Property fence for free range

[jenfarsh]

I know girls can do anything a guy can do, hmm, we'll most things I love to do things myself..I can't knit but I can do electrical, plumbing and carpentry...I look at the area needed to be fenced and I'm overwhelmed...I'm going to take your advice and get some quotes...then I'm going to consider installing the wire myself...yikes! I do agree with you that wood posts add value and aesthetically looks better, especially in a rural neighborhood. I really appreciate your input! This girl is encouraged;-). PS your fence is fantastic!!

Ah... girls can install fences too!

Instead of having a big box store do your wood posts, get a few estimates from local fence builders. I had a fence builder come out with his skid steer that had an auger attached and he drilled the post holes and installed the cedar posts. Wood posts will make for a great fence and add value to your property. You will need wood H Brace posts in concrete at the ends or corners of your fences. He did the goat pen fencing and posts with barbed wire for an acre enclosure. To save costs, I try to do my own fencing whenever possible. Below is a 50x50 area that I did myself using 5' high no-climb. I used a manual post hole digger to dig my holes and set the poles (great excersize!). I threw a few shovel fulls of cement into each hole and made "H" braces at the corners. The corner posts are 6" dia and the other posts are 4x4s. I then added the fencing using a stretcher from Tractor Supply. You can get a 330 ft roll of 48" field fence for around $160. No-climb horse fence may be twice that. They often have sales if you check often.

 

[RoosterLew]

Ah... girls can install fences too!

Instead of having a big box store do your wood posts, get a few estimates from local fence builders.

Excellent advice!
If you own a small property , a fence builder may be your best way to go. They are experts and have the best tools to get the job done the best. They will be able to get supplies at a better rate, know how to deal with certain issues, etc.
Now if you own a larger land, or plan on several fences, it may well be worth the investment in fencing tools and learning to build them your self!

Yet another option is always community support, bartering, etc. I have the equipment to build fence and if someone without the knowledge or experiance in my area needed help, I'd be more than willing to loan tools and help build it in trade.

As for your neighbors dog - maybe explaining to them that you were being nice. You are well within your rights to shoot any animal that is attacking your flock, they should feel lucky that dog is not dead! Many a farm dog has been bird-shot/rock salt trained to leave chickens alone, his little stay in the puppy pokey was nuthin'!

 

[jenfarsh]

Yes, I live on appr. 1acre but only need about half of that fenced. Ha ha I tried the "I was being nice" but they are lunatics and I'm pretty sure they believe I let it in my yard to play?!
i totally agree that dogs can be trained, I watched my brother train a terrier who drooled at the sight of those chooks....he gave it a big whack and the dog spent his remaining years guarding them!
unfortunately my neighbors just got a puppy from the pound, threw it in the yard and never bothered to train it...basically just fed it and that it! It's still a puppy but its already HuGe!

Excellent advice!
If you own a small property , a fence builder may be your best way to go. They are experts and have the best tools to get the job done the best. They will be able to get supplies at a better rate, know how to deal with certain issues, etc.
Now if you own a larger land, or plan on several fences, it may well be worth the investment in fencing tools and learning to build them your self!

Yet another option is always community support, bartering, etc. I have the equipment to build fence and if someone without the knowledge or experiance in my area needed help, I'd be more than willing to loan tools and help build it in trade.

As for your neighbors dog - maybe explaining to them that you were being nice. You are well within your rights to shoot any animal that is attacking your flock, they should feel lucky that dog is not dead! Many a farm dog has been bird-shot/rock salt trained to leave chickens alone, his little stay in the puppy pokey was nuthin'!

 

[4 the Birds]

I know girls can do anything a guy can do, hmm, we'll most things I love to do things myself..I can't knit but I can do electrical, plumbing and carpentry...I look at the area needed to be fenced and I'm overwhelmed...I'm going to take your advice and get some quotes...then I'm going to consider installing the wire myself...yikes! I do agree with you that wood posts add value and aesthetically looks better, especially in a rural neighborhood. I really appreciate your input! This girl is encouraged;-). PS your fence is fantastic!!

Thanks!
One last thing about dogs. Fences for the most keep dogs out but some dogs can climb over any fence. We run a dog rescue and we have dealt with many many breeds and situations with dogs. We have had border collies climb 6' high fences and push out through a wire mesh cover! Luckily our entire property is fenced as well. Our pitbull mix once climbed over fencing with barb wire as if it was not even there to chase a deer. We had a large dog tunnel under a kennel fence overnight. Install or have someone install a good solid 4' woven fence. This will be a big obstacle for predators but not a fail safe. A secure run will be best when you are not out to watch them free range. Good Luck!

