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  #21  
Old 08/03/10, 10:03 AM
wy_white_wolf's Avatar
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CrashTestRanch View Post
Any ideas for getting across 2 washes?

One is approximately 10-12' across and deep. The other is 30'+ across and about 12' deep.
Put 2 big wooden posts with brace panel on each side. Run a cable between then to hang plastic barrels from. use light wire to tie the barrels togethor. Cattle will leave them alone and when you do get those gully washers the barrels will float to keep then from tearing out the fence.

On the rest of the fence, we deal with alot of pronghorns here. We found it's better to try and accomidate them than try to fence them out when fencing for cattle.

We will run the heaviest barb wire we can for the bottom 3 strands. They are placed a little farther apart (~12") than the 2 top wires (~8") and ran a little loose. Steel posts are also placed on wider spacing (25 to 30 feet) to allow the bottom wires a little more flex. The top wires will be tied together and to the highest bottom wire usually in 2 places between the posts to help hold them. We only put wooden posts as gates, corners and terrain require.
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  #22  
Old 08/03/10, 10:49 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fantasymaker View Post
No snow rain or weeds there? Thats the only way a electic fence MIGHT keep out dogs and cyotes.
Around here Id be thinking a woven wire fence with 2x4 openings in the bottom 4 feet and 4x4 in the top 4 feet.
Maybe a strand or two of barbed or electric wire on top and a outside electric wire a foot up from the bottom on standoffs...just for fun.
We get snow, ice, rain and have lots of weeds and our electric fence
functions just fine. Only time any of those affected the fence was when
we got 6 inches of freezing rain.
That brought the bottom wire down and it shorted out for a few days.
Wet weeds will cause it to loose a little juice but it still works.

Lightning hitting the fence or close to the fence would cause the charger
to blow fuses. Solved that by putting in a lightning arrestor.

Trust me, if our setup didn't keep out the wild dogs and coyotes we
wouldn't have it like that. But it does and we're real happy with it.

I recommend parmak fence chargers and their support people are the
best.
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  #23  
Old 08/03/10, 11:19 AM
texican's Avatar  
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Carthage, Texas
Posts: 12,261
Quote:
Originally Posted by CrashTestRanch View Post
Any ideas for getting across 2 washes?

One is approximately 10-12' across and deep. The other is 30'+ across and about 12' deep.
You're going to need a collapsible fence... sorta like a gate, hinged at the top, so the flash floods that're coming through won't wash everything away. Situation like this, you're going to have to walk your wash-out's each and every time it rains, otherwise, if you have critters inside, they'll be out.

I could see fencing out animals, but on 40 acres, in AZ (depending on location), you're not going to raise much cattle.

I'd shop around... t-posts are coming down in price.
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  #24  
Old 08/03/10, 11:24 AM
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
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Farm auctions are a good place to pick up t-posts and fencing cheaper.
.
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  #25  
Old 08/03/10, 11:34 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tamsam View Post
How about 1 1/2 inch or 2 inch pipe for the every 3 or 4 etc. Or weld 2 t post together for more in ground. Good luck. Sam
Sam, we were thinking along those lines, as there's a place down in Phoenix that sells "Blemished Pipe".
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  #26  
Old 08/03/10, 11:34 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fantasymaker View Post
No snow rain or weeds there? Thats the only way a electic fence MIGHT keep out dogs and cyotes.
Around here Id be thinking a woven wire fence with 2x4 openings in the bottom 4 feet and 4x4 in the top 4 feet.
Maybe a strand or two of barbed or electric wire on top and a outside electric wire a foot up from the bottom on standoffs...just for fun.
Possibly a "trip wire" 6-8" in front of the fencing to add even more shocking fun
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  #27  
Old 08/03/10, 12:04 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wolf mom View Post
The cheapest thing would be to get a permit & cut your own. Something I absolutely hate, but...
Thought about that, they do allow some pulling out of felled along the firebreaks and clear cuts, but not really wanting to do that much harvesting.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wolf mom View Post
There's also a sawmill in Eagar - 333-3055. Maybe you can buy their culls -or they can point you in a direction. Or check with people who advertise firewood for sale. I bet they'd do it. There's also a place just outside Snowflake going toward Holbrook that peels logs - don't know much about them as I don't get out that a' way much anymore.

