fencing 100 acres

[WTA]

How would you all do it?
Right now there is a mess of barbed wire all over the place. It's mostly broken down, burried or grown into some trees because it hasn't been maintained in a lot of years. I know I need to clear all of that out first.
Then I need to refence it all. On my farm now I use electric but we are just 25 acres here. I have a big gallagher charger that sets grass on fire all the way across the property so it's fine here running on 4 wires all the way around.

I don't know if it will be fine on 100 acres though. We have some horses now and goats. When we get to the big farm I'll also have cattle. Should I just barbed wire the whole thing again? or maybe high tension wire without the electricity? I'm just worried about the boundry fence for now. Cross fencing and pastures I can deal with later.

I plan to be buying a saw mill real soon so wood fencing the entire place isn't out of the question either. Just a lot more work is all. My biggest concern is I want to do it once and forget about it. I'm getting too old to be doing this stuff again in a few years.

 

[sandman2234]

I didn't think it was possible to install fences that are maintence free. Everyone I know, including my 79 year old Dad, that has fences, is constantly working on them. If you cut your own posts, what is the lifespan of the untreated wood in the ground where you live? Daddy uses cedar for posts, but that isn't available everywhere, and some places it is getting a little expensive for posts.
David from jax

 

[WTA]

I was going to do the main corner posts from 8 inch steel pipe and concrete it in the ground. I'm already making those. They should outlast me. The rest will be cedar and T posts. Depending on where it is. I want it to look nice along the road so all cedar there. We have plenty of it. Some of the original fence posts that my great grandparents put in are still good even. I'll just cut more to replace whatever is rotted on our own property.

I don't mind doing maintenance on a fence. I just don't want to be redoing whole sections of it ever.

 

[meadowlarkponds]

I recently finished up the boundary fencing for about 70 acres. I have cattle so I chose to go 5 strands of 12.5 guage barbed wire. The hardest part was clearing and prep and for that I used a small Case 450 dozer. It made that task much easier. Like you I don't wish to repeat this in a few years so I used high quality materials including heavy metal line posts and treated corner and bracing posts.

With cattle, I think you need the barbed wire for the boundary fence and can go with other options for your cross fences. It's a lot of work and definitely worth doing right the first time.

 

[WTA]

I'm trying to talk a neighbor out of a JD350B dozer right now. I'm not offering more than 500 bucks for it though. It needs new track pads and the brakes are shot. The motor runs though. I restored one of those for an old boss about 6 years ago and got that model momorized pretty much. I can't wait till my neighbor gets sick of looking at it broke down in his yard.

If I don't get that I'll just use my tractor and the horses clearing that fence line. Thankfully on two sides right now the neighbors have clear cut right up to my fence. That will make life a lot easier.

 

[dmccarty]

I need to fence in our boundry lines. The clearing is a pain. At this point I have a "path" maybe 3 feet wide at the widest on the east and west sides. The north and south lines will be harder to do. I was out looking at the west line yesterday figuring out where the tractor trails are going to go to get to the line as well as what has to be done to get a 8 feet of cleared space along the line.

I have been looking at a hydraulic post hole digger or a post pounder but I don't really have the money for one of those.

I saw this product line a year or so ago, Wedge Loc-Bracing Hardware for T-Post Fencing, and I think I'm going to buy some and see if this works. The product line allows you to use T posts for both anchor and corners so you don't have to get wood posts in the ground. They have clips that allow you to horizontally or diagnally connect T posts to use with HT fence wire.

As I widen the path to tractor width I'm going to have to start putting up the fence to keep out the ATVers and trash.

We are not trying to keep in livestock. Just marking our land and trying to keep out tresspassers. I'm hoping this will work.

On our west boundry they have have subdivided the 50 acres into 6 or so lots. One of their boudries intersects our house lot and they just cleared that line again with a tractor. Yesterday I walked down the cleared area out to the road they built to access the lots. A good 300-400 from the road someone had already started dumping trash. Right near the road someone had dump two beat up 6000 pound floor jacks.

In my county you get a sticker that allows you to go to a dump station to get rid of trash. No dumping fees. These morons would have spent less effort to have gone three miles into down to get rid of the trash compared to the effort they made to dump on someone elses land.

