Building New Fence

[Boczech]

Hello All,
New to the forum and enjoy the vast knowledge of information.
I have a 25@ property in N Calif and trying to put together some ideas and cost for a new fence for the pasture land. I want something that is going to last with low/min maintenance for years to come. The ground has some rock but mostly clay with some loam. Any input would be appreciated.

Thx and Happy New Year !!

BZ

 

[Earl Thigpen]

The cost of building a 5-wire fence using 5" to 6" top cedar posts in my part of Texas is about $1.50/ft. This price includes two barb, 15 1/2ga Goucho wire. "T" posts are a little cheaper.

You can get by a little cheaper by going electric.

Welcome to the boards.

 

[smart_slider]

no idea :?: ,but welcome to the boards
ss

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

Cost depends a lot on whether you do-it-yourself or hire it done.

Simple method to calculate materials costs:

1 Roll of 12.5 guage barb wire = 1320 feet of wire.
1 T-Post every 10' of fence.
Corner posts: 1 post + 1 brace post + 1 short "stinger".

For "fire safe" fence, go with welded pipe corner units: 2-7/8" dia. well pipe (used). Metal T-Posts min. 18" in ground.

Barb wire can range between about $40 and $60 a roll now with steel prices up. T-Posts can range from about $2.75 to $5.00 each depending on the length. Pipe for corner units can range between about $1.00 an $2.00 a foot.

All prices depend on going prices in your area.

If you hire it done, figure Materials X 2 = approx. fence costs.

A quality welded steel brace unit can run ~$100 for L+M.

Brace units should be in ground ~3 feet...lot of stress on brace units when wire stretched.

I would recommend 12.5 guage barb wire. The 15 guage is much weaker.

Wires should be spaced about 9" apart for "best secure" fence to keep calves in.

Hope this helps some!

 

[NorCalFarms]

Where at in CA? What kind of cattle, and what kind of country are you running fence in? Electric will save a lot of dough, but it has to be done right and in a combo with wire to make it last. Do you want pretty or just good fence for the $$$. Lots of different ideas out there.

 

[Dusty Britches]

Do a search for fences on this forum. This has been discussed more times than I can count.

 

[allenfarms]

My opinion stay away from Cedar posts and Electric fence. Go with a standard 12.5 GA barbed wire fence using welded pipe on corners and T bars every 10'. The old timers used cedar becouse it was cheap and naturally repels insects like termites and stuff. Based on what you've said about low maintenance, shy away from Electric and wood. And on your steel posts watch the cheaper ones as many times the guides on them are not consistant with each other.

 

[Earl Thigpen]

Well, here we go with the different opinion on fences.

A "T" post will absolutely not hold a cow or calf if they lean against it. I'll take pictures this week to show you. They'll bend it to the ground and the next thing you've got is cattle on the highway and a law suit in your back pocket.

I'm not sure I would go with five "T" posts to each cedar. I tend to go no more than three to one. Something's gotta hold the fence up.

And before we get started with the fire thing and cedar posts I don't have problems with fires. Quite frankly, I don't know anyone around in my part of Texas who considers fire as a good reason for using "T" posts. Mostly it's the cost thing with mountain cedar posts with 5-6" tops costing $7 and up and a 6 1/2' "T" post at $2.50 w/five clips.

I agree the 12 1/2 ga wire you buy today is pretty strong, maybe stronger than 15 1/2 ga. But this is a pretty recent discovery. Used to be 12 1/2 ga was all you could get and probably the best was Sheffield but they lost the formula for building wire and along came Goucho - darned tough wire and would beat the heck out of the 12 1/2 ga stuff and the galvanizing would last for thirty years. Last roll of the bigger wire I bought was pretty good stuff providing the galvanizing holds up and I will admit that. But the Goucho holds anything I've got from goin' through it though and it is a couple of bucks cheaper than the big wire.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Here we go again :lol: This weekend I burned a whole bunch of cedar. There were "posts" as big as 10 inches and 16 foot long. They all went in the brush pile. The land I bought adjacent to this property was covered in old growth cedar. It is now gone.

I have been burned out. I will not use wood.

I use 3 inch pipe, usually drill stem, for H-Braces and corners. (that is 3 3/8" for you O.D. folks) 2 inch pipe works good for cross braces. I use T-Posts and have never had one pushed over. Of course, I don't buy the short 6 footers. I can show you runs of T-Posts that are 27 years old that have never been pushed or bent by cattle. The wire was tight them and it is tight now.

It is always cheaper to do it once, and be done with it. Electric fence is fine for interim barriers, internal fencing for rotational grazing, and the like. If you put it up and think that you are not going to have to clear weeds and underbrush out of it in the next five years, well, I have some bad news for you.

 

[llcupit]

Backhoeboogie, I agree with you the only thing I do different is driving a 2 & 3/8 piece of pipe about every 15 or 20 spaces.

 

[Earl Thigpen]

Here we go again :lol: This weekend I burned a whole bunch of cedar. There were "posts" as big as 10 inches and 16 foot long. They all went in the brush pile. The land I bought adjacent to this property was covered in old growth cedar. It is now gone.

I have been burned out. I will not use wood.

I use 3 inch pipe, usually drill stem, for H-Braces and corners. (that is 3 3/8" for you O.D. folks) 2 inch pipe works good for cross braces. I use T-Posts and have never had one pushed over. Of course, I don't buy the short 6 footers. I can show you runs of T-Posts that are 27 years old that have never been pushed or bent by cattle. The wire was tight them and it is tight now.

It is always cheaper to do it once, and be done with it. Electric fence is fine for interim barriers, internal fencing for rotational grazing, and the like. If you put it up and think that you are not going to have to clear weeds and underbrush out of it in the next five years, well, I have some bad news for you.

