Dixie Chicks

[CanuckBock]

this is a fence in a fenced area to a fenced area lol

I get to laugh last...bwa ha ha!

Our perimeter fencing is the least costly and intensive compared to our "fence in a fenced area to a fenced area." Cross fencing here is way more over the top than the perimeter fencing is simply because within a 100 foot stretch...one could be going back and forth, forth and back whereas with perimeter fencing, runs about $13 a foot but one stretch of it all around even if it is four barriers wide in some places.

Perimeter fence only hasta really keep the two legged threats outside the boundary my Sweets!

We ran first with a nine gauge page wire ($1,605 for 300 feet and it was 2.5 lengths jest to do the one side of the perimeter--highway side) and then ramped it up with adding the 14 gauge page wire (on sale you use to...USE TO get it at $105 for 300 feet) and then set a boundary fence inside that which runs at $75 per sixteen feet (works out to $470 per hundred feet) and I ran two strands of high tensile stapled at the bottom ($100 a roll and I forget what it is in length for one roll but lots)--most of the place has a shelterbelt running the length and in the case of their well being, we have fourth barrier of snow fencing to cut the winds and protect the shelterbelt.

Perimeter is $1,160 per hundred feet for wire. Not counting 5-6 inch wooden posts that are $8 each (6.25 posts in 100' = $50 / 100 feet), rental of post pounder, staples, t-posts that are for the combo panels that run about same as wooden posts at eight bucks (another fifty bucks per 100 feet), miscellaneous wire for fencing, cross posts for corners and every so often on a straight run of fence...yeh...snow fence on sale is what fifty bucks for fifty feet I believe...

On the light side because I can only remember the highway side of the perimeter fence is about 700 feet long and that would make it $8,500 in costs plus whatever the posts, staples, cross posts and our blood sweat and tears (I had to fence three times to get it to where it is now)....and we could say that one stretch was $9,000 to do ignoring our labours of love. Then there are the local persons that three times have driven off the highway into the fence and we had to go redo what we had already done for the damage they did. We really should quit moving our fence around and confusing the locals into missing the turn and flying into it, eh...

Fancier pieces of metal to run high tensile thru
NOTE, the fourth layer of perimeter fence in some areas is SNOW FENCE
​

If you have perimeter fencing and have any chance of having animals out and about in a lightening storm...good idea to ground it.

Beside that green metal is a grounding system...
Ground rods driven down and wire and hardware attaches to our perimeter fence to dissipate lightening strikes safely ​

Before the fourth perimeter of snow fence, the winds really dried out the plantings...this fourth run has really given the shelterbelt a boost in growth.

Here never put in snow fence here because the height of the road blocked the winds
Caragana (was mere sticks in 1999...I feel so dang old looking at it) is doing GREAT here
Caragana is a great bird nesting and safe place to be...also anyone that has tangled with it...
KNOWS the thorns it bears...y'ouch!

See the width of the room between the perimeter fence and the shelterbelt...this is a barrier of NO GO area where the animals graze on our property and have this area to keep all the riff raff back away from them. Rick has these visions of sheep or geese poking heads thru and getting them "lopped off by the 'yotes." NO headless domestics here -- not yet!

Fixins is no longer with us but Emmy is​

I am keeping AUSTRALIAN CATTLE DOGS in...if enticed (teased relentlessly) to breach the fence, Fixins would run full tilt, twist her skull sideways and bust thru the 14 gauge page wire. I ramped that up to adding 14 gauge, lacing wire vertical, in some places running two strands of high tensile OR candy caning it.

There's the top of the candy cane, driven in to stop wire being pushed far enough to go under​

Because we could not stop the people tormenting our dogs on our property...I put up the 14 gauge behind the nine gauge, Rick made me up candy canes (took rebar, cut it into lengths and bent the top...drive those in about three to four between every wooden fence post to prevent her from going under the two page wires). I keep my dogs in even when tormented by humans bent on opening Pandora's box, eh. Thing about our dogs getting out...who ends up paying the ultimate price when a person gets bitten by a dog? The dog is put down...never heard yet of where the person was told "You deserve that...you asked for it...you drove the dogs batty and they finally busted out and you got what you asked for." Nope, dog ends up dead when tormented protecting their property.