Apache-Sitgreaves Nat'l Forest ranger station Springerville: 333-6200 for permits. Maybe they can also give you a direction to go in.

Was in the Lakeside station yesterday wanting a permit to dig wild iris. They don't allow any plants removed - $250.00 fine! I can buy lots of iris for that.
I think there's another mill on the way out towards Heber-Overgaard. Maybe we'll talk with them on the way to grab a burger at the Red Onion, yummy

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wolf mom View Post
You really have your work cut out for you. & if you're going to run electric fencing close to the ground - do you have the time to constantly check it & find the problem considering the length of your run?
Our plan is to run a perimeter check as part of our daily chore list when moving the cattle to new paddocks.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wolf mom View Post
Just a thought in building your fence - what harm will the pronghorns do besides eat a little grass? Is it cost effective to try to fence them out?
The same with the wild dogs. Maybe the thing to do is find an alternative like keeping your pg. cows close to home when they're ready to calve. Yuppers, like was posted, - I'd SSS.
From the size of the pronghorn herds that run this area, they can chew a LOT, especially when we'll have our own animals that need to feed as well. Besides, this section is surrounded on 4 sides with State Trust lands, each a section. Our fenced 85+ acres is nothing compared to everything around here.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wolf mom View Post
How's your water situation?
Plenty of water irrigation well was dropped in 10 years ago by another owner.
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  #28  
Old 08/03/10, 12:07 PM
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Location: Arizona - Zone 5, 5b, 6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wy_white_wolf View Post
Put 2 big wooden posts with brace panel on each side. Run a cable between then to hang plastic barrels from. use light wire to tie the barrels togethor. Cattle will leave them alone and when you do get those gully washers the barrels will float to keep then from tearing out the fence.

On the rest of the fence, we deal with alot of pronghorns here. We found it's better to try and accomidate them than try to fence them out when fencing for cattle.

We will run the heaviest barb wire we can for the bottom 3 strands. They are placed a little farther apart (~12") than the 2 top wires (~8") and ran a little loose. Steel posts are also placed on wider spacing (25 to 30 feet) to allow the bottom wires a little more flex. The top wires will be tied together and to the highest bottom wire usually in 2 places between the posts to help hold them. We only put wooden posts as gates, corners and terrain require.
wy_white_wolf,
I'm having trouble picturing the plastic barrel setup. How is that for predators that run the washes? Does it discourage them? Do you by chance have a picture?
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  #29  
Old 08/03/10, 12:15 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by texican View Post
You're going to need a collapsible fence... sorta like a gate, hinged at the top, so the flash floods that're coming through won't wash everything away. Situation like this, you're going to have to walk your wash-out's each and every time it rains, otherwise, if you have critters inside, they'll be out.
Yup, I hadn't thought about walking the washes after a rain. Thanks.

I had thought of fencing the high ground before it hits the wash area to keep the animals in and predators out. I'll have to check to see how much additional fencing we would need. This will "horseshoe" the property on the north side.


Quote:
Originally Posted by texican View Post
I could see fencing out animals, but on 40 acres, in AZ (depending on location), you're not going to raise much cattle.
Actually 85+ acres south 40+ already fenced by previous owners, although no eFence, but will add that after the north 40 is done.

Quote:
Originally Posted by texican View Post

I'd shop around... t-posts are coming down in price.
Thanks for the heads up on the t-posts. What we have found is $6-15 per stick so far, but may have a discount if we buy bulk qty.
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  #30  
Old 08/03/10, 12:16 PM
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Location: Arizona - Zone 5, 5b, 6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RJMAcres View Post
Farm auctions are a good place to pick up t-posts and fencing cheaper.

