I have some plans that necessitate letting some young goats loose on land that is also occupied by five donkeys and a llama. I will need to separate the land into two pastures of roughly equal size and put the goats and a guard on one. The donkeys on the other. Since they all have different diets, I can rotate their pastures if needed and benefit the ground growth.
I have not come to a final decision on the pasture guard(s) but am leaning towards the llama. However we go, we need to have a fence that will withstand the animals desires to be on the other side. The next few articles are going to address my efforts (and confessions of my past mistakes) in building fence.
I once read that the only difference between cheap barbed wire and expensive barbed wire was the price. I would like to correct that statement. There are several differences. The cheap stuff (that you see here) is 15 1/2 gauge. The smaller the number, the thicker the wire. The expensive stuff is 12 1/2 gauge. Since the two rolls appear to be the same size, I would guess there are more linear feet in the cheap stuff. The 12 1/2 gauge is not only thicker, it is much more difficult to work. There are probably even more gauges that I do not know or care about.
Now the thick stuff might be worth the extra cost and effort if you are trying to fence in cattle and horses. Not if Donkeys and Llamas are the focus. The cheap stuff is all you need.
The problems start when you add smaller stock to your pasture. Sheep pretty much respect the area you assign them but they make mistakes and strand themselves outside the fence. A goat, I am told, looks at a fence as a suggestion. Both handily defeat most barbed wire fences. Donkeys view range fence as a joke and sheep or goats view the barbed wire as one comprised mainly of gaps.
I have not come to a final decision on the pasture guard(s) but am leaning towards the llama. However we go, we need to have a fence that will withstand the animals desires to be on the other side. The next few articles are going to address my efforts (and confessions of my past mistakes) in building fence.
I once read that the only difference between cheap barbed wire and expensive barbed wire was the price. I would like to correct that statement. There are several differences. The cheap stuff (that you see here) is 15 1/2 gauge. The smaller the number, the thicker the wire. The expensive stuff is 12 1/2 gauge. Since the two rolls appear to be the same size, I would guess there are more linear feet in the cheap stuff. The 12 1/2 gauge is not only thicker, it is much more difficult to work. There are probably even more gauges that I do not know or care about.
Now the thick stuff might be worth the extra cost and effort if you are trying to fence in cattle and horses. Not if Donkeys and Llamas are the focus. The cheap stuff is all you need.
The problems start when you add smaller stock to your pasture. Sheep pretty much respect the area you assign them but they make mistakes and strand themselves outside the fence. A goat, I am told, looks at a fence as a suggestion. Both handily defeat most barbed wire fences. Donkeys view range fence as a joke and sheep or goats view the barbed wire as one comprised mainly of gaps.
Google images This is called range fence by all the stores in my locale. Now I’m going to hit you with another unsolicited confession. The first time I used this stuff was on a piece of property with an old shanty. We were staying there while we were working to make our new home fit for habitation. We had some dogs and did not want them roaming the neighborhood.
We knew that they might dig their way out but we also knew a little care and a good fence would go a long way. They escaped immediately. I searched for the hole they had dug but could find none. If you cannot find evidence as to how the crime was committed you had probably better try to catch someone in the act.
The next day I called the dogs to feed and then set down to watch them. After they ate they ran right to a spot in the fence and went through it. I stared in disbelief for a moment and went to examine the place they had escaped.
Please notice that the holes in this range fence are larger and square at the top while becoming smaller and rectangular at the bottom. There is a reason for that and I hadn’t noticed. I wish I could say that I had only put the fence upside down a couple places but I hadn’t even thought about it. The dogs toyed with me until I had it right.
We knew that they might dig their way out but we also knew a little care and a good fence would go a long way. They escaped immediately. I searched for the hole they had dug but could find none. If you cannot find evidence as to how the crime was committed you had probably better try to catch someone in the act.
The next day I called the dogs to feed and then set down to watch them. After they ate they ran right to a spot in the fence and went through it. I stared in disbelief for a moment and went to examine the place they had escaped.
