tony123
Platinum Member
I didn't mean simple in effort or expense.
fence post spacing
- Thread starter TrueCountry
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jjmarotz
Gold Member
I know, I just had to throw that one in for fun.tony123 said:
RobJ
Elite Member
Well you have to decide on the horse/cow fence thing. Hosres are soft, cows are not.
Around here a good T-post fence if a 5 or even a 6 wire fence. Posts put in about every 7-8 feet. Then those little spiral fence ties in the middle of the post. Except for that fence busting bull, most cows will not test it 2 much if they can't get over it to much, under or in the middle.
Around here a good T-post fence if a 5 or even a 6 wire fence. Posts put in about every 7-8 feet. Then those little spiral fence ties in the middle of the post. Except for that fence busting bull, most cows will not test it 2 much if they can't get over it to much, under or in the middle.
I put the t-posts 10 feet apart with a fence stay in between posts. I would use 4 wires minimum. Unless you are putting pressure on the cows, they usually won't go through it, but might jump it depending on the cow. If you have a bull or a neighbor with a bull, anything can happen.
texasjohn
Super Member
Fencing in central texas is done in winter.... and you still work up a sweat
Use great corners, sunk 4 feet deep in the ground. T posts on about 15' spacing with an electric wire to keep stock from pressuring the fence. Drive T posts with FEL.
Topic has been discussed on TBN recently... do search to get the threads.
Use great corners, sunk 4 feet deep in the ground. T posts on about 15' spacing with an electric wire to keep stock from pressuring the fence. Drive T posts with FEL.
Topic has been discussed on TBN recently... do search to get the threads.
Rowdius
Silver Member
Yup, winter if fencing season in Texas. I'm in the middle of building some right now.
Wood posts are $$$ here. T posts can be had starting at around $3 a post. Most of the fences around here have drill pipe for the corners, and are great corners... but right now pipe is even more $$$$ than wood posts.
Another option, though some do not agree, are used telephone poles. Some electric companies and Coops will give them away if you ask. Personally, I use the butt end of the pole as the end of my corner. Little over eight feet long, four feet in the ground. I also do not use concrete, just water and tamping the crap out of the soil until I get the hole backfilled will all the dirt that came out of it. The next eight feet of the pole is the next post in the H brace, and the skinniest top part is the cross brace.
Right now I am spacing my T posts twelve feet apart, with a wood line post every 100ft. When I have a good supply of telephone poles I might put them more often.
As for field fence or woven wire... Buy the best wire you can afford, with the largest top and bottom wires your money can buy. I really like the stuff that is 9ga, but I cannot afford it right now. I agree with at least one strand of electric. Right now 1/4 mile of 14ga wire runs about $35.
This is a corner I built for high tensile electric that I built a year or so ago. With today's prices it would cost about $55 with concrete and buying the posts and stuff from Tractor Supply.
Wood posts are $$$ here. T posts can be had starting at around $3 a post. Most of the fences around here have drill pipe for the corners, and are great corners... but right now pipe is even more $$$$ than wood posts.
Another option, though some do not agree, are used telephone poles. Some electric companies and Coops will give them away if you ask. Personally, I use the butt end of the pole as the end of my corner. Little over eight feet long, four feet in the ground. I also do not use concrete, just water and tamping the crap out of the soil until I get the hole backfilled will all the dirt that came out of it. The next eight feet of the pole is the next post in the H brace, and the skinniest top part is the cross brace.
Right now I am spacing my T posts twelve feet apart, with a wood line post every 100ft. When I have a good supply of telephone poles I might put them more often.
As for field fence or woven wire... Buy the best wire you can afford, with the largest top and bottom wires your money can buy. I really like the stuff that is 9ga, but I cannot afford it right now. I agree with at least one strand of electric. Right now 1/4 mile of 14ga wire runs about $35.
This is a corner I built for high tensile electric that I built a year or so ago. With today's prices it would cost about $55 with concrete and buying the posts and stuff from Tractor Supply.
texasjohn
Super Member
Rowdius, your wood corners are a lot like mine, particularly the cross brace being high... that's the only way to go to keep corner from pulling out. I actually use two braces each way down the line.... also, use rachets to tighten them instead of wood twists.... I found that the wood rots over time and is hard to tighten when the whole fence is up.... rachets can always be tightened.
weldingisfun
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2006
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- Location
- West Bell County, Texas
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- Mahindra 4500 4WD w/FEL, and Scotts S2048 lawn tractor
TrueCountry, these Websites may be of help:
http://www.bekaert.com/na/uploads/P... GUIDES/INSTALLATION GUIDES/BarbedInstall.pdf
Tractor Supply Company - Install a High Tensile Fence
For your horses, try using what is called "no-climb" fencing. Red Brand Fence - Large Animal Control & Confinement - Non-Climb Horse Fence It is costly, but could save lots of $ in vet bills.
Hope this helps and good luck to you.
Finally I'll pass on some words of wisdom given to me by an Old Timer as he watched me fencing my place the first time. He asked if I knew what was the best thing about building a fence?
When I answered that I didn't know, he smiled and said, "The last post". Then he drove off still smiling.
http://www.bekaert.com/na/uploads/P... GUIDES/INSTALLATION GUIDES/BarbedInstall.pdf
Tractor Supply Company - Install a High Tensile Fence
For your horses, try using what is called "no-climb" fencing. Red Brand Fence - Large Animal Control & Confinement - Non-Climb Horse Fence It is costly, but could save lots of $ in vet bills.
Hope this helps and good luck to you.
Finally I'll pass on some words of wisdom given to me by an Old Timer as he watched me fencing my place the first time. He asked if I knew what was the best thing about building a fence?
When I answered that I didn't know, he smiled and said, "The last post". Then he drove off still smiling.
Rowdius
Silver Member
texasjohn said:
For my braces that are holding more than electric fencing I like to use the two H brace method too, or at least one full H, then diagonal down to a shorter post on the end. Though I have to admit I have been doing single H braces where I have been using the larger telephone poles.
As for the twitch stick, I usually just a bit of ground rod, small pipe, just whatever metal is handy, but that corner was the first high tensile electric I had installed, and was trying to stay away from possible grounding issues until I got a feel for it. I do love those metal ratches though... I had never used them until I started playing with the high tensile electric, now I keep half a dozen on hand for fencing, trellis work in the garden, etc, etc, etc.
chh
Veteran Member
I built some fence a couple of years ago and put the crossbraces lower. I'm back up higher now since some of those corners gave on me. I have to use quickcrete in the types of soil that I have. Many times I just can't get the holes as deep as I would like in the rocks. Generally also use 2 sets of cross wires in an X. Thats just what seems to work best for me. I generally set post 12 to 15 ft apart. Some of the old fences we tore out up here last year where 4 wires and posts 25 to 30 ft apart and sometimes more with 2 stays in between. Wouldn't reccomend it or do it but some of the old timers made it work. (Well sort of anyway)