Going to have to find some auctions around here. Craigslist doesn't have much at this time.
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  #31  
Old 08/07/10, 02:22 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RJMAcres View Post
We get snow, ice, rain and have lots of weeds and our electric fence
functions just fine. Only time any of those affected the fence was when
we got 6 inches of freezing rain.
That brought the bottom wire down and it shorted out for a few days.
Wet weeds will cause it to loose a little juice but it still works.

Lightning hitting the fence or close to the fence would cause the charger
to blow fuses. Solved that by putting in a lightning arrestor.

Trust me, if our setup didn't keep out the wild dogs and coyotes we
wouldn't have it like that. But it does and we're real happy with it.

I recommend parmak fence chargers and their support people are the
best.
The key is that it works FOR YOU! Around here once we got enough snow to contact the wire the electric is usless.
While a 2 inch snow might seem like it wouldnt affect the lowest hot wire if it was only 6 inches from the ground ,here it would likly drift and then that 4 foot drift makes that fence totally usless even though 99 percent of its fine.
The same with our heavy weed pressure with dozens of big juciy weeds PERFOOT mowing has to be constant and totally effective.

Quote:
Originally Posted by CrashTestRanch View Post
Possibly a "trip wire" 6-8" in front of the fencing to add even more shocking fun
yep covered that in the last line of my post.

Quote:
Originally Posted by fantasymaker View Post
No snow rain or weeds there? Thats the only way a electic fence MIGHT keep out dogs and cyotes.
Around here Id be thinking a woven wire fence with 2x4 openings in the bottom 4 feet and 4x4 in the top 4 feet.
Maybe a strand or two of barbed or electric wire on top and a outside electric wire a foot up from the bottom on standoffs...just for fun.
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  #32  
Old 08/07/10, 02:40 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fantasymaker View Post
yep covered that in the last line of my post.
sorry, mis-read the post ...
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  #33  
Old 08/08/10, 09:47 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Carthage, Texas
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CrashTestRanch View Post
Yup, I hadn't thought about walking the washes after a rain. Thanks.

I had thought of fencing the high ground before it hits the wash area to keep the animals in and predators out. I'll have to check to see how much additional fencing we would need. This will "horseshoe" the property on the north side.




Actually 85+ acres south 40+ already fenced by previous owners, although no eFence, but will add that after the north 40 is done.



Thanks for the heads up on the t-posts. What we have found is $6-15 per stick so far, but may have a discount if we buy bulk qty.
Thinking I've seen em for around $4/each... and a discount if you buy a bundle.

Local hardware store pulls 'seconds' on posts, tposts, cattle panels... and sell them at a steep discount... might be worth asking about.
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  #34  
Old 08/13/10, 03:12 PM
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thread progression, Layout ?'s:

Transit, compass/map or GPS?

I can use a GPS unit and have some experience with compass and map reading, but the whole transit thing is another ball or wax.

Any pointers, tips or suggestions?
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  #35  
Old 08/13/10, 09:39 PM
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Do you have the corners accurately marked?

We always build fence by just stringing out the first wire from corner post to corner post (depending on how long the run is, that is!) then putting in the posts at appropriate intervals along the wire.
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  #36  
Old 08/14/10, 01:20 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ErinP View Post
Do you have the corners accurately marked?

We always build fence by just stringing out the first wire from corner post to corner post (depending on how long the run is, that is!) then putting in the posts at appropriate intervals along the wire.
Corners are monument marked. North 40 is shaped like california, several jogs on the eastern north/south line, northern east/west and western north/south lines are a straight shot. Hence my questions ...
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  #37  
Old 08/18/10, 07:15 PM
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Do you think this is a good price?

6-wire HT eFence
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