Please notice that the holes in this range fence are larger and square at the top while becoming smaller and rectangular at the bottom. There is a reason for that and I hadn’t noticed. I wish I could say that I had only put the fence upside down a couple places but I hadn’t even thought about it. The dogs toyed with me until I had it right.
Eventually range fence becomes battered even if you do everything right. Donkeys push it all around and it also pulls back from the ground whenever a dog, sheep, or llama pushes under it. Llamas easily jump a 4ft. fence and can crawl under anything built higher.
Hershey does not let me pet him unless I am feeding him. Even so we have formed a bond.
Two nights ago he got some range fence caught in his mouth. I still do not understand how he did it. When I began to cut the fence from his mouth he immediately became quiet and remained so until I was done. That trust and regular feeding are the best ways to keep him inside. He can defeat any fence in time and the grass really is greener (longer and thicker too) on the other side of the fence if that grass is not being grazed. Donkeys in comparison to llamas and goats/sheep are pretty easy.
So what is the answer if you have some stock that can beat up a range fence and others that can crawl between strands of barbed wire. My answer is a combination and it has worked so far. The goats will be the biggest test.
Hershey does not let me pet him unless I am feeding him. Even so we have formed a bond.
Two nights ago he got some range fence caught in his mouth. I still do not understand how he did it. When I began to cut the fence from his mouth he immediately became quiet and remained so until I was done. That trust and regular feeding are the best ways to keep him inside. He can defeat any fence in time and the grass really is greener (longer and thicker too) on the other side of the fence if that grass is not being grazed. Donkeys in comparison to llamas and goats/sheep are pretty easy.
So what is the answer if you have some stock that can beat up a range fence and others that can crawl between strands of barbed wire. My answer is a combination and it has worked so far. The goats will be the biggest test.
This is the answer if you are loaded with cash and can hire others to do the installation. For reasons that I do not truly understand, I am insistent that I do the work myself.
For several years I did some fairly extensive volunteer work for the Salvation Army. They had a fenced parking lot and wanted to get rid of the fence. They told me if I would haul it away I could have it. I took it home in several trailer loads (fence and poles). This fence is the result (thanks to Lettie and her sons) and none of our animals have ever defeated it. I found a use for the leftovers also and will describe it in the article on cheap barbed wire.
For several years I did some fairly extensive volunteer work for the Salvation Army. They had a fenced parking lot and wanted to get rid of the fence. They told me if I would haul it away I could have it. I took it home in several trailer loads (fence and poles). This fence is the result (thanks to Lettie and her sons) and none of our animals have ever defeated it. I found a use for the leftovers also and will describe it in the article on cheap barbed wire.
I worked pretty hard getting all that stuff home. Some of it was pure trash but the deal is that I couldn’t leave it there. I have used most of it now. Some of the concrete was pretty handy for curbing the erosion on the pond.
Some of it just sits around like some of those stones that are moved by glaciers. You know the ones that make folks wonder why a big rock is setting in the middle of a field. At first it comprised most the fence around my primary pasture. I kept enclosing more pasture as time, dollars and energy allowed and did it in the manner I’m going to explain.
I have found that this combination works best for me. Here you see a T post. There are three strands of barbed wire attached to that post. Draped over (and attached to) the barbed wire is a roll of range fence. The range fence works to restrain the smaller animals. The barbed wire provides multiple attachments for the range fence which decreases the deterioration. It also provides a disincentive to trying to push through. If you are not faced with arbitrary lines (survey lines) using trees instead of T posts saves time, money, and energy while providing an even more solid base. Straight lines do suffer. While there are alternatives to the range fence in this system, the barbed wire seems to be the constant.
The next article "Doing Barbed Wire Cheaply" will focus on how to do it without killing yourself or your budget.
The next article "Doing Barbed Wire Cheaply" will focus on how to do it without killing yourself or your budget.
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