Woven wire fence recommendation

[ejb]

Hi guys.

I am putting up about 3000 feet of a HT woven wire fence to keep in my sheep and goats, and keep out predators....

I have narrowed my choices to two styles and am having a hard time making a final choice.

My first option is a sheep and fence design recommended by http://www.premier1supplies.com, specifically for sheep and goats.

It consists of a 32 inch high HT woven wire fence, with two electrified HT smooth wires above it, and optionially two more offeset at 6" and 28". (Also recommend a string of barb-wire at ground llevel to prevent digging under. Cost per foot ends up being around $1.05 including posts and my free labor.

Second option is recommended by a local fence dealer is a 48" high fixed-knot HT with 6 inch verticals (Bekaert brand) and a single strand of electric on top. Cost per foot ends up approx $1.30 a foot.

At 3000 feet the extra $0.25 per foot adds up to about $750 and the 3000' is probably only about 1/4 of the fence I will eventually do, and once I pick a stlye I will probably keep that style for asthetic reasons....

BUT, the extra cost is only a single factor, the other factor is I want it to look good and most importantly not let ANYTHING in or out.

The benefit of the 32 inch with upto 4 HT smooth wire is the rolls are a LOT lighter (about 100lbs lighter) and will be much easier to work with.

The benefit of the 48 inch high roll is less eletric which can be tempermental (i.e. more chance of shorts etc) and it has a fixed knot versus a hinged knot like the premier1 (at least I think thats an advantage???)

The one major stumbling block is the premier1supplies VERY STRONGLY recommends a 9 inch verticla for sheep and goats...they say its big enough for a goat with horns to stick its head thru and get it back out, whereas a 6 inch would allow a head to get stuck and a 12inch would allow a coyote and small kids or lambs thru....

The local fence supplier JUST AS STRONGLY insists that 6 inch is the way to go, and claim that a 9 inch will allow lambs and kids thru and claim a head would never get stuck in a 6 inch....


Too many choices /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif...opinions? I want o build this fence ONCE and forget about it.....

 

[isucrazy]

ejb, I went with KEYSTONE gaot and sheep wire. Sherman wire, And I think Red Brand are outa the same places, anyway. My holes starting from the bottom are 2 1/2" tall than 3 1/2 , 4", And on the top or last hole in the woven wire is only 7" tall. All the holes are 12" wide . I think "MHO" 6" squares is too big and you will be pluckin critters way to often. I never had a problem with African Pigmeys or Barbadose Sheep ever diging out. Now my ol billy"HERC" could stand flat footed and jump over slick as a gut! All I had to do was hollar "WHAT YOU DOIN THERE HERC" And he would bail rite back over. I think food has more ta do with keeping goats more than fencing. They like ruffage, weeds , accorns and such more so than grass.IMHO /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif I have never had critters on a all grass pasture before Im sure they would want out ta get at something better to eat. My T- Post are 3 steps apart 9'. My best advice is get fenceing with longated holes. WIDER IS BETTER DONT CHA NO! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[DCRC]

I've been debating over either keeping a 15-20 sheep or goat, or just a few cows. My father talked with a neighbor that keeps about 70-100 goats and he reccomend just using 10 strands of barb wire over the specialty fencing.