Metal shiny plate is to inhibit going between where the gates meet ​

These are the entrance gates to the place...

SEE why the cop said, "SEIGE?"​

And no, the sign does not read WELCOME...
It reads, "No trespassing" and "Beware of DOG"

The cross fencing inside Pear-A-Dice is meant to protect OUR poultry and livestock from venturing further than the yard, field, or paddock I put them in.

Bird yard perimeter...

That is a run of:

- hardware cloth
- 9 gauge page wire
- lacing on the page wire...done by hand (mine that are tired...terribly tired)
- two strands of high tensile at the bottom to help hold the 9 gauge in place ​

The INSIDE fence for the bird yard is completely surrounded by a run of hardware cloth over top page wire fencing runs with high tensile at the bottom. This fence run is a deterrent to any wandering weasels that might figure a grab and run prospect is in order (no sign yet of coyotes inside here...not yet). Slows the predators down, but say stopping a weasel since they can breach like a one inch opening is durn near too much for even us to handle but we CAN make it less inviting and less easy to accomplish. Predators are like people, make it easy and you'll get visitations...make the neighbour's place look better, I guess they go there for take out.

The Taj​

I was bringing coffee and cookies round to Rick when we were doing the perimeter around the Taj Mahal and there was a weasel bopping about, early afternoon and its scooting about ... dang near dropped the tray...but the weasel must be feasting on mice because we have never (touch wood) lost anything to a weasel (yet...never say never!).

​

The inside our place goose area has 40 combo welded wire panels (16 feet long, 12 line) and at $75 per panel, that alone is a three thousand dollar bill never mind the t-post costs run about $8 each. We have used rebar in some areas that are under LESS pressure but we often mix different species together. The summer visiting swannies are grazed along side the mowing Jacob crew.

The sheep are inquisitive and kind, but them waterfowl are NOT...we had a young gaggle of geese out and about when we last had lambs and the dang geese honked the snouts of the lambs that were saying "Hello" through the spaces in the fence. Silly geese indeed! So friendly...NOT!

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If money was no object, we would ramp up the perimeter from chainlink to what is called "lawn fencing" here. Tall (think its about six feet, the three rolls of it we have here) and it is skoocum good. I have a run of it at the Veg Garden building and I let my standard sized chooks out, turks too as I have no fear the birds themselves will fly over the fence that is this tall.

Lawn fence I strapped to a wire welded combo panel making it over seven feet tall -
Why? Because when the swans were not being quarantined here from their arrival from the Southern States,
this area is where our heritage turkey flocks spend their time outside - heritage turks FLY!​

Studies done when I worked for AB Ag were that the coyotes would attempt to breach any fencing that had what was perceived to be a "solid" top...so board fencing was tried more than say just a wired fence. No place to get a solid leap up and over kinda attempt on the go with this lawn fencing.

Thing about predators too is that they have to LEARN about what is prey. The study continued where they took unsheeped coyotes and put them in with sheep. The 'yotes were TERRIFIED of the strange creatures and had only desires to GET OUT already...away from the scary beasts. If'n the coyotes had been taught that sheep were food by finding a carcass or having their parents feed them sheeps...then they KNOW sheep are food. Same can be said of eggs and poultry. Predators have to learn what is eatable so if you toss eggs around, leave carcasses out to be scavenged, you are teaching the predator population what is good eats.

This is our fire prevention...having the sheeps graze our grassy ditches around the place. That ele fence...you touch it and it ruins yer whole day! Ouchy.

Cool water & shade for the mowing crew - Can you hear the hum from these mowers?
"Hmmm...."
​

Rick bought me one 160 foot length of electra net (bought another because it works out so well for us) and a brilliant Gallagher (nfi) ele fencer with battery. Nice and portable and a battery charge usually lasts half the season before I have to put it back on the charger.

