Advice on building fence on rough terrain

[Rising2KRanch]

Does anyone have advice on building fence on rough terrain in North Alabama. We are extending our pasture around our pond, on hills that have rock and hard ground in some areas.
The main rock is too large in the ground to continue the fence straight across but that is the goal to keep the fence straight. Should we put a large gate there, or are there other options to put posts in rock?

 

[Travlr]

Just found this. Might come in handy if you are moving fence.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

How many posts into rock are you talking?

Excavator and rip the rock out?

Drill holes in the rock for posts?

Drill holes and expansion bolt posts too the rock?

 

[Dave]

I live in the world of steep ground and rock. It depends on your rock. Big enough that the cows wont or can't cross we will build up to the rock and then skip to the other side and start a new fence. Build rock jacks. Build basically an A shaped piece out of 2x4 stretch the wire over the rock then staple the wire to the A to support and space the wire. And I have worked with a couple different drills to drill a hole big enough to fit a T post into the hole. Those type of drills aren't cheap and take power to run them. The picture is of a bigger rock jack. They don't cost much to build. We also build them out of metal. Old bent T posts work good for that. I just don't have a picture of a metal one.

 

[bird dog]

A air driven jack hammer with the right size hammer end will let you chisel out a hole the same size of a T-Post. Drive the T-Post with a regular driver and it will be there for as long as you want.

 

[wbvs58]

You need to be innovative. I use masonry screws to terminate into rock. I try to arrange it so the pull is at rt angles to the screw, they are a very tough anchor and you only need a hammer drill and an impact drill to put them in, both are available in battery form these days and I only use the cheap power tools which work well for me.
I live in granite country so the rock is pretty tough.

Ken

 

[Dave]

Here is a picture of a metal rock jack. This one is built with some scrap angle iron and some 1/2 inch rebar across under the rock. I have built then out of old bent up T posts. Cutting torch and a welder, you can build them pretty quick. Stack a bunch of rock on them they stay put for ever.

 

[coachg]

Jackhammer to make your hole and then cement the t -post in with quickcrete. We put in a quarter mile of fence and had to put in a section on flat rock . 6-8 posts

 

[cowman82]

you can run some continuous fence panels (20') and cut some pipe for over the rock. I've made some brackets out of heavy steel that I bent 90 degrees . weld the one end to the post and use a hammer drill with concrete bit to drill the rock then drive in concrete bolts.

or you can try to rent a concrete auger bit and see if it will drill through it. you'll need a skid loader or front end loader.

 

[worldsgreatestlover]

Sounds like a nightmare. Exactly why I hire someone to build all my fence.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

Sounds like a nightmare. Exactly why I hire someone to build all my fence.

There isn't always someone to hire. Therefore guys have to learn how to do things themselves.

 

[crossbreed]

Just found this. Might come in handy if you are moving fence.

I cant afford help that looks like that!

 

[Dave]

Sounds like a nightmare. Exactly why I hire someone to build all my fence.

There are lots of people who lost as much as 40 miles of fence in last summers fire. At $4 or $5 a foot to build fence how can you afford to hire someone to build even a couple of miles of fence.

 

[NIdahoShorthorns]

There are lots of people who lost as much as 40 miles of fence in last summers fire. At $4 or $5 a foot to build fence how can you afford to hire someone to build even a couple of miles of fence.

Fence building is for people with kids at home. At least that's the only way I've seen the math work.

 

[Dave]

Fence building is for people with kids at home. At least that's the only way I've seen the math work.

Well they figure that this fire that burned here last summer took out 1,000 miles of fence. I know a man whose range was in the Cow Valley fire which just south of the fire here. He figures he lost about 30 miles of fence. I am pretty small potatoes on this Durkee fire. I figure I lost 3 miles of fence. For 4 strand barb wire fence and the t posts that is a little over $10,000 just for the materials.

 

[Dave]

Here is what is left of that big rock jack in my picture after the fire. Note the solid rock just to the left, and on the surface all over the area. I bet there isn't 6 inches of dirt where that rock jack was in the property corner.

 

[NIdahoShorthorns]

Here is what is left of that big rock jack in my picture after the fire. Note the solid rock just to the left, and on the surface all over the area. I bet there isn't 6 inches of dirt where that rock jack was in the property corner.

I built some fence in the Joseph Plains area of Idaho as a kid, probably not far from you, that's real work. I did it for hunting access, I doubt if kids are willing to do that anymore.

 

[worldsgreatestlover]

There isn't always someone to hire. Therefore guys have to learn how to do things themselves.

Do you apply the same logic when you can't get a appointment with the proctologist.?

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

Do you apply the same logic when you can't get a appointment with the proctologist.?

Apples to oranges. One is a speciality industry with an educated/skilled Dr. The other is a task that a trained monkey could do.

Applying your logic nobody would have fence/cattle in half the world where there isn't a fence contractor to be hired.

 

[NIdahoShorthorns]

Apples to oranges. One is a speciality industry with an educated/skilled Dr. The other is a task that a trained monkey could do.

Applying your logic nobody would have fence/cattle in half the world where there isn't a fence contractor to be hired.

At least half of the other half doesn't have a contractor worth hiring. See a lot of skid steers pounding posts 2 feet into the ground only to watch the clay and frost push them right back out in a year or two.