fencing advice appreciated!

[twodogs]

We live in SW PA & deer can be a problem. We have a small orchard - or I should say that we are attempting to make one on our property. We started a few years back with about a dozen trees and I fenced them in with 4X4 posts & 5' welded wire. The total area is about 60' X 100'. It wasn't the best dimmension as far as materials, it just evolved into that size. Our garden is in that enclosure, and it helps to keep the groundhogs & rabbits out. As time has passed, we have decided to add more trees. This year we planted more in another area. I plan to enclose it - approximately 150 X 150. My concerns are primarily to keep the deer out, but I would also like to be able to plant another garden inside. Would you suggest a 6' welded wire fence once again? If so, how far apart would you suggest the 4X4 posts? Should I consider other materials? I am looking to learn from the experiences of others here. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[weldingisfun]

If you want to keep deer out, you better look at an 8 foot fence. That is what we do down here and in comparison to a PA whitetail our deer look like fawns.

 

[thingy]

The height depends on the deer I guess,a deer can clear a 6 ft fence without much trouble,,just depends on the deer. 8 foot would stop them,[well],,,,you could use the 6 ft woven wire and put 3-4 strands of barbed wire on top of it maybe,along with some pieces of cloth or something tied to top strand to wave in the breeze,,,,posts,,whatever treated post is cheapest,they sell round treated posts of different dia,,smaller ones would work except corners,,but don't know how long they sell them,,4x4 you can get plenty long enough,,,spacing,,maybe 10 feet? You could put a few bigger posts and cement them in on corners and spaced in the run to stretch to?,,thingy

 

[Bubba Tex]

DISCLAIMER...I have no financial interest in this company!!!

That being sais, I do have some of this fence on my property and have to have te rest of the perimeter done with more.

StayTite Fence Company - Manufacturers of Woven Wire Fences and Fencing Supplies

I'd also go with a high game fence to keep out those big PA deer. I think you can get it with a graduated weave size so it's critter proof at the bottom with a more open weave at the top.

 

[weldingisfun]

The height depends on the deer I guess,a deer can clear a 6 ft fence without much trouble,,just depends on the deer. 8 foot would stop them,[well],,,,you could use the 6 ft woven wire and put 3-4 strands of barbed wire on top of it maybe,along with some pieces of cloth or something tied to top strand to wave in the breeze,,,,posts,,whatever treated post is cheapest,they sell round treated posts of different dia,,smaller ones would work except corners,,but don't know how long they sell them,,4x4 you can get plenty long enough,,,spacing,,maybe 10 feet? You could put a few bigger posts and cement them in on corners and spaced in the run to stretch to?,,thingy

Definitely go with stout posts, like Thingy points out, at the corners and where you install your gate. But, you should be able to go with 10' T-posts, $6.25 at TSC Tractor Supply Company - STUDDED "T" POSTS , as intermediates, that would be less costly than using wood all around not to mention easier to install.

 

[Soundguy]

I agree... Heavy corners, and metal t-post. Especially since you are using a LD wire like welded wire.. it usually likes a support every 8' or so.. and doesn't stretch or tension nearly as well as woven wire. Throw a couple strands of gaucho on top and the 6' may do ya.

Personally I like to use wood corner, gate and brace posts.. and as it will be 150', it's optional as to use an 'H' brace in the centers.. probably get by without it.

Soundguy

 

[ToadHill]

When fencing out deer, remember they can jump a 8 ft. fence. If possible build it on an angle of 45degrees facing outward. They won't try to jump a fence constructed this way. This info was discovered by some experiments done in reforesting efforts, I thinkit was done at Cornell U.

