Now some freespun advice,,everyone has their ways about doing things,but since this has basically been a 1 man show here doing all of this myself some things I've done maybe will help others.My first thoughts are once you decide on a design,leave some room for flexibility.I originally planned this with 3 outside runs planned on EACH side,,but then after looking at top netting sizes,changed my plans to match a net size that would better utilize the space I had.This meant expanding on my original size by almost triple,,and along with that comes significantly more lumber,and time.From this starting out as a 30x30 -3 pen arrangment,it has now grown to a 48x48 7 to 9 pen design.900 sq ft,,to now 2304 sq ft.,,,,12 posts to now 36 posts.
I now will have 5 pens each being 10 feet wide by 30 feet long,(One pen will only be 8' wide),but have an extra 18 x 48 feet all along one end of the 5- 30' long pens.I'm still debating on making this 18x48 foot area into 2 very large pens,,or possibly 4 smaller pens.But the size of the top netting got me to realize why not use all of it,instead of cutting off the excess or rolling it up alongside the pen walls?
Next thought,,,and I may get some backlash here but about setting posts. I run my straight and level line first.Always start on the same end and work one way.Take the time to square your measurements.Posts,,I always mark a line across each post 2 feet up from the bottom.I dig my hole normally about 22"deep measuring from the bottom of the hole,to my level stringline.When I put the post into the hole,I'm normally about 2"-3"'s above my string with my 2' mark on the post..This gives me some room to fudge with when attaching the wire,and sheet metal thats 3' wide across the bottom first.
Sakrete!! I know many people will just pour the bag in the hole dry,and walk away from it.The idea is that ground moisture will EVENTUALLY harden the Sakrete.This may occur if the ground is already very,very wet and you experience a 2" downpour once all posts are in their respective holes.But I found when trying it this way on setting my building posts,,some posts still was not set 10 days later.And how many of you have a few bags of sakrete sitting around that is hard because of absorbed moisture? I had this happen too,only to find the concrete dry and not hard in the center of the bag.Same way when allowing ground moisture to harden sakrete,it will get hard around the outside of the hole first,,Thus taking longer for moisture to get next to your post in the center of the hole.
I fill the hole 2/3 full of dry sakrete,then finish filling the hole to the top with water.I then take a 2' long steel square rod and start poking it as far down in the concrete mixture as I can. At first it goes real easy and you see air bubbles coming to the top,and as water reaches it's way downward it gets harder and harder to push the rod down because all the air is gone and the sakrete is getting wet all the way thru to the bottom of the hole.Within 12 hours,the post is set and you can nail to it without it bouncing all over.For doing this without any help,adding 2/3 of the hole with sakrete still allows final positioning before adding water,then making a last check once the hole is full of wet concrete.