Simple lengths of metal drilled and high tensile wire strung thru​

On interior cross fencing where DEER would be an issue (they trimmed my onions the first time I planted...that incited Rick to install these extensions above) like the veg garden and the New Orchard (deer love to strip the bark off fruit trees), we have extended the fence even higher than the wire. Two to three strands of high tensile wire...make that barrier way way taller.

For us, interior fences are more complex and more is expected out of them...to contain our stuff inside the place and not find them chowing down on the petunias or massive amounts of duck goo off their feathers IN the fish pond or waterfall.

I get this evil smirk every time I hear some greenhorn talk about wanting sheep. "You know, to mow their farm yard....because the cows they have would destroy the yard..." Yeh, sure, get right on that...they'll mow...they'll mow your flower beds, mow your specimen plantings, mow your roses, mow your vegetables...mow, mow, mow...your vegetation up really good. And if they are goats instead of sheep, they will climb your fences that always kept the sheep at bay and beat your trees to within an ounce of living...itchy heads, itchy bodies, itch, itch, push your ornaments over to trod them to itty bitty bits because they play king of the castle, and if that is not good enough, they even end up standing on the hoods of your vehicles and eating the bird seed instead of the lawn you wanted trimmed. Staking them out by collar with softy ropes seems to work...but you do hafta check because goD made it so you gotta be out there every half hour so they don't tangle and strangle or dump their water pail even if you hung it up snapped secure and at the end of the rope...not a fan of goats...not a fan of nothing you wanted nice growing in your yard kinda personality I guess.

NO graze zone​

The sheer bother there is to keep ruminants AND a nice yard of plantations makes hiring a yard maintenance worker with a weed whacker reality. Thankfully for the areas we like kept up but don't want all fenced up to protect the plants you don't want eaten...or be trudging about in poo (or watching the dogs roll in said poo and leap up for huggies), Rick still hits that hard with all his yard equipment. We do have a nice human yard and many areas I can graze the sheep without them going too far in the chompings. But it has taken decades to do and lots of effort.

Globe Caragana​

Nice plant because it is surrounded by horse wire...sharp points if you get close to it...no rub up kinda wire that surrounds this whiskey barrelled planting.

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The sheep can graze the driveway because any plants that I want kept as is, are fenced off.

The lyrics to that song, about "don't fence me in" do not apply here!

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada

 

[WalnutHill]

That looks like an absolute fortress. Nicely done!

 

[Mahen100]

Tara, I certainly enjoyed the tour! I have a "half mutt-half pure" Australian Cattle dog, he's eleven, and smarter than some humans here.

I feel your pain about people teasing your dogs at the fence. I've had it happen too with a different dog. .

Oh, and when I added up all of your fencing costs, I figure it is about what I paid for my house.

 

[ApiaryandAviary]

Morning folks! JWB, good luck with the job search. My job is ending in a few months (September-ish) and I'm working on developing more income from my birds, and not go back to work, unless absolutely necessary. Hubby will just have to cut back on his toys for a while So @Amberjem here are a few pics of some of my birdies.... I also have Black Swedish ducks and a couple of chocolate orpingtons (looking to get more!) and have Serama eggs in the incubator! lavender orpingtons golden sebright OEGB's - silver duckwing male over silver duckwing female (not in this pic) and several mixed OEGB girls. bantam cochin (my only pair, blue frizzle boy, cuckoo girl) Armand and Katherine 6 of their eggs due to hatch in about 10 days. golden comets, covered by a light Brahma (Moonshine) Sebright and OEGB coop/run One of my big LO boys (Louie or Ted) Currently still have 6 cochin/silkie crosses. Growing them for a bit longer before I decide what to do with them

Everything looks so clean of poop. Chickens look beautiful. Appreciate seeing your pic of your beautiful birds.

 

[ApiaryandAviary]

Posted this last night to chicken page;
I will be digging in the garden tomorrow.
Hubby hit something deeper than he usually digs in the garden. I said it is a rock. He said No it is bigger. The entire ground moves. I said Oh No we have a coffin in the garden. Later he came in and said he took care of it it was just a rock. Hummmm, I am going to dig and see. Why? Because I went back out before dark and I did not see any new rocks laying around the garden. I think there is a coffin in the garden. As I remember it years ago that area was pasture with daffodils lining a small area of the fencing that is nolonger there. I think there is a coffin in the garden.

