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Cattle fencing time

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
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SW Ohio
My Lima gunshow season is over till October so it's time to get some improvements done around here. My contract work came to a end on of all days -my birthday- now how cruel is that? So got plenty of time on my hands.
I'll move my cattle down to the bottom summer pasture in about 2 weeks when my hay supply runs out. I did a frost seeding of red clover in Feb 2016 and got a 100% coverage. Of course the cattle eat it down to 1" when I moved them up to the winter lot in Dec. Now it's 8-10" tall.
This year I plan on splitting the pasture into 2 lots so I can do a controlled grazing.
Was going to Rural King today to get the T-post and wood corner post. But I sorta remembered when the last pipe line went though my farm couple years ago I had them pill the fence post up as it was a 2 yr old fence from the 1st pipe line going through.
To my good luck I found over 20 T-post with 6 insulators on each post and 6-8'-6" wood posts.
Plus a almost full roll of high tension wire.
That's like $200 of as new material. Now only need to get some wire claps and some gate insulators.


I build all western style gates out of wire and use insulators on both ends then use a jumper wire to electric it. It's rather funny as none of the farmers here have ever seen this type of wire built gates and always put up store bought metal gates.
Since we got over 5" of rain last week the ground is nice and soft so pounding the T-post will be easy. Plus need to dig 3 holes 24" deep for the wood corner post.
I'll post some pictures as I go on.

I forgot to mention when putting up my high tension electric cattle fence. I turn every other T-post the other way. Over 20 yrs ago when putting new high tension fence up I had all post turned the same way. But 2 times deer got into the fence and tore down over 100 yds of fence.
Now when deer hit the fence I only have to repair the plastic insulators on 1 or 2 post.
But since turning every other post the other way never had any fence tore down. Did have 2 T-posts broke off at the ground level when deer hit it full blast.Never have found a dead deer though.
I put my boundry line fence post 15' and string 6 wires. I electric wire #2-3-4-5 and ground #1-6.

This inner fence I plan to only use 4 wires and can install the 5th wire if need to.
 
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MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
Today I went down and hand dug the 2 corner post holes 24" deep. The ground was wet all the way down and rather easy digging. One of the 1st times I ever dug a deep hole without running into a rock. Got the 2nd hole 20" deep and hit a baseball size rock. Dug it out with the spud bar. Then finished the hole to 24".
Need to bring the 6" wood post down then sting a guide wire so I can line the T-post up straight to install. I need to put a brace on the other end to. Then build a wire fence gate.
 

Jackalope

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It never looks like it when you're done but its lots of work to string fence. Where I'm at you can't get 6 inches without hitting round glaciated rocks. Get some pics of it for us as you go.

 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
Today I went down and set the 2 wood post in the holes and ran a temporary guide wire to line my T-post up with. Stuck several post in the ground to keep the temp wire off the ground. Spent half of my time chasing tools I needed.
The high tension wire unwind wheel has always been a pain with the end arms digging into the ground as it goes around. Then I remembered I scraped out a broken office chair. As luck would have it the center hole on the base legs was just the right size for the unwind shaft. Put it together and it holds the wheel 12" off the ground and works great. Now if I pull the wire slow I don't need a 2nd person to run the unwind wheel.
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
No way I could have a bunch of cows, no time to hunt. Have you been out after any turkeys?

No real interest in hunting turkeys anymore. Took couple nice Toms when turkey season opened down here several years ago. But now we have so many I see small to large flocks almost everyday. Just doesn't seem sporting anymore.
I enjoy my cattle and the improvements I do. Besides it's keeps me active with the work. Plus it keeps the land taxes low being taxed as AG, otherwise I couldn't afford to keep the farm. If I don't keep moving I'll die.
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
Went down today and finished the end brace post. Ran and put tension on the guide wire so I can line up the T-post straight. Have 32 T-post to pound in. Then install the T-post insulators and run the last 3 wires. Last will be to wire together the 20' western style electric gate.
Only have 1 week of hay left so will be cutting it close.
I took pictures today but Photobucket is giving me fits so maybe I can do a later post.

End post. In the past I would have used a 4" brace at the top but since this is a inner fence line I used a broken off T-post. Drilled 1.5" deep holes in the post and tightened up the brace wire and it's solid.

This is where the inner fence line will end about 450' in the corner. Notice the brush line. Almost every square foot of area here if not farmed or in pasture is heavy brush. One of the reasons we have good deer numbers.
Those T-post are just stuck in the ground spread out so I can find them in the long clover-grass.



Another picture across my pasture unto my daughters property. I also have this 1.5 ac fenced in and that'll be my 3rd rotation pasture. Notice the enclosed in brush.

 
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MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
Went down and got 15 of the 30 T-post pounded in plus installed 4 insulators on each post. I did every other post just in case I run out of time before I move the cattle down. That way at least I will have a fence up.
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
Had my heart doctor 6 month appointment yesterday morning. Basicly no serious change. Too hot for afternoon heavy work so waited till evening.
Went down last night and pounded in 9 T-post and have 6 to do today. Hope also to get the 3 remaining wires run today. Then tomorrow wire the gate together and I'll be done on this project. Need to run in RR for insulators.
Have to rebuild 700 ft of fencing on my son's property after he put his target range in last year. But he's hiring one of his employees to do the grunt work and I'll just do the engineering. Ya right.
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
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SW Ohio
Glad too see everything still good with the ticker also Frank....

Thanks, have some slight leg swelling but may be due to new meds. Side effect of new meds is possible leg swelling. Have a check up in 3 months. Heart valve checked out OK.

Went down and pounded the last 6 T-post in. Pulled 1 wire to the other end and put the insulators on the post. My wife came down to check on me since I didn't answer her call. Time to quite anyway as it's hot out there after heavy rain showers this morning.
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
Best be careful in this heat Frank!

How well I know. Due to my MS I don't sweat much. Up until 10 yrs ago I didn't sweat at all except on my head. Little better now.
I carry a wet towel and jug of water to cool off. Pound in 1 post and set in the shade for 10 minutes by the clock. Need to pace myself.
I take it slow and easy. Someone else could it it quicker but no better.
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
Went down tonight and ran the 3 top wires and tire crimped on both ends around the wood corner post.
Have to run into RK in the morning to pick up staples and insulators.
Then take a hour or so to wire up the 20 ft wire gate.
Have to run the bottom wire yet but the top 3 are there so I have a fuctioning inner fence.
I installed the 4 wires at 10-20-30-40 inches. Outside perimeter fence wires I install 6 wires at 8-16-24-32-40-50 inches and electric 2-3-4-5 and ground 1-6. And I said before I reverse every other post the opposite direction. Been putting the posts in this way for over 16 yrs and never had a deer tear a section down.
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
Today I finished my fence project and it turned out good. I got too much sun on Thursday so had to take off Friday and Sunday.
Fed the last of my hay supply today to that worked out great.
Now try and get the cattle to go through the electric fence gate and down the 100 yd fenced walk way to the bottom pasture. The older cattle isn't any problem it's always the calf but this year it's a 1 yr old yearly so I'm hoping it ill follow along with the other cattle.

Since I put in the new fence to split the pasture I'll be able to rotate grazing 1 week in one plot, 2 weeks in the bigger plot and 1 week in the other plot. This will give the grazed plot 3 weeks to regrow new growth.
 
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Jackalope

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No pic of this fancy gate?
I wouldn't call it fancy if it's what I'm thinking he does. Usually its just a length of wire with a plastic handle that has a spring in it and a metal hook on the end. You just grab the handle and pull to release tension and then unhook it.