Fencing Issue

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Hi Friends,

i have never build a »real« fence, so far i have just hammered some 2x2 into the soil, tacked some chicken wire to it to tell my ducks where they can go and where not. Now since last week we have a problem with a dog from the neighborhood who is owned by unreasonable dog-owners [see: Neighbor's dog came back for our ducks today! What to do? ] and it seems we have lost one of our beloved ducks to an undiscovered dog-injury [see: RIP Curiosity Duck, June 2018 - January 13th 2021].

Anyways, every coin has two sides and the positive outcome of this is that the local Secretary of the Treasury [aka wife] has approved a reasonable budget for an electric fence.
My idea is to erect a sturdy cedar fence post every 12 meters (~40') with three T-posts every 3 meters (~10') in between to support the poly-wires.

Here is the problem: I started to dig the hole for the first cedar-post in one corner of my land but after just 40cm (16") i hit the bedrock.
I assume, that this is not deep enough for a post standing 1.8 meter (6') tall above ground. Especially if it is the corner post that will be pulled on into two directions.
The posts i have are 2.45m (8') long, so the plan was to sink them at least 60cm (2¼') into the ground.
Can anybody give me some idea how to construct a sturdy corner post when there is only 40cm of soil covering the bedrock? - Other than rent a jack-hammer!
Thank you very much in advance for your help!

 

[Cinnamon Roll]

It wouldn’t be quite as sturdy but you can build with all T Posts. There are fittings to use with Tposts to build a corner support. I have used them for a field fence and the fence has held up to goat pressure. Here’s a link to the brand I’ve used.

Wedge Loc

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

So i went to TSC and RK today and bought:

• 50 White Plastic Step-In fence-posts
• 50 Black Plastic Step-In fence-posts (I wanted 100 white, but they had only 67)
• A low-impedance fence electrified with 0.3 Joule
• A couple of porcelain screw-in insulators for wooden posts
• A ground Rod-Clamp
• 500m (~1600') of PE & stainless-steel PolyWire
• A fence-Tester

We have a long weekend and if the weather is cooperating there will be some nasty surprise for Max, should he come back.

 

[Tonyroo]

If your anchoring a wooden post use quik-set cement for the base, the post has to be treated post also.

 

[mowin]

My area is extremely rocky. Tried using a skidsteer with auger, but a auger isn't going through a rock. I rented a mini excavator and had to dig each hole to get the post 3+' down. Pulled up rocks that were 200lbs and over. Was a pain placing the posts in a hole that was the size of a buick, but there in and not going anywhere. Was my only option where 42 posts needed to be 8' apart.

 

[Wallygators]

I also live on land with little to none soil exposed. You do not have to be (2') in the ground. Set your corner post and use angle brace to secure the post. Do you know what I mean? I don't know the fence builders term for the angle brace.

 

[Wallygators]

What a great ideal, I've been making fence for 60 yrs. & never seen anything like "Wedge-Loc" I use T post also. No need for wood post

 

[Alaskan]

For wood corner posts that can't go in deep, google Rock Jack.

That is what you want.

OR, use this handy dandy, very long but DETAILED fence building guide with lots of drawings to show you how to do it. And it does cover several different "can't dig my posts deep" choices... including rock jacks.

https://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/pubs/pdfpubs/pdf88242803/pdf88242803dpi300.pdf

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Oh, how I feel for you. You were actually colder then we were here in NY.

Today was warmer, but it rained all day long! And when i tried to walk down to start with the fence, i slipped and slid down the hill on my b@tt. Almost ended in the creek, but an otherwise useless tree-stump stopped me. Rain on frozen mud equals grease!

 

[NatJ]

If it is JUST an electric fence, it does not need sturdy posts.
People sometimes put up electric fences with little plastic push-in posts, and they apparently work pretty well.

The point of an electric fence is to zap things so they don't try to push it over. It's an entirely different style of fence-building, as compared with the usual fences that are meant to be sturdy so an animal physically cannot push it over.

(No personal experience with electric fences, but have done some reading on the subject.)

To put up sturdy posts like you describe, I'm afraid I don't have any suggestions other than the jackhammer you mentioned.