Later,
Dan

 

[WTA]

Our problem is vandals and poachers. I have got to get a handle on them. I still haven't got any definite word on the laws yet for Arkansas but I wear my 45 round the clock here and everyone knows it. I hope it's legal up there too. Down here it took care of the would be thieves just showing it on my belt. I just need to actually get my tail up to the other farm and let everyone know there is a new sheriff in town and vandalism and trespassing won't be tolerated. You wouldn't believe the damage they have done to the old house over the years. And the fences.
I have a business here that also requires my wearing a gun. It's either that or the sheriffs department can go searching for the things I work on after they get stolen. That's a bad idea though because they would surely be outgunned!

Anyway, Speaking of keeping out 4 wheelers, A local PETA freak here was setting booby traps on public park trails to try to make bikers and horseback riders stay off the land. PUBLIC land designated specificaly for this. What he did was string up small gauge steel wire and fishing line at ankle and neck level with every intent of killing someone. I guess in his mind he thought he was dong the wildlife a favor by keeping people out of their territory. I can't understand these freaks.

Well last year he got someone in the neck and nearly killed them. It was an adult male on a bike and he got clothslined by a piece of wire while going fast down a hill. I don't know how he survived.

Can you believe the cops caught the nut that did it and he got off with probation? Really, that was all he got. In TEXAS even. People used to get hung down here for things like that.

I only mention this because you want to keep out bikers. Make sure they can see whatever you put up. A friend of my brothers was riding his 3 wheeler probably 30 years ago and caught a hidden piece of barbed wire in the neck. He wasn't so lucky. It cut his head clean off. It wasn't hidden intentionally either. Just overgrown and the other wires were broken. His family still sued the landowner and won even though the kid was trespassing. What a crazy world we live in.

 

[Soundguy]

Though Barbed wire is not my first choice for horses.. with that much land.. you do what ya got to do. I've got cows/mules in barb wire.. and they quickly lear to stay out of it. My horse came from a guy with barb wire fences.. horse had a couple scratches on the face.. but nothing to worry about.

If your animals don't test the fence real bad you could go non-barbed wire hi tensile with t-post, and then solid H-braces as needed and heavy braced corners.

Horses will benefit from the hanging reflectors if the fence is particularly 'invisible' in certain areas..

Soundguy

 

[texasjohn]

Dmccarty, I do NOT recommend the Wedge-loc fencing system where you use clips on T posts to make corners. Been there, done that, a lot of work that just comes apart so very easily...... All of the corners/braces I put in I have had to redo a different way... It sounded like a good idea, I agree, but really, really doesn't work.

that's my $.02

 

[txdon]

"How would you all do it?"

Been there done that on 120 acres = 3 miles of fence.

I used 5 wires at the time I should have used 6, some calves manage to squeeze thought the 5 barbed wires. Use more wires on low spots. your idea of metal corners is nice, I just used the double H method with treated wood corner post. I used 3 metal and 1 treated post along the boundary fence. I used Gaucho brand wire and trees have fallen on it without breaking it. The area where I have sugar sand I cleared by hand a small opening just enough to walk and quickly hand dug for the wood post and it took about 4 tamps with the steel post driver for the steal post. The black land took longer. If you are in black or hard land and need tractor access to dig the holes, I would hire a dozer to complete the job in 1 or 2 days, the repairable (?) dozer sounds like a prolonged headache. I need to get a PHD one of these days......

The life of this type of fence, from my observations is about 30 years, My Dad's fence that I helped him with when I was in high school is needing replacement.

 

[sandman2234]

I live near about 1000 acres of bottom land, or partial swamp land, and the fourwheelers have recently started to invade it. They are tearing thru the trees, building paths and then making mud trails out of them. Three of the outermost lots, a total of about 80 acres is privately owned and the owners are HOT. One lives on the property, and tells the 4wheelers to stay off his property. They pretty much do. The other two don't live near the property, and when they do visit, the cops usually end up coming with them to get a request to keep their property from being vandalized. Pretty much the opinion is, when the first person is caught on the property, they will have to pay for the damage done to the property, or get a trip to the jail because they will press charges. When I see the 4wheelers, I usually tell them the owners wishes but it doesn't stop. There is usually about 50 fourwheelers and a bonfire out in the woods on Saturday night.

