[Jacob-list] fencing materials

[Grose]

I had a friend near here who had a fence consisting of unrolling a roll of woven wire, standing it up, and tying it to the existing rusted barb-wire fence with baling twine. This worked well for 5 years because she did not have Jacobs; then, one summer coyotes selectively ate all of the Romney lambs in the space of one week, touching nary a Border Leicester.

Based on about 40 years of repairing fences, here are some observations:
1] Don't worry about keeping the sheep in...only about keeping the neighbors dog out.
2] Fences must provide determent to infiltration even with the power off. It will be off when you least expect it.
3] Good fences increase the value of the property and keep you from shooting the neighbors dog.
4] When building perimeter fences, expect to spend at least $100 in materials and labor on each corner. Corner posts should be 8 inches diameter and 8 feet long and set in concrete or driven at least 3 feet in heavy clay soils with a post driver. Brace posts should be 6" by 8'. Make an "H" brace using high-tensile wire and rachet tightners for bracing.This will enable you to provide 200pounds tension on the wire. Multi-strand high tensile set 4" maximum and woven wire are then about equal. Line posts can [and will] be broken off without affecting the integrity off the fence.
5] Think of building a hog or cattle panel fence the way you would think of building a barn out of plywood instead of steel beams. A little barn can be built very cost effectively with plywood and 2X4s. Buy a $20 tube type post driver. Since cattle panels are self bracing like plywood, you eliminate the higher expense of corners. Do not drive T-bar posts with a sledge hammer unless hitting yourself in the head with the hammer or missing the post and smashing your knee is not a problem for you. [Many of my friends think that this explains some things..]

Neal Grose
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