Fencing For Dexters

kevfletcher · #1 04/02/08, 01:56 PM

I'm getting ready to fence off about 6 acres for a few Dexters I would like to get in the future. My neighbor in the back has buffalo fenced in with high tensile fencing. Just wondering if that would be good fencing for the Dexters or should I look at field fence. I'm sure I'll be installing either one myself.

copperhead46 · #2 04/02/08, 03:39 PM

So far, my Dexters have been very easy on fences. I have hog wire (field fence) and 2 strands of barb wire on top, at 6 inch intervals. It works for all my animals.
P.J.

darbyfamily · #3 04/02/08, 03:55 PM

we have one and a quarter to one and a half acres fenced with field wire fencing... red brand style, thats 2" at the bottom and 4" at the top.. 4 ft tall, no barb wire and they havent even given it a second look really.

kevfletcher · #4 04/02/08, 06:44 PM

Thanks for the input. I was leaning toward the field fence. I think it may be the best for my situation.

genebo · #5 04/02/08, 08:43 PM

Your neighbor's buffalo fencing is surely strong enough to hold your Dexters. The bottom wire sometimes isn't low enough and your Dexter calves will pass through. You can't depend upon them to find their way back and you have to go get them. That sounds a little scary to me. Buffalo aren't something to mess around with. His fence could be electric, too.

If it looks like that may be the case, I'd ask him if he would allow me to add another strand to his fence.

It'll help keep predators out, too.

Genebo
Paradise Farm

kevfletcher · #6 04/02/08, 10:19 PM

Actually he has it set up for electric but he hasn't hooked it up. I'll check on the height of that bottom strand and go from there.

Tiffin · #7 04/03/08, 04:26 PM

For our Dexters, we put in a periphery fence using a barb wire 1' off the ground, then electric 2' from the ground and then another barb wire 3' from the ground. We use one strand of temporary electric for five paddocks that we rotate during the summer. We had one calf this past summer that did manage to escape but she just bellowed to get back in while mom also bellowed until we herded the calf back in through a gate. I think as long as the calf is still nursing it wants back in with mom. Of course, I was glad we were home to get her back in. Other than that the cows do not challenge any of the fencing even the temporary. They are quite funny, even if a temporary is laying on the ground, they won't even step over it.

wstevenl · #8 04/04/08, 10:56 AM

Be careful about using electric when you have barbed wire on the same fence. Getting and animal stuck in barbed wire is bad enough without having them shocked while they're trying to get loose.

Tiffin · #9 04/04/08, 08:21 PM

That is a thought, wstevenl. I'll bring them up with DH.

Oxankle · #10 04/04/08, 08:40 PM

Tiffin, that is the whole point of having an electric fence. Once they get a taste of electricity they will not ever touch a live fence again.

The two strands of barbed wire are effective grounds. Any animal that touches the center hot wire and either the upper or lower barbed wire will get a good shock. They will jerk backward and bawl and never ever touch that fence again unless they learn that it is dead.

Electric fences are good even if the only grounds are the animals feet, but having an animal contact a hot wire and a grounded wire at the same time is doubly effective.

I looked out yesterday morning and saw a young bull with his head four feet into my yard and my electric fence hanging over his shoulder. I hollered at him and ran out there--he left for parts afar while I put my fence back on the posts. I went out to the barn and sure enough, the fencer was unplugged. I unplugged it last Sunday to replace a wire around the hay yard.

One note of caution: Where your perimeter fences are electric you must be vigilant because deer will occasionally run into them and tear them down. Especially where barbed wire and electric wires are run together---the deer will hit the fence and tangle the electric and barbed wires so that the electric fence is grounded out and useless. Not hard to repair, but it must be done before the animals decide that it smells dead and test it.
Ox

Tiffin · #11 04/05/08, 05:18 AM

I agree oxangle. And, yes we do have to go around regularly fixing the perimeter where deer have hopped over. They don't actually break it but I guess their feet tangle the electric with the barb and we find hair. For the most part though we are finding that the deer have actually learned to go around because we find less and less damage even after only two years. We can watch them in the early morning or late evening going around.

jirwin · #12 04/07/08, 02:23 PM

Anybody use temporary electric fence w/ dexters? Good/bad luck? We will be using it until new hi tensile is complete and for rotational grazing. Any recomendations?

PennyJ · #13 04/08/08, 04:01 PM

We do use temporary electric fence for our Dexters. The bottom wire is about a foot and a half to two foot off of the ground and the top wire is about four foot. We have had Dexters for five years and had very few problems and this is the only type of fence that we use. The only times we've had problems is when it got really dry or someone forgot to plug it back in! We have also used solar fencers and have had luck with them.

PennyJ

Tiffin · #14 04/08/08, 05:53 PM

We use temporary electric for pastures with no problems. The Dexters fully respect the electric. They look at the white tape or whatever color and don't got near it. We have even forgot to turn it back on after repairing and they don't touch it. The perimeter which encloses about 10 acres is 2 barb wires with 1 electric in between. This is for security and our peace of mind. Also helps keep outside animals out, except deer, lol.

Tiffin · #15 04/08/08, 05:54 PM

Instead of pastures, I should have said paddocks which we have five of. Sorry, about that.

wstevenl · #16 04/09/08, 09:11 AM

So, the barbed wire works as a ground to the electric wire and it works best if they touch both? Same as a high tensile with alternating hot and ground wires. Tell me then, what is the purpose of the barbs if not to just tear up your animals when they jerk away from the electric? I've seen an arabian horse all tangled u in a barbed wire fence and laying on her side waiting for help. I can't imagine how she would have torn herself up if there was an electric wire in the mix.

I'm going with cattle pannels near the barn and 6 wire high tensile electric other than that. Plus dividing paddocks with one poly wire.