Cattle Panel Question

[Kusanar]

Not necessarily where the frostline is probably much deeper than in VA.

Possibly, but, if only 18" is out of the ground, and 24" in the ground, and all it's really doing is supporting the base of a cattle panel.... I would think it should be fine... I mean, a few cinderblocks set on the ground at the base would probably WORK if not be super secure.
You would think that the frost would actually help since when the ground is soft and sloppy is when our posts get loose and want to move around (1,000 pound animals like to scratch their butts on posts), when it's hard as a rock the fence doesn't budge.
But, I have never built a fence in another state, so you could be perfectly correct.

 

[Ruralhideaway]

2 feet should be fine if a little overkill. When we do wooden posts (4 inch round posts) for horse fence, we sink them almost 3 feet to leave 4.5 feet sticking out. 4 foot of woven wire and enough post left to attach a strand of barbed wire to keep them from leaning.

My horse fence posts are crazy deep too. They still heaved a teensy bit in the wettest then coldest winters since installed, but not enough to matter. I believe they do 40 inches down, power piled in.

Oh for Virginia's winters! I had to shovel lots of snow through sheer impatience to get working.

Not necessarily where the frostline is probably much deeper than in VA.

I ended up with almost 30". I can feel pretty good about that I think as the only stress will be right at ground level. In addition I could always add a couple really deeply sunk t- posts as backup. I hope it's ok. Sun is baking down the, grounds steaming. Fingers crossed for cure! No more today one post is giggly, plumb achieved but I'm not going to even breathe on it. Motrin time!
PS I was slightly suspicious when I asked my dad to drop my post hole digger back to me and he also brought a brand new auger. Slammed my digger down, clapped the handles together, crack! Sure enough, he twisted it and broke the handle. Every. Single. Time! he uses it I have to replace a handle. Glad he finally bought an auger since he just MUST twist. He'll never admit it either, so vent over.

 

[aart]

I was slightly suspicious when I asked my dad to drop my post hole digger back to me and he also brought a brand new auger.

Shoulda made him run the auger for you, after all you're recovering from pneumonia,

 

[Foster's Freehold]

Also the more I have time to think instead of work on it, the possibilities are growing(uh oh) in my mind. If things come together as solid as I hope, and IF I can control the summer temps, I could even remove the wall between the coop and hoop and just open it all up. Certainly adding 1 or 2 breeding/ grow out pens in there.

Ah the possibilities!

That's what gets you isn't it? The possibilities. When I laid out my frame coop, I looked at it and though "that's kinda small, I'm sure it will do, but if I add 4ft, I could have a broody area. Well, heck, what if I end up with a couple of broodies? Ok, another 4 ft, it's only one more sheet of sheathing and another rafter.". So, now it is laid out at 16x24 lol.

 

[Ruralhideaway]

Shoulda made him run the auger for you, after all you're recovering from pneumonia,

Ha it's a hand auger. Lean and spin. He does too much already on his own projects I'd feel bad asking.

Maybe I'll fix the post hole digger tomorrow, I'd rather dig that way. Posts are firming up so that's good.

 

[Ruralhideaway]

That's what gets you isn't it? The possibilities. When I laid out my frame coop, I looked at it and though "that's kinda small, I'm sure it will do, but if I add 4ft, I could have a broody area. Well, heck, what if I end up with a couple of broodies? Ok, another 4 ft, it's only one more sheet of sheathing and another rafter.". So, now it is laid out at 16x24 lol.

Chicken math, at least you already know it's going to get you!

 

[Ruralhideaway]

So I'm going to be proceeding to my next step today. Having some technical difficulties re: how am I going to get my roofing panels on this 16ft long structure once the cattle panels are up. Derp.


Leads me to the conclusion that I may be partially assembling on the ground then hanging. The roofing panels won't add much weight but the hardware cloth sure would. So, do I need it under the panels do you think? If so I'll be installing it from inside on the bottom.

Or would my heavier gauge wire around the bottom few feet for larger predator prevention be enough? I want this thing done night time safe. I am installing hot wire also.

Thought I considered everything, not!

 

[aart]

That is a toughy!!
Brain is spinning.
Did you plan on running the roofing panels lengthwise parallel to the barn wall?
How about the HC, how wide is HC...4'?

 

[Ruralhideaway]

That is a toughy!!
Brain is spinning.
Did you plan on running the roofing panels lengthwise parallel to the barn wall?
How about the HC, how wide is HC...4'?

I feel like I just painted myself into a corner!

I'm hoping to run the 8' panels vertically top to bottom from the top where the cattle panels will be moderately flat. Then likely need to switch to horizontal for the bottom half where there's more curve. Pending their behavior when I go see how much curve they like vertically. IF they will flex enough I could hang one cp, add roof, then do next one, etc.

I have 36" hc.

 

[aart]

I could hang one cp, add roof, then do next one, etc.

That's what I was going to suggest.
Are you going to put up the beam to support the cp roof part first?