property fencing

[DDW_OR]

Cattle and goats. first will be 5 goats in 2022 to eat the blackberry and weeds
and then 5 steers, 1/2 for us, 1/2 in hamburger for food bank
sell the other 4
will be buying the hay

posts, boards for 75% of the fence
other 25% is t-post and 5 strand barb wire

all will have 2 hot wires and 1 ground wire.
will earth ground the ground wire every 100 yards.
the earth ground will be a T-post driven deep so only the top sticks out 1 foot

[Sedgehammer]

you'll never keep the goats in if not a woven wire fence of some sort or cattle panels. That's a promise. 

[btulloh]

I was told once that a fence that would definitely stop water from passing through it had a 50-50 chance of stopping a goat. 

[Sedgehammer]

I was told once that a fence that would definitely stop water from passing through it had a 50-50 chance of stopping a goat.

That's a good one!


That's one of the reasons we went to woven wire fences and cattle panels WITH electric. Otherwise, nope, not happening.

[Haleiwa]

What you do before you start driving posts will determine how well it works.  Decide where all the gates, waterers, lanes, and catches will be.

Mark your corners first.  Ordinarily that will be the property corners for a perimeter fence.  Set your corner posts.  Go big and deep.  Use a plumb to keep them straight.  Now sight your lines.  Look for rocks, trees, or humps that will interfere with a straight line.  Rolling terrain is a fact of life, but a few hours spent with a loader can prevent years of wishing you had done some site work before stringing wire.  

Set your braces, sighting to the far post to keep the brace lined up.

Pull a wire between the corners. Stretch it as tight as you can.

If there are seriously high or low places, drive a steel post and fasten your guide wire at the proper height, the same as where it fastens to the corners.

Stretch a second guide wire about a foot off the ground.

Now set your posts using the wires to keep the posts straight.

Hang and stretch your wire.  Usually boundaries are run with the wire on the outside, with a hot wire on the inside.  Interior fences should have the wire on the side towards the animals if they will only be against one side.

Kencove and Wellscroft have lots of information on their websites.

[Tacotodd]

As far as the goats, self propelled brush hog in summer, BBQ in fall/winter!

You guys should know, everyone, EVERYONE, loves good eating! Especially when the food does the work! 

How's THAT for being "green"? (Rhetorical)

[DDW_OR]

so, Goats are the Houdini's of the farm. got it

use herd mentality to "control" the goats. an older goat they will not be inclined to leave behind

I have no pipe or metal for corners or posts
only trees and RR ties
how do back to back H braces work? HH
100 pound pull times 6 wires = 600 pounds pull
500 pound pull times 6 wires = 3,000 pounds pull

[SwampDonkey]

You guys and your goats. :D I bet they are a handful.

[farmfromkansas]

What I referred to as a stomper, is a 2 handeled post hole digger.  Has 2 blades attached by a bolt and pivots so you can ram it into the ground, then pull the handles apart to trap the dirt between.

[Will.K]

so, Goats are the Houdini's of the farm. got it

use herd mentality to "control" the goats. an older goat they will not be inclined to leave behind

I have no pipe or metal for corners or posts
only trees and RR ties
how do back to back H braces work? HH
100 pound pull times 6 wires = 600 pounds pull
500 pound pull times 6 wires = 3,000 pounds pull

No need for double ends if you get the posts deep and tight, especially if you drive the posts. If you dig, end anchors are important. There are various types of screw in anchors or you can use anything on hand to bury on the end of a dead man anchor; a rock, a disc blade, a hunk of rot-resistant wood. 
Tightening the brace wire is important too. I've always used three wraps of number nine wire, braided together and then twisted together with a metal pipe to make a solid, super tight six strand braid. Twist until the end post starts to move at least. Look at the ground to see a gap. You can secure the brace wire however you want, but another strand of wire looped over the brace and twisted has always worked well for me. At least it'll never fall out or rot away like sticks and rods sometimes do.

[Will.K]

What I referred to as a stomper, is a 2 handeled post hole digger.  Has 2 blades attached by a bolt and pivots so you can ram it into the ground, then pull the handles apart to trap the dirt between.

