[Jacob-list] new list member and prospective new owner

[Susan Nielsen]

On Wed, 8 May 2002, Mary E Hansson wrote:

> The type fencing I started with (and am very thankful of that fact) is
> cattle panel.  It is 16 foot long.  You can pick it up and move it
> single-handedly as a woman.  My husband has been full of promises to
> help out with fence moving and changing throughout the years, but it
> seems he winds up getting onsite to help out usually about the last 2-3
> panels of any job.

Heh.

> Recommendations are t-posts spaced every 5 or so
> feet (3 per panel).  I have done well with a post in the middle of the
> 16 foot section, but if I had outside fence security problems or there
> were not so many rocks giving extra support to my t-posts, I would want
> the extra.

Thing is... I haven't yet found a post the ram can't either bend to his
will or just make matchsticks out of. He folded a galvanized gate right
into a nice 90 degree gate, which probably has some novel application,
but I haven't found it yet. Maybe it can go with the 90-degree T-posts
he made for us. My wooden corner posts will have to be upgraded this
year from 4" to 6", and we'll see not whether he can knock them down
but how long it takes.

Then I put him into a portable pen, and he's about made that into a
non-geometric shape. The idea of the portable is that we can move
him around to new grass, but he just picks the thing up (it's 16 feet
long, and 8 feet wide, made from livestock panels in a 1" galvanized
conduit frame) and takes it wherever he thinks the grazing is best.
That would be great if he would mow a straight line. At one point, we
chained to portable to a couple of T-posts using a heavy logger's
chain with hooks at both ends. Big John just takes his handy forward
horn and unhooks it (yes, Karen, this is your sheep I am talking about!).

Dang these sheep. Some days I really do think regular dumb sheep would
be less trouble than smart primitive sheep!

> I also use the cattle panel for my shelters as well---makes excellent
> domes!

Can you describe these? What do you use for covering? How do you anchor
them? Tell?

Susan

Oh! PS: Our newsletter is finally out in the mail, and up on the
web as well.

This is the address of Vol 1, No 1.

	http://www.shamblesworkshops.com/Newsletter/V1N1/webnews1.htm

So far, it is absolute with no links to anywhere else. Those are
coming...
--
Susan Nielsen, Shambles Workshops      		|"...Gently down the
Beavercreek, OR, USA -- snielsen at orednet.org  	|stream..." -- Anon.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Purveyors of fine honey, Jacob Sheep, Ashford spinning products
			and Interweave books