Fencing Help Needed

[wyoDreamer]

Beekissed: would a hot wire added to the existing woven wire fence work to keep the sheep off the fence though?

I love your ideas for adding a scratching post or two to the pasture. I do believe that idea will save a lot of fencing, doorways, and gates here at The A-Spare-Grass Ranch!

 

[Beekissed]

I've noticed that they can brush right up against a hot wire and never even feel it through their wool...unless they touch it with their nose first and remember that, they can blunder right on it, through it or over it without feeling a thing, somewhat like chickens. Or, when in a panic, they will run right through the wire or get caught up in it around their necks and really get in trouble when it does make contact with a sensitive area when they are caught in it, across it or astraddle it.

 

[wyoDreamer]

Thanks Bee! That is great info to have.

Sounds like my husky. We spent 2 hours setting up a hot wire to keep her from digging out - 2 inches inside the fence and 4 inches up from the ground. We turned the power on, stood back to watch and she came up to the fence and laid down on it. It did keep her from digging out as she could feel the tickle through the thinner fur on her legs and feet.

 

[Ewe Mama]

It could be as simple as switching your T posts out for sturdier wooden posts. You can rent an auger for installing them and you can use your woven wire you already possess. The sheep are scratching their bodies on that fencing, so you might also put in a few wooden fence posts here and there on your acres and rough up the wood real well with a saw so that they can scratch more effectively. Some people go so far as to get old coil springs from cars and mount them up so that cattle and sheep can use them for scratching, thus saving the fences.

Another neat trick for keeping them occupied while also keeping their hooves in great shape, is to pile a group of rocks or cement blocks in the middle of your pasture so they can climb, scratch, and play on it...this keeps them from climbing your fences and bearing them down.

Sheep don't do so well with electric fencing, so folks who keep big herds tend to avoid the high tensile electric for containment. I'd not recommend it...been there, done that and it was not effective for sheep like it is for pigs, cows or horses.

I love the cement block idea. I will definitely give that a try!

I will have to take a look at augers. How strong do I physically need to be to handle one of those puppies? We have heavy clay soil. I have read that sometimes augers can't work through it very effectively, so I am hesitant.

 

[Ewe Mama]

I've noticed that they can brush right up against a hot wire and never even feel it through their wool...unless they touch it with their nose first and remember that, they can blunder right on it, through it or over it without feeling a thing, somewhat like chickens. Or, when in a panic, they will run right through the wire or get caught up in it around their necks and really get in trouble when it does make contact with a sensitive area when they are caught in it, across it or astraddle it.

This is exactly why I don't want to use electric at all. We lost a lamb who got tangled up, strangled, and nearly decapitated herself in electric fencing. Unfortunately, it was one of the kids who found her.

 

[Beekissed]

I love the cement block idea. I will definitely give that a try!

I will have to take a look at augers. How strong do I physically need to be to handle one of those puppies? We have heavy clay soil. I have read that sometimes augers can't work through it very effectively, so I am hesitant.

You need to be pretty strong to control the auger in hard pan clay soils. The alternative is digging all those by hand in the same kind of soil....almost impossible to get them deep enough to support fencing that is being rubbed on and still maintain a good fence.

If you have a nice neighbor who has a fence auger attachment to his tractor, you may be able to pay him for that service or he may do it just to be nice, depending on just how many posts you'll need.

 

[Britesea]

... or he may do it to keep your sheep out of his field!

 

[Ewe Mama]

There are so many deer who head into his fields for a buffet every evening that I doubt he would miss the few nibbles my girls managed to take.

Actually "he" is an assumption on my part. I don't actually know who farms the acreage near us. I was told someone rented the land to work it, but the identity remains a mystery.

No one else around does any visible farming around here. Most people have desk jobs and come home to crash. I rarely see anyone to talk to (only a handful of times a year for a wave or a quick hello.)

They probably all run for cover when they see that crazy sheep lady who home-schools all those kids come out of the house.

 

[wyoDreamer]

Most of the cropland around our place is rented for cash crops also. I have met a couple of our neighbors, but not really got to know any of them in the year we have lived here. The old farmers retired and the younger generation can't make a living at it any more on the old farmstead. You need to go BIG or get out of farming now-a-days. Between Big AG and the government, there isn't much choice.
The neighbor across the road actually grew up in our house - he built his house across the road on land he got from his father when his dad retired from farming and he took over. So I have slowly been getting some of the back history of the place. His family were the second owners.

 

[baymule]

We bought our auger from harbor freight for $199. It comes with a 4" drill (useless ) and we bought a 6" drill for $50. We have used the heck out of it. We also use hand post hole diggers to wallow out the hole for bigger posts. If you have hard soil, get hole started. Pour water in to soften it up.