And you wonder why property owners want to put up fences and keep them out? You should see the damage they are doing to this property, along with the ones that are killing the deer and leaving everything except the backstrap and hams for the buzzards. Really gets on my nerves when they drag them up near the edge of the woods to skin them out and the wind carries the smell over to my house. Night hunting and killing out of season aren't ways to keep neighbors happy.
Rant off, back to the subject matter!
If the dozer isn't available, a skidsteer with a mulcher might be another way to clear the fence line. I am too cheap to pay one of those, so I would probably just work on it with my bush hog.
David from jax

 

[Soundguy]

I used Gaucho brand wire and trees have fallen on it without breaking it. .

I've had the same experience.. I also used gaucho wire, and I had a car hit my front fence.. actually ran down the line sideswiping the fence and took out about 3 t-post.. shaved one off at area of impact, and layed a couple more over..

Wire fence stayed up.. though it did push all the barbs together on a section about 10' long on one strand!

All I did was tap in 3 new posts and remove the bent ones and extractt he base of the shaved off one, and reclipped the fence.. no restretching needed. At the time it was just a 3 strand fence to keep kids/atv out. I later moved animals into that paddock and thus added a 4th strand and then restretched the wire and all is good.. bee there for? 5-6ys now.. no issues..

Wood post corners.. using H and angle braces.

Soundguy

 

[dmccarty]

Dmccarty, I do NOT recommend the Wedge-loc fencing system where you use clips on T posts to make corners. Been there, done that, a lot of work that just comes apart so very easily...... All of the corners/braces I put in I have had to redo a different way... It sounded like a good idea, I agree, but really, really doesn't work.

DANG! Not what I wanted to hear but its what I was afraid would be the case. I was going to buy a few of the pieces and try it on my temporary garden fence.

So now I'm back to a post pounder or a hydraulic auger....

The Post Pounder is a single tasker but puts in posts fast.

The auger can put in fence posts, plants, and build pole barns. But it takes more work to put in posts. Sigh.. Tain't a good answer.

Both cost money I don't have to spend.

But as I widen the path around the property a fence has to go in to keep, or try to keep people out. Its not optional.

Thanks for the info.

Later,
Dan

 

[txdon]

If I had to do it over again and I had hard ground I would get a air driven t-post driver. My neighbor has hard ground and loves his after setting thousands of post. It's not tractor driven (darn), but it is light enough to carry and set on a t-post. He uses his with a small air compressor and generator in the back of his truck. It will save your back - manually driving t-post is tough on your back and shoulders- I know. Justification for the expense for those that need it - I spent a lot more on medical than the $450 the driver cost.
Link:
Post Drivers

 

[dmccarty]

Using one of the Tpost air hammer was what I had planned on using. I have a generator that attaches to the DR and a small air compressor. Figured I could make up a special pallet to hold the generator, compressor, tools, wire, and Tposts so the tractor could haul of this out in the woods.

If my bone cracker saw me pounding in Tposts he would have a fit. And he knows where I live.

I suppose I still would use the Tposts for the line posts with wood for the corners and supports...

Sure would be nice to just use T posts. <sigh>

It just can't be easy.... Or cheap...

Later,
Dan

 

[texasjohn]

dmccarty, the following tehnique is recommended:

high tensile wire for everything, either barb or smooth

high voltage, low impedence fence charger on at least one smooth wire. Smooth wire is made hot. Use a 100 mile charger only... the smaller ones don't work well.

5 strands minimum, 3 barb and 2 electric, or that and more barb

T posts for the line posts

SECRET: DRIVE T POSTS WITH YOUR FEL... see photo below, use a pipe sheath to keep T post from bending and to get all same height unless you hit rock.

Corner braces shound NOT be a true H brace where the cross bar is
centered. Cross bar should be as near the top of the brace posts as possible and distance between corner and brace post should be long... recomment 7+ feet

You need to put in a corner post and TWO brace posts with cross bar as indicated

Sink corner and brace posts 4 feet in ground.. it's about twice as good as just 3 feet

You should use rachets to tension each strand of wire... leave in fence to take out slack later

use a rachet on your corner brace wire.. leave in fence for taking up slack later.

I've tried numerous T post spacings for the line posts... I've settled on putting a post every 5 of my steps... am 5'10" tall... further distances over time result in animals going thru.