The follow up;
Taking a break, exhausted. All I can think is Hubby is barreling down on 81 heading this way with his big gulp.
Started to dig easy ground. Hubby had not set the cement for the posts yet. Sandra Hudgins said ok lets meet this morning. I chased down the girls I had just let out. They said no way were they going into those cages. Exhausted I resorted to tactics I don't like to do, a sniper from the side. I brought out the cracked corn, they came running. Threw some down put down their snack Bucket and reached down and flattened them both with my hands. Picking them up was the hard part. Drove to TSC Ridgeway over an hour away and met up with Sandra. Swapped off two Jubilee laying hens for 2 roos and two bantams hens. Came home and got to work setting them up.

Back to digging. Hit flat black rock. Hacked around a little bit. More rock. Got the pick ax and picked around a bit. More rusty 1920's car parts and rusty horse shoes, and more what looks like a Foundation to a house that is no Longer there. So far we have found 3 foundations for houses here on our property.

No buried treasure But no dead body. And thank goodness it was not a septic tank.
Maybe while your out digging in your garden setting up metal posts for a greenhouse, you might find a buried treasure chest but then again it could be a buried coffin. Or maybe an old septic tank.

Hubby on his way home and now I have to explain to him, "Why?" after almost 45 years together, I did not take his word for it and now he will need another sack of cement for that hole alone. Because it is sooooo much bigger than he left it. I will just blame this all on being a middle child. An older brother and sister and a younger brother and sister. I caught it going up the ladder and down the ladder. Yeah that will work and sense he knows them all well.... He knows how my older sister lived to torcher me and be the Boss (oh excuse me, the BOSS) and the young never could accept responsibility for her own actions would blame whom ever she was on the outs with at the time for everything she did. Yup, middle child Syndrom. That will work, good excuse.
Enjoy a peek into my brain and life.

 

[Mahen100]

could be a buried coffin. Or maybe an old septic tank.

Yup, middle child Syndrom. That will work, good excuse.


.

Awe, just tell him " the debil made ya do it." :cd

 

[Amberjem]

One of my four week old chicks died

her name was penguin she was heathy and then she was dead.

sorry

Morning folks!
JWB, good luck with the job search. My job is ending in a few months (September-ish) and I'm working on developing more income from my birds, and not go back to work, unless absolutely necessary. Hubby will just have to cut back on his toys for a while

So @Amberjem here are a few pics of some of my birdies.... I also have Black Swedish ducks and a couple of chocolate orpingtons (looking to get more!) and have Serama eggs in the incubator!


lavender orpingtons


golden sebright




OEGB's - silver duckwing male over silver duckwing female (not in this pic) and several mixed OEGB girls.


bantam cochin (my only pair, blue frizzle boy, cuckoo girl)
Armand and Katherine
6 of their eggs due to hatch in about 10 days.


golden comets, covered by a light Brahma (Moonshine)


Sebright and OEGB coop/run


One of my big LO boys (Louie or Ted)


Currently still have 6 cochin/silkie crosses. Growing them for a bit longer before I decide what to do with them

so pretty thanks for sharing!

 

[Amberjem]

Tara, I certainly enjoyed the tour! I have a "half mutt-half pure" Australian Cattle dog, he's eleven, and smarter than some humans here.

I feel your pain about people teasing your dogs at the fence. I've had it happen too with a different dog. .

Oh, and when I added up all of your fencing costs, I figure it is about what I paid for my house.

 

[WVduckchick]

Everything looks so clean of poop.
Chickens look beautiful. Appreciate seeing your pic of your beautiful birds.

Thanks! The lavenders seem to stay the dirtiest! I just posted cleaner pics

And are you hoping to find a buried coffin?!? I'd be totally freaked out if I found one on our property!

 

[Peep_Show]

re: Where's the buried coffin

You could always say you thought you heard something and after that last zombie movie you wanted to make sure it never hit the turf. Then put on your best warrior face. You were just protecting everything that you love. How could anyone be mad at that?