educate me about fences

[House faerie]

Ok, we are new to homesteading and all that that implys.
We have been on our place for jut over two years. We have chickens who don't lay.
Chickens who get out of their fence and grow wing feathers over night.
We have been growing and putting up a lot and don't have too much
Trouble w critters getting in, tho the chickens do somewhat dispite the small fences we put around the plots. We plan to get goats and would love to do beef and pork. We have no fencing at all on our six or so acers. Please educate me w everything I ever wanted to know about fencing!!

[Beeman]

Go to Tractor supply or a similar place and look for the brands of fencing and posts they carry. Then look at web sites or call them for how to brochures, great free info. While there look at prices, it might change your mind!. There's also some good instructional books around, your county extension service might have some. Look around in your area at fences. It doesn't take long to be able to tell a good fence from a poorly built one. Poorly built fences cost almost as much when put up and a whole lot more in maitenance and replacement as they fall apart.

[uncle Will in In.]

Old farmers who had one fence for all types of livestock put up woven wire fences with two barbe on top of the woven wire. The vertical stays were 6 inches apart. A fence of any kind is no better than the corner posts that it was fastened to after being streched much tighter than you might realize. A fence like that will hold cattle, horses, and hogs of all sizes. They won't hold chickens however. A chicken pen needs higher fence with smaller spacings through the wire.
Get good advice on how to put up very strong corners. Other wise large animals will ride your fence down and go on over. <>UNK

[Harry Chickpea]

Those aren't chickens. Those are egg eating broilers waiting to go to freezer camp.

Good fencing costs good money. Look around in your area at fences, and ask around at the rural groceries to find out who puts in good fence. Also remember that fence is a continuing maintenance task. Deer get caught and twist wires, ATVrs and poachers cut them, weeds try to overtake them, trees fall on them, and animals try to push them down.

[Callieslamb]

Save your money. Shop and see what kinds of fencing materials are readily available and watch for sales or clearance. I found 300' rolls of knotted fencing 4' high for $100 - it was really, really greasy.....I cleaned up in more ways that one.

We have the knotted wire fencing around one paddock for the cows and between us and neighbor that plants crops. The rest of their fencing is elec. Around the garden, I have welded wire 4' high with 2' of chicken wire along the bottom. The chickens still get in. If I wanted a fenced place for the chickens, I would make it 7 feet high and cover the top too - making them a run to stay in rather than a pasture. It kept the varmits out too.

Even with our elec fence we used wooded posts for the corners. We also use cattle panels here and there - mostly to direct the calves in getting from pasture to pasture.
There is a lot to the saying that if there is better feed inside the fence - the animal is better apt to stay inside the fence.

[House faerie]

Do you think they are really eating my eggs? How can I know?
What is best to use for corners? Which is better wood or metal?
Great stuff, keep it commin please!

[Harry Chickpea]

Yeah, I do think they have learned to eat eggs. It happens. If you are lucky, you find the one that learns the trick first and butcher it before the others learn. You may not have enough calcium in the feed, they could be ornery, or whatever. Check out the poultry forum.

[JohnL751]

Take a look at the places that sell fencing and posts. Around here many of them have a short section of each type up for you to look at.

[ErinP]

Originally Posted by House faerie

Do you think they are really eating my eggs? How can I know?
What is best to use for corners? Which is better wood or metal?
Great stuff, keep it commin please!

Look at their beaks. All of them. If some/one has dried egg on their beak it's your sign.
If they don't, look to other possibilities. Age, dogs, etc. (We have a couple of dogs who eat eggs. Boy, their coats are sleek and shiney! But, consequently, we have to make sure the eggs are laid where the dogs can't get them.)

And, you will never be able to fence out coyotes, stray dogs/cats, hawks, etc. With chickens, your best bet would be to either fence a coop, the old fashioned way. or, make a chicken tractor of some sort.

[Hank]

For me personally I have always used "field fence" for stock (horse,cattle,goats ect.).
It is a good woven wire fencing that will last a lifetine if put up right. I always put two strans of barb wire on top. I would be willing to cut corners on just about anything on my farm to save money, except the fence. Someone mentioned Tractor Supply, they do have a good catalog that is free and has some helpful hints about fencing as well as other farming projects for the beginner.
For the chickens I use 2x4 welded wire 6' high. Sometimes called dog fence. Then around the bottom I put chicken wire to keep biddies from going through. Sometimes put chicken wire over top as well. The 2x4 wire is strong enough to keep most pred. out. Back to the field fence.
I always use 4x4 posts for all corners and line braces with 61/2' "T" posts in between.
I brace my corners with two more 4x4 posts and three cross pieces, usually 1x6 treated boards. You may be able to see this in some of the pictures on my web site. Some of the fence is not yet finished, thus no barb wire on top yet. This is not the only way and some my say not the best way, but it's the way we have always done it and it works well.
Hope this helps.

Hank
http://www.doublemfarmandchuckwagon.webs.com

Remember, there is no right way or wrong way, just your way and my way, and the fun of sharing ways.

[Yvonne's hubby]

Originally Posted by House faerie

Ok, we are new to homesteading and all that that implys.
We have been on our place for jut over two years. We have chickens who don't lay.
Chickens who get out of their fence and grow wing feathers over night.
We have been growing and putting up a lot and don't have too much
Trouble w critters getting in, tho the chickens do somewhat dispite the small fences we put around the plots. We plan to get goats and would love to do beef and pork. We have no fencing at all on our six or so acers. Please educate me w everything I ever wanted to know about fencing!!

Build your fences high, and tight. Use the best materials you can find. Thats the cheapest fence in the long run. It doesnt hurt to have plenty for the critters to eat on the side you want to keep them either.

[Beeman]

Do you have equipment to fence with? Do you have any idea how much fencing costs? 1 good store bought corner post is about $20, it can take 5 per corner depending on the run plus cross brace posts. Metal posts are over $5 each plus the clips to hold the fencing of choice to it. Price a good 12' tubular metal gate.

[jtsummie]

Horse high, bull tuff and pig tight

[PNP Katahdins]

Premier in Iowa has a lot of livestock fencing info on their website. Take a look and request their fencing catalog. We buy our electronet and lots of other sheep supplies from them every year.

Peg

[fantasymaker]

First look up all the threads here that have been posted about neighbor ,dog and 4 wheeler problems.
Then think about what your fencing in and what your fencing out.
Then think MORE about what your fenceing out!
I recomend a woven wire fence withholes no bigger than 2inches by 4 about 8 feet tall. you might get by with 6 but I REALLY like 8.
Add a couple of hot wires on top of that. (some things climb fence)
On a seperate charger a hot wire 6 inches up on the outside ofthe fence.
That should get ya started!