Cross fencing

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Shoestring

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So. A couple of my local advisors have been telling me to cross fence my small acreage. I didn't feel the need to spend time n trouble to spend the money and time. BUT, someone her mentioned specifics. That by crossfencing the cows were force to eat less desirable grasses, and would trample down weeds. So, thanks to whoever that was, (I think one of the Ladies). Now I am cross fencing in the middle of August 100°. But I appreciate someone posting more than, 'you need to cross fence'.
 
Invest in a good energizer and use an adequate number of ground rods for the joules. For cross or interior fence I use only geo tec or
fiber posts as they will not ground out if a wire comes loose from an insulator. I use wire for permanent lanes and 6-8 strand wire rope
for paddocks. The paddock change size as the season progresses and the pounds of beef per paddock increases.
Tip/ Never walk an animal across a wire! Hot or not. Your life will be easier if they know they can't get across the wire.
I would never go back to open grazing.
 
I didn't know how or where to cross fence mine, either so I started with just splitting it in half, made sure water was available on both halves. Then I split each of those in half, and then one of those halves in half. I use the step in hot wire posts from Gallagher, which surprised me how fast it goes up and comes down. Then I grazed my cattle and discovered the smallest 2 halves were just big enough for 5 days, which is just right for me. So it is about 6 weeks before they come back around to pasture 1. The biggest limiting factor is water, which I'm sure is for everyone.
 
Moving the fence doesn't work when it gets dry and the ground is hard. Have to use permanent-ish sections.
Grass grows up against all the wire used for dividing. You need a good charger. Makes it a pain to mow. Harder to find a break / short in the wire when they run everywhere. Use the handles (lots) to isolate sections and make the fault easier to find.
Don't leave a new calf behind when you move them.
It really helps your pasture, but it's a lot of work. Cows like to see you coming if you move them often. They follow you to new grass. Makes it handy for working them.
 
Moving the fence doesn't work when it gets dry and the ground is hard. Have to use permanent-ish sections.
Grass grows up against all the wire used for dividing. You need a good charger. Makes it a pain to mow. Harder to find a break / short in the wire when they run everywhere. Use the handles (lots) to isolate sections and make the fault easier to find.
Don't leave a new calf behind when you move them.
It really helps your pasture, but it's a lot of work. Cows like to see you coming if you move them often. They follow you to new grass. Makes it handy for working them.
I will address a couple things here.
Roundup takes care of all mowing on perminate cross fencing. If using step in just vary where you put the fence so the cows don't let the weeds come.
As to the step in posts yes as it gets really dry they are a little harder. This is where quality step in posts help.
Invest in a fence tester. Or I put in cut offs at several places around the farms because my fence goes underground at each gate so taking the handle loose doesn't help me.
But the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages for me
 
Invest in a good energizer and use an adequate number of ground rods for the joules. For cross or interior fence I use only geo tec or
fiber posts as they will not ground out if a wire comes loose from an insulator. I use wire for permanent lanes and 6-8 strand wire rope
for paddocks. The paddock change size as the season progresses and the pounds of beef per paddock increases.
Tip/ Never walk an animal across a wire! Hot or not. Your life will be easier if they know they can't get across the wire.
I would never go back to open grazing.
Roger that. Appreciate the info. I Forget the name of the Solar Energizer, I bought it yrs ago. Just replaced the battery. I have driven 2 - 6' ground rods. May add 1 more. Using water, it only takes 5 min. ea. Not bad. Yes - shopped Gallagher: fiber posts, I did sharpen the 4" metal peg at the bottom. 9wire polybraid. Yes, I figure water as gold. 1st chunk of change when we bought was have another pond dug. I appreciate all the feed back! Will set it up in 2 weeks.
 
Well. Nice hot do to do this. Only 600' so it went fast. Before someone says anything, I checked with the cows. Nope, they didn't care if the fence was straight or not. None of the grandkids would come check the wire for me. I think that their Mom got to them 1st. Years ago I played the 'here hold the lawnmower spark plug wire' trick on her.
 

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I use the obrien treadaline step in posts and no issues with the ground. We have high tensile fixed knot woven wire as a perimeter fence with a single smooth high tensile inside to charge a polybraid. Nice thing about the polybraid is i can make the paddocks as big or small as i want and i can make a narrow lane and lead them into a corral or wherever i want.
 
Added 'stays' while I was out. Lazy way.
I use the obrien treadaline step in posts and no issues with the ground. We have high tensile fixed knot woven wire as a perimeter fence with a single smooth high tensile inside to charge a polybraid. Nice thing about the polybraid is i can make the paddocks as big or small as i want and i can make a narrow lane and lead them into a corral or wherever i want.
1st set I bought I had to put points on n them. Second set come with a point. Much easier than T-posts.
 

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Update! Cows were still behind the electric fence. Eggcellent! Wife wants her own tester. She insisted on checking for power before we left. She jumped. 🤣. Thanks for the advice. Please don't hesitate in the future. This is how we learn.
 
Dividing your pastures up into smaller lots will give the grass/ ground time to rest and regrow. Otherwise the cows will continually graze areas down to nothing and stress the plants. Plus, the best part of having cattle is when you get to let them into that new pasture.,
@WFfarm @Lee VanRoss and others. Moved the electric fence Sat. Yep, the cows came skipping into the fresh area. Also, moved the posts back 3' so maybe they will mow those weeds. Now I have another question. The local market prefers Angus. This little guy is about 3 months. Looking to cut and keep him until next August and my processor appt.. But, was also told to sell him as a bull next Spring, because it looks like he may have some brahma in him and will tip the scales heavy. Then take a heifer to the processor. Here is a picture him. Mom is white with some hang down to them. She was a 4/4. So no history.
 

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