PM me if questions

 

[jinman]

Sink corner and brace posts 4 feet in ground.. it's about twice as good as just 3 feet

John, we have several corner posts and braces that looked good when originally done, but now the retensioning of the fence is causing the corner post to pivot up and lift out of the ground. I would echo your recommendation to put them 4' into the ground and even deeper if you can do it. Five or six strands of tight wire is a mighty pull on a post.

 

[dmccarty]

TXDon,

Thanks for the info. I like he FEL putting in the TPost. I'll have to try it or a variation. I'm not sure it will work off the FEL for me though. I'm in heavy thick woods and it will take alot of work just to clear 6-8 feet to get the tractor in along the fence line. Having enough space to get the tractor perpendicular to the fence line is problematic....

BUT, I do have a backhoe. The JD48 should be albe to push down and would be much easy to use in the limited space.

Is the pipe attached to the FEL somehow?

Do you just start the Tpost and then push it in with the FEL?

Later,
Dan

 

[texasjohn]

I put in T posts as follows:

I have a HST transmission... makes creeping easy... necessary for this work.

Have a trusting buddy place the bottom of the T post where it belongs with the proper side out, etc. Place the CENTER of the FEL on the top of the T post... very gently while buddy holds it, just enough down pressure to hold it in place.

Buddy backs AWAY from the post for safety.. 6 to 10 feet... THEN apply gentle down pressure... post should begin to slip into the ground, but because of the geometry of things, at about 6 inches in, the top will begin to come inward toward the tractor, getting the post out of plumb. STOP the down pressure, raise the FEL, the top of the post will spring back into place, now you can again put down pressure on the post. Continue until post is fully in the ground. If you hit a rock, you will feel it, front end of tractor will begin to rise, DO NOT get front wheels off of the ground.. you WILL slide sideways and post will not be the better for it. If post hits tough dirt and won't slide in further, you CAN kinda tap the post by dropping the FEL on it... takes a little time to get experience on how high to lift the FEL before dropping, etc... but quickly learned... if you have actually hit ROCK, you will NOT be able to pound the post in this way... it'll simply break somehow... I've adopted the philosophy that if I can't drive it any further with FEL, then it's in good enough for me and leave it be even if it maybe isn't in exactly as far as other posts...

Pipe sheath around post is a KEY addition that I consider MANDATORY for safety... it keeps the post from assuming a C or S shape and snapping off... trust me, it happens without the pipe sheath... about 1 time in 15 to 20 posts.. pipe is just an extra long T post driver, not attached to tractor in any way, end is flat with welded plug, handles added for ease of carrying, etc.

I sometimes put extra weight in the FEL bucket, makes me feel better. I expect that a variation with back hoe as the driver would work, too.

I hang a 5 gallon bucket, or several, from the FEL chain hooks.. makes a good place for carrying stuff. FEL bucket is a good place to put the spare T posts that you will be driving later.

When it's all done, you can walk back down the line of posts and pull the posts into vertical as best possible... I've never done a perfectly vertical job, but I remember that my shoulders are still operative and decide that using the FEL is a GOOD thing. Sometimes, a post will twist around so that it makes it difficult to get a clip properly set on it... in this case, I use a LONG pipe wrench and twist the post back into line... attach the pipe wrench right at ground level.

Around here, there is another way to make a fence corner... take a cattle panel, wire it into a circle and fill it with rocks... This post WILL NOT pull out of the ground. Depending on your resources, this could be a possibility since you have equipment to handle rocks. If you don't have too many corners, this can be very effective and cost/time effective.

jinman, the only effective corner I've found is to sink it 4 feet, have two brace posts with the cross braces 90% of the way off of the ground. Cross braces should be pipe, wood tends to bend and slip out. I use metal pins to keep the pipe cross braces in place.

 

[Rara Avis]

What maintenance is required?
Walk the fence line to confirm your fence has not been damaged. Check the voltage regularly. An ElectroBraid Fence Minder will monitor your fence voltage 24/7 and warn you if the voltage drops Or if it has been cut!!! Once or twice a year, mow weeds from under your fence. In the spring, make sure no fence posts have been heaved by frost.

Electric Horse Farm Fence Product Properties - Electrobraid