 

[forgeblast]

8ft ish is what i used. I had left over livestock fencing and that is on the bottom with stone wrap(chicken wire on top). I used logs that i had cut down in the winter as posts and used gravel to back fill. It was pretty inexpensive. The total area for fencing was about 300' and i am already looking at another area to fence in.
If i was going to fence in part of my forest to keep the deer out i would use a trick a forester taught me. cut a 50' piece of 3' (stone wrap--chicken wire)fencing and make a loop out of it. set it where you want it. deer do not like being fenced in. and the 50' is about the max that you can do this trick but it really works for forest repair.
good luck
Forgeblast

 

[thingy]

How tall do those metal t posts come in? 6 ft? remember we are talking 8 ft tall fence here,,which means you'd need about a 10 ft or so post,,,even if they came 10 ft,,you'd need a ladder and a helper just to drive them,thingy

 

[czechsonofagun]

When fencing out deer, remember they can jump a 8 ft. fence. If possible build it on an angle of 45degrees facing outward. They won't try to jump a fence constructed this way. This info was discovered by some experiments done in reforesting efforts, I thinkit was done at Cornell U.

Now I understand why one of the neoighbours down the road has a fence like that. Thanks for the info, it will be useful one day I am sure.

 

[Chuck52]

I've got lots of deer, lots of fruit trees, and a garden. No way am I going to put up an 8 foot fence. I keep the deer out of my garden with a fence of cattle panels which are what.....54 inches high? I wire some pvc extensions to every other t-post and run nylon cord at about a foot over the panels and then up as far as I can reach. I then flag that with whatever....use plastic bags or pieces of flagging tape. It's kept the deer out for four years. The cattle panels are barely held up with t-posts minimally set in the ground so I can take the fence down easily and get my tractor in there for tilling. I plan to go to all raised beds next year. The beds will be made with concrete blocks and I'll put up a permanent fence of 5 foot welded wire. With the raised beds near the fence line, I'll probably have some posts or something stuck in the holes in the blocks to discourage the deer from jumping the short fence.

The idea is that what a deer can jump and what it will jump aren't the same. Deer could easily jump through my high "barrier", but they don't, and haven't even during really dry spells when my garden was the only lush green stuff around. I expect I'll have similar experience with my permanent fence and more visual barriers. If I had to put up an expensive 8 foot fence I guess I'd just find another hobby.

Chuck

 

[thingy]

An 8 ft fence won't cost all that much more than a 5 ft one,perminate type I mean,,but it depends,,my garden had a 4-5 ft fence around it,,raised it to 6-7 ft by just adding 2x6 extensions to fence posts,,fence was already there.
But if I was building a perminate fence,,would go 8 ft [thats if I wanted to keep deer out].
You could go electric,maybe two rows of electric fencing,[or one electric in front of 4-5 ft regular fence],one out about deer belly high,,deer don't get a running jump as far as I've seen when jumping a fence,,[unless something is after them],they walk up to fence and spring over,,that outside belly tall electric fence out about 4 ft from other fence will stop them from walking up to other fence,,,,thingy

 

[Chuck52]

I've thought about the electric fence thing, too. That would be another easy way to get by with a regular height fence by just making them have to jump both far and high. I might add an electric wire to the top of my permanent fence when I build it, but it will be to discourage coons and other climbers rather than the deer. I'm pretty confident the deer won't want to jump my fence and land on whatever I have inside the line, but the darn coons and squirrels might see my garden as a convenient cafeteria. I figure to use 24" chicken wire along the bottom of the fence to keep all but the baby rabbits out.

The original poster was talking about fencing an orchard, I think. My fruit and nut trees aren't all in the same area, so I fence individual trees with 5 foot circles of the 5 foot welded wire. I figure when the trees get big enough to outgrow the circles, they are going to be big enough to withstand a bit of deer browsing. That should work for semi-dwarf apple trees, but it may not apply to the smaller peach trees and fully dwarfed apples. None of the orchards around here are fenced against deer....I don't know what they do about deer damage. There's a peach orchard just across the river from me and I know they must have deer running through there, but no fence. Haven't even seen a dog. Gotta ask them about that, but it will be next year before I go there since they lost their entire crop to the frost this year!

Chuck