Looking for Advice and Experience

[CntryBoy777]

@greybeard ya know how it is, when growing up I was always told that and never had reason to doubt it. But, it is like a snake that has always been called a "Chicken" snake. When I got interested in snakes and had 3 as pets, I began questioning my parents about them. It wasn't until about 2008 that my Dad killed one in the hen house and brought it to me to show me. It turns out that it really is a grey rat snake. It is amusing to me how different regions have their "Slang" terms for animals, plants, and stuff. When I would tell my Mom what it really was, she'd always tell me...rather abruptly I might add...that is "What" she knew it as and since her childhood, and she had no intention of learning anything new....
I'd tell her that I wasn't saying she was wrong, just clarifying what it really was....to which she would snap, I don't care about that, I know what it is....I'd just smile and shut-up.

 

[Bruce]

Yep we have Creeping Charlie with purple flowers. But it grows really low, if one didn't mind having only that it would almost be a no-mow "lawn". I don't think the chickens eat it and here, unlike in MS, it doesn't die back. I guess because we don't get as hot.

 

[CntryBoy777]

We have plenty of both, along with purslane, chickweed, and a world of others that I've always have seen, but never have known the names of, or which name goes to which plant.

 

[Bruce]

Actually me too Fred. I never bothered to consider what that invasive ground cover was called until someone on another forum posted a picture and asked what it was. Um, no idea! So I used google and somehow found it. I think I started by looking just for groundcover until I spotted a picture of the plant I recognized.

 

[CntryBoy777]

Haven't seen ya around much lately @greybeard , ya doing alright?....just missin' ya and wondering about ya...

 

[CntryBoy777]

I'm going to complete this thread, I think that it could help others, and even tho I have mainly posted this progress on my Journal page, most looking for fencing help and info probably won't search for it there. Not to mention my phone has a bunch of pics on it and I need to put them on the computer to make room for more. I sure wish I had the computer to post with, but I don't.
Since it has been a while and we got a bit off of fencing, in order to "Refresh"....the main question was about searching for viable, affordable, and easy fencing options. I had decided against the cattle panels, as cost was not affordable for me. I decided to go the more traditional route. I really can't exolain why, but I prefer a boundary fence that is 5' high. This does limit one to available materials, and working with a slim budget makes it even tougher. This area is to be used by goats, chickens, and ducks...nothing big or powerful as cattle, horses, or pigs. I'm also handcuffed by physical ability and very little in the way of mechanized assistance. So, the materials that were decided on was 5"x8' posts, 4"x7' brace posts, a barbless dbl-stranded twisted wire as brace wire, and 2"x4"x5' welded wire fencing.
I had priced the fencing several times at the CoOp and was assured that it was woven wire....so, I was confident in the fact that I was going to put 2"x4"x5' woven wire up, which I most certainly would have preferred. However, it wasn't until much later that I found out that this guy didn't know the difference between welded wire and woven wire. It was late in the project and I would have to have the other wire shipped in at a substantial cost, so I fumed a bit and took the welded wire. The next post will begin to include some pics, but this is just to get it back on track.

 

[CntryBoy777]

....This is the first line of posts placed. This area butts up...but, isn't joined to the existing goat pen in the foreground....it will be kept separate, for quarentine or any other need for separation. If ya look close at the handles of the diggers, ya will see a couple of gray lines across the handles. This is something I learned yrs ago and do each time I have multiple holes to dig. Measure from the tip of the metal pcs forming the "Clam", up tbe handle to the desired depth of hole and place a piece of duct tape to each handle....that way ya don't spe d time meashri g each hole se eral times to get the same depth. Ya just dig til the tape is even with the ground. The 2 sides of the area and the backline are fairly straight and somewhat level as fields go, but the frontline is a bit awkward and not very level, with multiple elevation changes. So, it will be very challenging for me. I certainly am not an "Expert", but rely on very good input from those that are. These next 2 pics are of the backline and the other side.... ...and... ....The intentions at the time were to set these in concrete, however the budget didn't allow for that and I trusted some of the advice that was given and tamped them in. It was definitely some laborous work, but other than some blisters and sore, stiff muscles it went pretty good. Let me say here, that the $35 spent at Lowe's for the tamping tool...16lb....was worth every penny, and "Kudos" for @greybeard and @Mike CHS for recommending it to me.
I did fudge some on the holes, since I am putting up 5' fence, I only dug 30" deep and I didn't dig the hole the same width top to bottom. What I did was bell the bottom of the hole, and used the cutting end of the tamping tool to scrape the sides down into the bottom, so that the tamping head could pound it and pack it tightly around it. This saved having to scrape more of the hole dirt in, becajse I just scraped it down. During this process we had several rains, and each time I checked all 37 holes and never had to re-tamp a single one. I'll pickup here next time.

 

[greybeard]

The rain usually helps any loose soil settle down good around the post.
I never scrimp on depth of corner posts or end posts, and usually not on line posts.
One I did when I was building the fence between my brother's place and mine. posthole diggers are 5' tall end to end. Nasty old clay..

 

[Latestarter]

Dang Greybeard... sucker for punishment there.

 

[greybeard]

That one will never move tho