 

[LauraNJ]

Thanks!
One last thing about dogs. Fences for the most keep dogs out but some dogs can climb over any fence. We run a dog rescue and we have dealt with many many breeds and situations with dogs. We have had border collies climb 6' high fences and push out through a wire mesh cover! Luckily our entire property is fenced as well. Our pitbull mix once climbed over fencing with barb wire as if it was not even there to chase a deer. We had a large dog tunnel under a kennel fence overnight. Install or have someone install a good solid 4' woven fence. This will be a big obstacle for predators but not a fail safe. A secure run will be best when you are not out to watch them free range. Good Luck!

Not meaning to hijack this thread but I love the entrance area and how you built it. Did you use the bricks/stepping stones so it wouldn't be muddy and animals can't burrow under? I am in the planning stages of our coops and runs and trying to have a good plan that doesn't require to many redos later.

Jenfarsh- you can rent a powered post hole digger from Home depot. You have to be able to tow it but I believe it is under $200 to rent it and it does the work for you. We are similiar to you. We have 3 acres, the 3 sides are fenced, just one open side of our property which we are fencing this spring. I am thinking of using wooden posts (rest of yard is round wood 8" posts with privacy fencing) and then attaching chain link fencing to that one side. That side has a great view and I don't want to shut it out but do want to keep other animals out, like fox.

I am hoping we are organized enough to dig all the posts for the coops, runs and yard in one shot. I learned from renting the chipper after Sandy that the big machines take a good 30 plus minutes to clean (hosed down and we actually used car wash stuff and did a quicky wash) so plan for that if you rent one.

 

[jenfarsh]

Thank you for the tip on the rental! I agree with you that 4 the birds has an awesome set up! Beware that a coop is never finished lol I keep modifying mine as the birds teach me how to make it comfortable ;-) I am a slave to those goddesses !!

Not meaning to hijack this thread but I love the entrance area and how you built it. Did you use the bricks/stepping stones so it wouldn't be muddy and animals can't burrow under? I am in the planning stages of our coops and runs and trying to have a good plan that doesn't require to many redos later.

Jenfarsh- you can rent a powered post hole digger from Home depot. You have to be able to tow it but I believe it is under $200 to rent it and it does the work for you. We are similiar to you. We have 3 acres, the 3 sides are fenced, just one open side of our property which we are fencing this spring. I am thinking of using wooden posts (rest of yard is round wood 8" posts with privacy fencing) and then attaching chain link fencing to that one side. That side has a great view and I don't want to shut it out but do want to keep other animals out, like fox.

I am hoping we are organized enough to dig all the posts for the coops, runs and yard in one shot. I learned from renting the chipper after Sandy that the big machines take a good 30 plus minutes to clean (hosed down and we actually used car wash stuff and did a quicky wash) so plan for that if you rent one.

 

[4 the Birds]

Not meaning to hijack this thread but I love the entrance area and how you built it. Did you use the bricks/stepping stones so it wouldn't be muddy and animals can't burrow under? I am in the planning stages of our coops and runs and trying to have a good plan that doesn't require to many redos later.

Jenfarsh- you can rent a powered post hole digger from Home depot. You have to be able to tow it but I believe it is under $200 to rent it and it does the work for you. We are similiar to you. We have 3 acres, the 3 sides are fenced, just one open side of our property which we are fencing this spring. I am thinking of using wooden posts (rest of yard is round wood 8" posts with privacy fencing) and then attaching chain link fencing to that one side. That side has a great view and I don't want to shut it out but do want to keep other animals out, like fox.

I am hoping we are organized enough to dig all the posts for the coops, runs and yard in one shot. I learned from renting the chipper after Sandy that the big machines take a good 30 plus minutes to clean (hosed down and we actually used car wash stuff and did a quicky wash) so plan for that if you rent one.

Laura,

Yes.. I have several gates that I go through daily and they quickly become a mud hole. Adding a dozen 12x12 pavers to the door entrances ($1 per paver) is well worth the money. The door areas are also the spots that dogs will dig if they want out. We once had a full size dog tunnel under a pen door in one night (we run a dog rescue).

I like the idea of the powered post hole diggers. The hand powered ones (that take two people to hold) are hard to use and beat you up. I have seen ones that you tow and are on two wheels. One person can use it as you lift it up and down. Of course the best solution is to have or find someone with a tractor and auger attachment. A tractor would knock out a few dozen holes in no time at all. Unrolling and stretching fence is not hard to do. Setting the posts is the hardest part of fencing.

 

[barbjess]

Quote:
I saw this old post and like the pavers you put in your run entrance. Did you dig out an area and set the pavers in sand, etc or did you just set the pavers on the ground? Right now (well after the snow from yesterday melts) my run entrance is a pool of mud and I was wondering if I could just set pavers into the mud without any other preparation. By summer the area by the run entrance will be hard as cement with our heavy clay but Spring and Fall brings a lot of mud.