I thought maybe you meant some kind of tamping tool.
We have built many miles with hand diggers. The best ones come from lineman supply places and have long handles which allow you to dig a 4' end hole without getting on your knees.
Some people tamp the dirt back in with a 2x4, or worse, fill the hole up and stomp on the dirt a little. We always used a steel spud bar, and when I got big enough to start tamping dad required that all of the dirt that came out of the hole go back in, plus a few scoops to heap around the post.

[Sedgehammer]

What I referred to as a stomper, is a 2 handeled post hole digger.  Has 2 blades attached by a bolt and pivots so you can ram it into the ground, then pull the handles apart to trap the dirt between.

I thought maybe you meant some kind of tamping tool.
We have built many miles with hand diggers. The best ones come from lineman supply places and have long handles which allow you to dig a 4' end hole without getting on your knees.
Some people tamp the dirt back in with a 2x4, or worse, fill the hole up and stomp on the dirt a little. We always used a steel spud bar, and when I got big enough to start tamping dad required that all of the dirt that came out of the hole go back in, plus a few scoops to heap around the post.

Your pa was so correct. If that post isn't tamped and tamped darn, darn hard, it's a loose post.
A funny.
I hired a young fella '27' this last summer. We were doing some fence work and I tried to just explain how hard to 'tamp' these posts in. He just couldn't get it. So I had to show him. He complained and couldn't understand how this old feeble crippled man could not only out tamp him but out work him...... Sigh.....

[Sedgehammer]

Redden recommends a 7 wire set up that is kept extremely hot 24/7 for goats. If you get dry conditions, that fence will not be 'hot' enough in any dry location. It can be grounded properly everywhere, but if the ground is dry enough, there is no 'ground' from where goat is standing. Hence no 'shock' for the goat/animal.

[chevytaHOE5674]

For the diagonal brace wire I've been using a cable with Gripple (kit from Kencove is easiest) and would never go back to a regular wrapped wire with twitch stick or ratchet strainer.

I also use Gripples for my tighteners on all my HT wire. Couldn't pay me to go back to ratchet tighteners.

[GAB]

I know nothing about raising or caring for goats or sheep.  Bovines now is a different case.
Back in the late 50's or early 60's my dad had a heifer that was determined to be in an adjacent field than the one she was supposed to be in and always brought a friend.  So got her in the barn and had a single ring ceremony where she became the proud wearer of a bull ring and a 12 to 18" long piece of chain, and was put back in the proper pasture.  Did not do the job, so brought her back in and added enough chain to make it 6'.  Freed her and a running she went until she stepped on the chain and almost did a summer sault in the barn.  Put her back in with the other young stock and never had another problem.
Some times the problem is not the fence.
GAB

 

[Will.K]

For the diagonal brace wire I've been using a cable with Gripple (kit from Kencove is easiest) and would never go back to a regular wrapped wire with twitch stick or ratchet strainer.

I also use Gripples for my tighteners on all my HT wire. Couldn't pay me to go back to ratchet tighteners.

I've seen those things around but never used one. I often stop and yank on the wire and ends of new fences I see and they're usually pretty floppy. It's always sad to see air space between the end of the brace and the post. Can you get an end really tight with those? I watched a video on installation that showed the cable being held in place with a staple or two, which wasn't very inspiring. I've always made a slash around the post with a chainsaw for the brace wire to ride in... cranking it tight can rip out a staple, especially on a hard slippery post like locust when the wire doesn't dig into the wood. Yes, ratchets are junk.

[LeeB]

It can be grounded properly everywhere, but if the ground is dry enough, there is no 'ground' from where goat is standing. Hence no 'shock' for the goat/animal.

