need help deciding......

[ericajune]

I am getting albacas... 4 of them.... I have a pasture that I would need to put up fencing on plus get a shelter area into... which I plan on doing this coming week and all the arrangements are made...

OR

My neighbor has just offered me her HUGE pasture that is 3 times the size of my pasture at NO charge... I would still have to put fencing up on the cattle panels that are there, so no digging holes or buying lodgepoles. The amount of fencing would be the same because the rest of the pasture is fenced fine. I would still need to get a shelter. AND she has three dogs that she says are fine around animals (they have had cattle in this pasture a LONG time that are now gone and the dogs never bothered the cows. And technically, with the fencing up the dogs should not be able to get in....


So do I fence my small pasture with way more time effort and money, but total control of my animals and improving my property.....or do I fence the front of her panels, take a chance on the dogs not getting in or harming them and give the alpacas a huge nice pasture?????

 

[ericajune]

I just figured out the cost difference.... to fence ours it will be around 1845$ and to fence and prepare her property it would be around 1250... so about 600 dollar difference up front...

 

[goodhors]

Yes there is a cost difference, but you will OWN the fence on your property. What if she has a sudden need to sell? Your fence investment money is gone, moving fence is hard and never looks as nice with a second installation.

Not sure if the alpaca would stay in with electric wire only, even if sheared short. You could put in your own fence, then do electric wire only, on her ground and still use the pasture ground.

I have seen some really sorry folks lose their investments on other folks property. Started out real nice, differences arose, but a fence is a "permanent installation" and renter/borrower, was forced to leave the posts and wire, gates too sometimes when they departed.

Alpaca will fight dogs, but several or big dogs may be more than they could manage to protect themselves from. Dogs used to cattle, a kick may be all that is needed to keep them away. Working cattle dog breeds, NEED to work, would probably harass animals if they could get inside the fences.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Yes there is a cost difference, but you will OWN the fence on your property. What if she has a sudden need to sell? Your fence investment money is gone, moving fence is hard and never looks as nice with a second installation.

I second this!

 

[ksalvagno]

I wouldn't take a chance on the dogs. The alpacas run and that would be really fun for the dogs to chase. Don't do electric for alpacas. It is better to do the woven wire horse fencing. Plus you have no idea how well things will go with the neighbor. When you put up the shelter, do it in a way that you could close them in somehow when you need to trim toenails, give shots, etc. It is really hard to chase down alpacas all over a field to do things to them. If they are used to being in the shelter, then closing a gate to do what you need to do will make it easy.

 

[ericajune]

well, we decided to use our own pasture... I really think that is the best choice... so my 12 yo dd and I rented an auger from home depot and did 41 post holes 3 ft deep.. I am so sore I can't move.... but very happy with our accomplishment.. and because I have health issues... this is a BIG accomplishment for me Tomorrow is post setting .... hoping DESPERATELY that this is going to be easier... and we have a guy coming in to do the stretching and fencing...