Fencing the mountain.

[RoyalChick]

Just came across this thread and thought I would share something I am going to try for my garden to support a trellis. I haven't tried it yet but it might just work. Basically I am going to create concrete bases for posts by sinking them in concrete in a plastic cat litter bucket. That way I will end up with a post that had a nice heavy concrete 'foot' (same principle as a patio umbrella stand but much cheaper.
I have reason to believe it will work because the post-in cat-litter-bucket more-or-less works for me already if I fill it with rocks and this would be an improvement on that.
Use the lid of the cat litter bucket to hold the post in place while the concrete sets. No real need to remove the plastic bucket if you have enough of them (which I do).
Just an idea.
The approach above from @B-Goock sounds way more professional but would be beyond my skills.
Good luck!

 

[3KillerBs]

Are you worried about keeping chickens in or predators out? Or both?

There are a number of ways to make portable fence panels that sit on the top of the ground and which would be strong enough to keep chickens in.

Keeping predators out would be more problematic, but adding hot wires would probably be the easiest.

 

[RojoMarz]

Just came across this thread and thought I would share something I am going to try for my garden to support a trellis. I haven't tried it yet but it might just work. Basically I am going to create concrete bases for posts by sinking them in concrete in a plastic cat litter bucket. That way I will end up with a post that had a nice heavy concrete 'foot' (same principle as a patio umbrella stand but much cheaper.
I have reason to believe it will work because the post-in cat-litter-bucket more-or-less works for me already if I fill it with rocks and this would be an improvement on that.
Use the lid of the cat litter bucket to hold the post in place while the concrete sets. No real need to remove the plastic bucket if you have enough of them (which I do).
Just an idea.
The approach above from @B-Goock sounds way more professional but would be beyond my skills.
Good luck!

Was going to suggest something similar...5 gallon bucket filled with concrete and tpost in it. Our terrain is somewhat like OP's, but we also have wind. Not sure how this type setup may stand in the wind though.

 

[nuthatched]

Hmmm, can we get pictures of what you have going on currently?

 

[nuthatched]

Are you worried about keeping chickens in or predators out? Or both?

There are a number of ways to make portable fence panels that sit on the top of the ground and which would be strong enough to keep chickens in.

Keeping predators out would be more problematic, but adding hot wires would probably be the easiest.

My main concern is keeping the devils in.
We have coyotes, gray fox, bobcats and hawks, but the coyotes only come around in bad weather, bobcats are rare, gray fox are strictly nocturnal and they're pretty small, they mostly go after rodents and birds. All in all the main thing that could attack them is loose dogs.
We also have giant clumsy pests we call elk.
I want to get some more chickens but not until the run is secure.
I don't think the weighted buckets would be very secure, I'd prefer a permanent solution.

 

[BGcoop]

How big of an area are you tying to have fenced in for them? It appears that you have mature trees within the run and currently have kind of a natural vibe going(which I kind of like actually). Since you are already using wood and it doesn’t sound like predators are too much of a problem, What about making like rectangular panels out of like 2x2s and chicken wire. The chicken wire you can pull tight to all 4 sides eliminating the saggy look of your deer fencing and the wood along all the sides and top of the panel will give a finished look. Leave extra chicken wire at the bottom that you can weigh down to the ground with rocks or something to eliminate gaps from between uneven ground and the wood. Then just attach the panels to the t posts you have already established and each other. Not sure if that would work, just an idea.