Like I say, I'll take pictures and show them to you. You can apologize then. And I don't use 6 foot "T" posts either.

As far as the cedar is concerned I said "mountain cedar". I'll burn all of the cedar in my pastures too 'cause it ain't worth a flip. The heart is about an inch in diameter at the rest of the 6" post is sap wood. Mountain cedar has very little sap wood and will last for twenty plus years on my place.

 

[McPherson Fencing]

I'm building 6 strand, 10' centers on t-post, 1 stay in between
t-post, 12.5 gauge 2 point barb for 1.75 a foot. I Drive 3.5'' od
pipe for my braces, we drive em 4-5', depending on soil condition. I'll stretch a full quarter (1320') off of a full h, it's
just an h w/ a kicker. We use 2 3/8'' schedule 40 for the horizontal's and kicker's. I use 6' t-post if the grounds stable,
otherwise we'll use longer one's. If it's rocky, you may consider
having somebody with a belltec tm-48 come out and punch
holes, if you run into slab rock expect to rent a jack hammer.

 

[Nowland Farms]

Here we go again :lol: This weekend I burned a whole bunch of cedar. There were "posts" as big as 10 inches and 16 foot long. They all went in the brush pile. The land I bought adjacent to this property was covered in old growth cedar. It is now gone.

I have been burned out. I will not use wood.

I use 3 inch pipe, usually drill stem, for H-Braces and corners. (that is 3 3/8" for you O.D. folks) 2 inch pipe works good for cross braces. I use T-Posts and have never had one pushed over. Of course, I don't buy the short 6 footers. I can show you runs of T-Posts that are 27 years old that have never been pushed or bent by cattle. The wire was tight them and it is tight now.

It is always cheaper to do it once, and be done with it. Electric fence is fine for interim barriers, internal fencing for rotational grazing, and the like. If you put it up and think that you are not going to have to clear weeds and underbrush out of it in the next five years, well, I have some bad news for you.

Like I say, I'll take pictures and show them to you. You can apologize then. And I don't use 6 foot "T" posts either.

As far as the cedar is concerned I said "mountain cedar". I'll burn all of the cedar in my pastures too 'cause it ain't worth a flip. The heart is about an inch in diameter at the rest of the 6" post is sap wood. Mountain cedar has very little sap wood and will last for twenty plus years on my place.

It must be the cows you are running. I agree with backhoeboggie, my cows do not push against the fence so the Tpost bends. I use T post every 10 feet with a wood H brace pull post every 100 foot. I use the 47" woven field fence with 1 strand of 15.5 gauge 4 barb wire 6" above the fence. This works on my perimeter and internal fences. Again it must be the cows you have that are pushing against your field fence for some reason.

 

[Rangenerd]

Welcome.
I start by sinking railroad ties 44 to 50 inches in the ground for the corners. The deeper you go the better, IMHO. Then strech high quality barbed wire (I like Red Barb brand). I run 5 strands. I also use 6 foot T-posts every 15 feet. If you plan to run horses, replace the barbed wire with smooth wire.

What part of NorCal, I'm here in Modoc County.

 

[farmerjohn]

Welcome.
I start by sinking railroad ties 44 to 50 inches in the ground for the corners. The deeper you go the better, IMHO. Then strech high quality barbed wire (I like Red Barb brand). I run 5 strands. I also use 6 foot T-posts every 15 feet. If you plan to run horses, replace the barbed wire with smooth wire.

I have quit using Red Brand it's not as good as it use to be. I put some up about 10 years ago and its all ready rusting.

Of course sheet iron for barns ain't worth a $*&^#!@ anymore either..

 

[rws]

Here we go again :lol: This weekend I burned a whole bunch of cedar. There were "posts" as big as 10 inches and 16 foot long. They all went in the brush pile. The land I bought adjacent to this property was covered in old growth cedar. It is now gone.

I have been burned out. I will not use wood.

I use 3 inch pipe, usually drill stem, for H-Braces and corners. (that is 3 3/8" for you O.D. folks) 2 inch pipe works good for cross braces. I use T-Posts and have never had one pushed over. Of course, I don't buy the short 6 footers. I can show you runs of T-Posts that are 27 years old that have never been pushed or bent by cattle. The wire was tight them and it is tight now.

It is always cheaper to do it once, and be done with it. Electric fence is fine for interim barriers, internal fencing for rotational grazing, and the like. If you put it up and think that you are not going to have to clear weeds and underbrush out of it in the next five years, well, I have some bad news for you.

i like the idea of using the pipe but how do you connect the fence to it

 

[Boczech]

Thx fellas for the replies and ideas. I got 25@ outside of Corning,CA for the NORCAL folks who asked. Love to hear from the Texas folks and reminds me of the central Texas area where I grew up but have since moved away quite a few years ago. Thx for all of the input and really appreciate everybody's help.

Bo

 

[dun]

It's been a while but isn;t that just south of Red Bluff?

 

[Jason]

Does anybody ever use hedge anymore? i like using hedge corners with 12" tops. put em in the the ground 5 ft and they wont move. dont them ceder posts rot out in about ten years? i do custom fencing for a living and i would hate to say how many miles of cedar posts i have seen rot off at the ground in 10 years. hedge lasts probly 4 times as long. What does labor run where you all are from? i get 8 bucks a rod.

 

[TXBobcat]

i like the idea of using the pipe but how do you connect the fence to it

For barbed wire, you start at one end of your fence run, wrap the wire around the pipe post, tie it off, unroll wire to the other end and attach fence stretcher. Once you have attached the wire to the fence stretcher and hooked the fence stretcher to post you intend to tie to, stretch the wire to desired tension. When all is tight, you will have a few inches between the place you are hooked on the wire and your post. Wrap the end of your wire around the post and tie, then release tension from your stretcher.