I am wanting to fence a large yard for the dogs at the farm.

[JSteim]

Wanting to fence around an acre that will eventually also have a house.
Needs to keep cows out and two energetic labradors in.
I am thinking on fixed knot fencing 60" high alternating pounded in schedule 40 posts with t posts every 10 feet with one hot wire around the outside for the cow control.
While I think that would keep the cows out and the dogs from going through or over it I am not so sure about what to do, if anything, on keeping them from digging under it. Also wondering how long that sort of fence lasts before corroding.

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[Howdyjabo]

put up a high tensile electric fence-- labs are easily intimidated and have long memories. They hit the fence once(and stay on the right side)they won't go near it again. And acre is plenty of room to allow them room to stay away from it. Also solves the digging under problem.

 

[JSteim]

5 strand 6 strand or?
Had not considered hi tensile electric. Its what we use for our cows and I like it a LOT better than barb wire.

 

[JMJ Farms]

If you go with your original plan put the hot wire on the inside. Harder to keep dogs in than cows out!

 

[Howdyjabo]

If you take the time to train the dogs a four strand that follows the ground will work fine. Keep the bottom wire 6-8 inches off the ground and then the next 6-8 inches- after that it doesn't matter.

Walk the dogs around it on a long leash and let them go sniff it. DO NOT DRAG OR THROW THEM INTO IT. They have to blunder into it on their own. Make sure they do not jump through or run away when they hit it. Other than that just keep walking like nothing happened. For the first hit With a young or nervous dog I will drain some of the power off so it just makes me jump not scream when I touch it. Keep walking them over the next week around the perimeter(full power) to make sure you see no interest in going near the fence. Then test your training and have a family member go on the other side and tempt(NOT CALL) them to cross. Be sure to still have them on the leash.

I have fences with gaping holes under them that my lab won't go near. In fact just the other day I had to get him out of a pasture as he refused to go under a wire that was 24 inches high-- spent all night sitting there(I forgot he went in with me and didn't wait for him to come out with me). Just for fun I tied a twine pen about 4x4 and put him in it- he wouldn't come out.

 

[JSteim]

Thanks for the replies.
Going to have to ponder electric a bit - There are some big positives to it. I have built some of this fence and have all the supplies and tools already on hand.

This will also be a yard for people and not just dogs at some point and while I could turn the electric off seems like it would not be the first choice for that sort of use.

Has anyone put up fixed knot field fence? What sort of posts and braces did you use? How long does the fencing last? Any issues with dogs or critters digging under to get in and out?

 

[M-5]

I assume your talking about web wire fence (fixed knot?) if dogs are bored they will dig , you can put a strand of hot around the bottom of web wire to deter them but the will likely dig under any gate first.

 

[1982vett]

I assume your talking about web wire fence (fixed knot?) if dogs are bored they will dig , you can put a strand of hot around the bottom of web wire to deter them but the will likely dig under any gate first.

At gates lay a piece of cattle panel down on the ground.

 

[fenceman]

Fixed knot= net wire with solid vertical stays
We use it all the time for dogs. This one keeps might dogs in. There is a strand of 4 point barbwire under it to discourage digging. You build and brace it like any other wire fence. If it won't keep your dogs in you should probably look into new dogs.

 

[M.Magis]

I've see more than one dog learn that if they hit the electric fast enough, it doesn't hurt much. It would make me very nervous, not being there to keep an eye on them.

 

[JSteim]

Fenceman
Seems like a good solution dogs, people and cattle. In the picture the fixed knot fence looks to be a couple of inches off the ground. Is the single strand of barb wire below on the ground or slightly buried?

 

[True Grit Farms]

That little piece of wire keeps my dogs where they belong 24/7, and it's been off since last spring. An electric wire is the only way to keep a dog in the yard. IMO Our newest dog would jump the wire to chase the barn cats. I grabbed him and held him on the wire and the problem has been solved for a few years, it's a shocking experience though.

 

[fenceman]

Fenceman
Seems like a good solution dogs, people and cattle. In the picture the fixed knot fence looks to be a couple of inches off the ground. Is the single strand of barb wire below on the ground or slightly buried?

Stein I put the barbwire right on the ground and the bottom of the net right above it.about a inch. It doesn't take long for the barbwire to end up a little underground.
Electric can be a,excellent compliment to a net wire fence but I wouldn't trust it alone.
I fence hundreds of dogs a year and I can't believe anyone would think their all the same.
Dogs with a lot of hair are almost immune to electric. And some dogs smart enough to defeat it.
.I reckon there's a few short haired fat stupid ones that can be stopped with a single wire.

 

[True Grit Farms]

The problem is that you need to be smarter than what your trying to teach. And some folks are just to stupid to learn how to train a dog to stay in the yard.

 

[fenceman]

Thank god :nod:

 

[M.Magis]

The problem is that you need to be smarter than what your trying to teach. And some folks are just to stupid to learn how to train a dog to stay in the yard.

And some are too arrogant to admit not all dogs are the same.

 

[JSteim]

If one side of the pen runs along existing 5 strand electric fence would you just put space between the cow and the dog fence? If so how much space?

 

[fenceman]

If one side of the pen runs along existing 5 strand electric fence would you just put space between the cow and the dog fence? If so how much space?

My first reaction is I would put the netwire on the knobby side of the tpost and use the back of post 6 " insulators on the cows side of same post. I've got it that way on my mom's chain link yard fence to keep the cows off the chainlink. It's much neater that way.

With that being said. You don't live there to keep a eye on things and it will increase the chance of creating a short out on the electric..
So it's what you feel comfortable with.
If you leave a foot or so your going to want to deal with the grass that grows between the fences.

 

[JSteim]

I started 6 months back not charging the bottom wire on the fence and then making 2,3 and 5 hot. That resulted in a better fence charge as it was not fighting weeds anymore and the cows figured out pretty quick they could eat along the bottom of the fence. So far everyone stays where they belong and the fenceline stays clean.

I was also kicking around leaving a wide enough lane to drive the tractor across it which would allow mowing or the occasional graze at the cost of an extra gate.

 

[fenceman]

I started 6 months back not charging the bottom wire on the fence and then making 2,3 and 5 hot. That resulted in a better fence charge as it was not fighting weeds anymore and the cows figured out pretty quick they could eat along the bottom of the fence. So far everyone stays where they belong and the fenceline stays clean.

I was also kicking around leaving a wide enough lane to drive the tractor across it which would allow mowing or the occasional graze at the cost of an extra gate.

Sounds like you got a good plan.
Next time your in Florence come by and see us . I,'ll fix you up with that gate. We always have a pile of good second hand one's.