[Jacob-list] re: fencing

[Linda]

Susan and all,

The rolling panels sound great.  We have two styles of panels available in our area - hog panels which are 16' x 34" 
and bull panels which are 16' x 52".  I use the bull panels alot for ram pens.  The hog panels work very well for 
temporary fencing as they are much easier to carry.  The hog panels will not hold a ram intent on leaving, but will 
work fine to let a group out to graze.  Do you have pictures or plans of your pens?  The idea of wheels is really 
appealing to my aching back.

A few years ago, I saw the woven electric fencing in a catalog.  It looked like a good idea, but it did say "not 
recommended for horned sheep."  I didn't want to spend the money if it wouldn't work, so I got my darning needle, some 
electric poly tape and poly wire and sewed up 30' of woven electric fencing.  A little crude, but I spaced it the same 
as in the catalog and checked it with a multimeter.  I believe it was very similar to the fencing that Premier had for 
sale.  I had the same problems that have been discussed here - without fail, most animals managed to get a horn caught.
 There was one ewe, however, that quickly learned to jump over.  As far as I know, she has never jumped over a fence or
a hog panel, but she would look at that fence and fly over.  

So, I had to laugh, Sharon - guess who that ewe was!  

Linda



On Mon, 25 Sep 2000 10:22:53 -0700 (PDT), Susan L. Nielsen wrote:
>On Mon, 25 Sep 2000 SharHill at aol.com wrote:
>
>> Thanks to all who responded to my post about the portable electric
>>fencing.
>> The consensus seems to be it is not for Jacobs, so I'll try
>>something else.
>> I appreciate your input as it saved me from spending money on
>>something that
>> could have injured my sheep.
>
>We have some portable fencing units we use to get the sheep into
>places where we can't have them running loose. The pens are put
>together
>from 16' livestock panels: 3 panels will make a unit 8' x 16'.
>
>The ones I'm using now are the deluxe version: they have bicycle
>wheels
>and welded frames to make them rigid, and I can move a pen with a
>couple
>of sheep inside, by myself. The sheep very quickly learn the
>protocol,
>and travel along with the pen. But the first one was wired together
>at
>the corners, and 2 of us could lift it and then stagger forward to
>the
>new grass. Such a pen could be put together on a Saturday afternoon,
>once you had the materials.
>
>The great thing about these pens is, at 8' width, I can roll them
>between our young fir and cedar trees which are spaced at 10'. The
>sheep can mow, and cannot reach the trees. A water bucket is mounted
>next to the wheel on one side, and a couple of little feed bins on
>the
>other side. The graduated wire of the panels (they call them combo
>panels around here) is pretty much critter proof (for the larger,
>more dangerous critters). We've added corrugated metal roofs to the
>center portion of the pens, for sun and rain shelter.
>
>I use 3 of them. They are not, altogether, cheap. The welded
>versions,
>using 1" galvanized conduit for the frame, and with both ends hinged
>as gates, with bicycle wheels salvaged from Goodwill bicycles (you
>get the forks when you buy the whole bike, and they can be welded to
>the pen to hold the wheels), costs around $350 in materials. Your
>time is, naturally, valued at far more than you can pay yourself!
>
>The pens are far cheaper than intricate cross-fencing, however, and
>permit us to run some intensive rotations on the pasture. If you
>have a small acreage, it is by far a more efficient use of the
>grass than general grazing. I'm pretty confident that the sheep are
>safe in them (as much as possible on a farm!), and I probably pay
>more attention to the individuals inside (since I'm moving them
>every day) than if they were running in a large pasture.
>
>Besides, it gives visitors something to ask questions about. As if
>our farm were not odd enough to start with...
>
>Susan
>--
>Susan Nielsen, Shambles Workshops      |"...Gently down the
>Beavercreek, OR, USA                   |stream..."
>snielsen at orednet.org                   |           -- Anon.
>
>
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