When my kids were young I had strung some hotwire around the horse pasture. Pounded the ground rod in plenty deep. Later that day the kids came running to the house to tell me the fence didn't work, they could touch it without being shocked. Off I go to check it out, sure they were trying to pull one over on me. They grabbed the wire with no ill effect. I grabbed it and could just barely feel a pulse. It never dawned on me that we were all wearing tennis shoes and it was an extremely dry year. About that time my daughter's cat came to see what was going on. I asked the kids, " I wonder if the cat can feel anything?" I grabbed the wire and reached toward the cat. About 6 inches from his nose fire flew from my hand, the cat yowled like it was being murdered and took off toot sweet. It was months before that cat would let me touch it again. 

[Tom King]

Talking about hot wires, we have one on top of the horse fencing.  

One morning, when going in the tackroom, there was a five foot long Black Racer in there.  I took him by the tail, and threw him out the door.  It landed draped across the hot wire.  He was long enough to touch the ground, while still touching the hot wire.

He slid off pretty quickly, but as he was crawling away, he was doing the Herky-Jerky.

[Sedgehammer]

It can be grounded properly everywhere, but if the ground is dry enough, there is no 'ground' from where goat is standing. Hence no 'shock' for the goat/animal.

When my kids were young I had strung some hotwire around the horse pasture. Pounded the ground rod in plenty deep. Later that day the kids came running to the house to tell me the fence didn't work, they could touch it without being shocked. Off I go to check it out, sure they were trying to pull one over on me. They grabbed the wire with no ill effect. I grabbed it and could just barely feel a pulse. It never dawned on me that we were all wearing tennis shoes and it was an extremely dry year. About that time my daughter's cat came to see what was going on. I asked the kids, " I wonder if the cat can feel anything?" I grabbed the wire and reached toward the cat. About 6 inches from his nose fire flew from my hand, the cat yowled like it was being murdered and took off toot sweet. It was months before that cat would let me touch it again.

If there is green vegetation (depends on type and root depth), that can be enough to ground even if the ground is dry. I have personally seen goats walk through a 'hot' 5 wire fence when ground is dry. 

[Will.K]

On keeping goats in (this coming from customers, I've never had goats). Herds are easier to keep in than one or a few. A lot of Amish households near me keep single goats on a cable leash and move them up and down fence rows and from brier patch to brier patch to keep things cleaned up. 6 inch stays on woven wire are perfect for getting heads stuck. Tighter wire is informally called goat wire, around here, for that reason. Some of my customers have glued sections of pvc to their goat's horns. 

My wife had a goat before we were married. It ran loose most of the time but when they tried to put it up it would just climb the fence, electric and all, and be out in thirty seconds. Eventually it hurt its neck coming over the wire and they shot it. 

[Sedgehammer]

On keeping goats in (this coming from customers, I've never had goats). Herds are easier to keep in than one or a few. A lot of Amish households near me keep single goats on a cable leash and move them up and down fence rows and from brier patch to brier patch to keep things cleaned up. 6 inch stays on woven wire are perfect for getting heads stuck. Tighter wire is informally called goat wire, around here, for that reason. Some of my customers have glued sections of pvc to their goat's horns.

My wife had a goat before we were married. It ran loose most of the time but when they tried to put it up it would just climb the fence, electric and all, and be out in thirty seconds. Eventually it hurt its neck coming over the wire and they shot it.

Yup, herds are easier, but there's always that few that cause all the problems. Goats are neat. Funny as heck to watch the kids. They are kinda like big kittens in all their prancing, dancing and the goofy things they do, but they are a challenge. We have the 6" woven, cattle panels and while we don't have goats currently, if we do again, we'll dehorn them as kids.

[DDW_OR]

Internet has been down for three days.
I have an AA degree from Devry

how many goats to make a herd?

i have a Gallagher MBX2500
Stored Energy: 25 Joules
Powers up to 1,000 acres, I have 166 acres
the wires will be as follows on 6 foot posts, top down

Hot
Barb (Ground)
Barb
Barb
Barb (Ground)
Hot at 12 inches from dirt
Barb (Ground) at 6 inches from dirt

[Nebraska]

They will still figure  it out.

[Sedgehammer]

They will still figure  it out.

Not even an if...... :D

[DDW_OR]

 some of the wildlife that are on the property