Anyway, as a suburbanite who moved into the country, I have no experience building livestock fences. My family members who DO have that experience (elk farm, horses, etc.) live too far away for help. So how hard is it for a city slicker to put together a good electric fence? We have access to a tractor with a post hole digger, thank goodness. But I'm having a hurr durr moment since it is kind of a big task ahead. And I want to do it right the first time, too.

That is a diagram of the goat pasture to be. The area is relatively flat, but rocky, which could make post hole digging more difficult.

Since the area can't be hooked up into the grid, which is better, a solar powered charger or one with a battery that gets swapped out? Also, I can't decide between electric netting and six strands of high tensile electric fence.

 

[Queen Mum]

I'd go with high tensile, 6 strands. Make sure the lowest strand is very low.

 

[carolinagirl]

The MOST important part of your entire fence is the corners. Build them right and your fence will stay strong and straight for many years. I prefer woven wire over high tensile.

Here's one link...there are dozens on the web. This one shows you how to build a good corner though.

http://www.gatewayalpacas.com/alpaca-farming/fence-building/fence-building.htm

 

[greybeard]

The MOST important part of your entire fence is the corners. Build them right and your fence will stay strong and straight for many years. I prefer woven wire over high tensile.

Here's one link...there are dozens on the web. This one shows you how to build a good corner though.

http://www.gatewayalpacas.com/alpaca-farming/fence-building/fence-building.htm

Line posts and the wire come and go over the years, but the corners are indeed the life and mainstay of the fence. Most of my corners, I put in when I was 15 or 16--in 1965 or '66.
I personally prefer to put the horizontal brace in midway between top of the post and ground level, instead of higher up as shown at the linked website, but both work well. I'll add this to all the good info already entered. If a gate is installed either at a corner or mid fence, it too needs 2 sets of posts on each side. On the hinge side of the gate, I install 2 diagonal wires (cables). One supports the tension of the rest of the fence, and the other supports the gate post itself, helping to prevent it leaning over due to the weight of the gate hanging on it for decades.

The latch side of the gate needs 2 posts and the horizonal brace too, but only 1 diagonal tension wire.

 

[Queen Mum]

greybeard, YOU ARE SO RIGHT about corners. It makes the WHOLE fence stand straight.

 

[carolinagirl]

The longest run of fence we pulled recently was 360'. It was an entire roll of wire with another section spliced on. The corners were so strong, we pulled the fence tight enough to stand on it's own with just two t-posts in-between the entire run. I always pull the fence first, then go back and drive the t-posts in. We did our corners just as greybird illustrated.

 

[greybeard]

Well, my pulls are significantly longer most of the time, but it's also always barbed wire. No matter tho, a fence is a fence. I will always just plant one post at each end of the fence, give it plenty of time for the cement to set, then unroll one strand the entire length, tie off one end near the bottom of the post, and make a temporay pull just tight enough to get the wire nice and straight. This avoids ending up with a fence where the brace posts aren't aligned with the anchor posts, creating a little dogleg at each end.
I've exaggerated it here, but you get the idea.
[img=http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/8411/straight.th.png]


Out in a pasture it doesn't matter much but if the fence is on the front of the property, ya kinda want the fence to look as nice as possible.

On a long pull, it's often difficult to get both anchor posts and the 2 brace posts perfectly aligned, which makes for a less attractive fence when done. Once I get the temporary wire semi tight, I mark and plant the 2 brace posts, releae tension on the wire, and complete the horizontal brace installation. Now, I can go ahead, pull all the wires and have a perfectly straight fence. All that's left is to put in all the line posts.

 

[Queen Mum]

Nice illustration! I get it. Any suggestions on how to set a fence when you have rock (limestone) to get through for your fence. I'm struggling with some mighty stubborn ground. Should I get a jackhammer and hammer a hole in the limestone and then set the posts in concrete?

 

[greybeard]

Nice illustration! I get it. Any suggestions on how to set a fence when you have rock (limestone) to get through for your fence. I'm struggling with some mighty stubborn ground. Should I get a jackhammer and hammer a hole in the limestone and then set the posts in concrete?

Well I don't envy you one bit. I lived in San Angelo Tx for 11 years but only had to build one fence (for an employer). 2" of topsoil, then a little caliche, then limestone. We used what is known as a San Angelo bar. A heavy bar about 5' long, sharp point on one end, a chisel point on the other end. Weighs about 15-20 lbs--maybe more. You use it to thrust down in the hole and break apart the rock. They are a killer to use--sore muscles, aching back, slow as the dickens, and lots of calluses when you're done. Maybe there are better ways but that's the 'po boy' way of doing it. I loved San Angelo, but I wouldn't want to build much fence there. (ask your neighbors how they do it)

http://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&hl=en&source=hp&q="San+Angelo+bar"&gbv=2

 

[Queen Mum]

Yep, got one of those! Yikes. I have used them numerous times. I guess I'm going to be getting some callouses on my delicate little girl hands this week. Sigh! The neighbors hire "illegals" to build fence around here. Then they complain about the "illegals" being here illegally.