I'm trying to get one of my pasture fences good enough to let the cows back there, it has old field fence with one strand of barbed wire on top. Some areas are pushed down pretty bad by the deer, others not as bad. Originally I was going to add in t posts to the bad areas to pull them up and replace all rotten wood braces but now I'm thinking adding a couple strands of barbed wire in front of the bad areas could be cheaper, and still fix the rotten braces of course. It's about 4,500ft all the way around so I have a lot of work ahead of me! Any thoughts? Or tips?
Making do with old fence
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Electric
MurraysMutts
Well-known member
Yep. Shore it up best ya can and run electric down the middle. Works very well.
I spent several weeks putting about 3/4 mile back together a couple years ago. Very very old railroad fence that had been neglected for years and years. Just started at the beginning and when I got to the end I was done. It works very well.
Then I had to run electric on the inside to get it around the other side where I needed it...
Lol
I spent several weeks putting about 3/4 mile back together a couple years ago. Very very old railroad fence that had been neglected for years and years. Just started at the beginning and when I got to the end I was done. It works very well.
Then I had to run electric on the inside to get it around the other side where I needed it...
Lol
I might run one strand of electric around if I feel like it needs it after I finish, I just don't want to depend on it too much, I don't live at this farm and don't want to worry about it going out while I'm not there
JW IN VA
Well-known member
Electric is a good option, especially if you need to get cows back and are still trying to repair what fence is there.
Depending on your situation, it may not be a permanent "cure". It will let you make use of your existing fence while you replace the braces and fix the low spots. When you get the braces in you can replace sections of the fence as time and money allow instead of having to do it all at once.
While I like electric fence, I don't completely trust it to do everything. Most of mine is in places where a breach isn't terrible, no other real option or a backup to a weak or high pressure fence. Others may differ but that's my use.
If you haven't used electric before, take some time to get familiar with it's installation. Ii will make a much better fence and far fewer problems. Mile rating of chargers is just a comparison. Don't count on that many miles. One suggestion I read about is one joule of output for each mile of fence. Better to have a little larger fence charger than not enough. Good grounds make good fences. Poor, corner cutting ones don't.
Depending on your situation, it may not be a permanent "cure". It will let you make use of your existing fence while you replace the braces and fix the low spots. When you get the braces in you can replace sections of the fence as time and money allow instead of having to do it all at once.
While I like electric fence, I don't completely trust it to do everything. Most of mine is in places where a breach isn't terrible, no other real option or a backup to a weak or high pressure fence. Others may differ but that's my use.
If you haven't used electric before, take some time to get familiar with it's installation. Ii will make a much better fence and far fewer problems. Mile rating of chargers is just a comparison. Don't count on that many miles. One suggestion I read about is one joule of output for each mile of fence. Better to have a little larger fence charger than not enough. Good grounds make good fences. Poor, corner cutting ones don't.
simme
Old Dumb Guy
Patches will get you by for a little while. But you will still have an old fence. If you have an old truck, you can always patch it up a little more. But at the point that it fails you too many times or costs you too much in repairs, it is time to consider a replacement. Best approach might depend on some other issues. Do you intend to have cows there long term or just a short while? Is this a perimeter fence? What are the implications of the cows getting out? A fence along a busy highway needs to be a lot better than one that keeps the cows out of a swamp or forest. One is a danger, the other is an inconvenience. Electric requires a good bit on maintenance, same as patches. If you install a temporary fence a few feet from another fence, the temporary fence tends to become the permanent one and the space between becomes the wasteland. At some point, a tearout and replacement will be needed. The old pay me now or pay me later thing.
bird dog
Well-known member
A lot has to do with your cows and whats on the other side. If the other side is lush green grass, you are going to continue to have problems. Another problem will be your bull or your neighbors.
I use electric for a lot of my interior fences and I trust them for that, but depending on it for perimeter fencing always makes me too nervous. Maybe as I gain more experience I won't worry as much... but for now I like to know that if a charger was to up and quit the cows may be out of that pasture, but still contained on the farm!
The entire perimeter of this pasture is woods, mostly all owned by a timber company. Thankfully the green grass will be in their pasture and not on the other side
KAstocker
Well-known member
When I moved into our place a few years ago, most of the fence needed repaired - mostly splicing and tightening wires. One side borders a horse pasture and is pretty beat up. That fence needs replaced some time. It's got some big holes.
I installed a single high tensile wire on brackets that are offset 12" from the fence around the entire perimeter. I wouldn't worry if it stopped working for a couple weeks. I don't think they ever touch that wire. I've had no issues so far, and we run stockers.
I installed a single high tensile wire on brackets that are offset 12" from the fence around the entire perimeter. I wouldn't worry if it stopped working for a couple weeks. I don't think they ever touch that wire. I've had no issues so far, and we run stockers.
How high did you place the offset wire on the existing fence and how many ft between brackets?
I can't wait for that day! I just purchased my farm a few years ago and am having to make do for now...
Stocker Steve
Well-known member
How many strands in a properly built fence?
KAstocker
Well-known member
The brackets I used and would use again attach to the wires. I attached to the 3rd and 4th wires from the ground, probably 32" on average. I spaced the brackets about 60-70' or so. I had to install some plastic posts at the tops and bottoms of hills.
We are doing well with new pressure treated wood posts every 16 ft, putting proper splices into 35 and 40 year old barb wire and adding a high tensile in the middle of four barbs.
We have a wire roller and cleaned up several miles of old fence we had no use for. Put 60 rolls in a machinery sale where it sold for $42 a roll two springs ago. The buyers claim it is better wire than the new stuff.
Silver
Well-known member
What brand is your wire roller Gcreek?
KAstocker
Well-known member
Is the wire roller a spinning Jenny?
Silver
Well-known member
I borrowed one from a neighbour, I think it was this one. I thought if I was going to get one I would want it to be a little more heavy duty
LEVELWINDER II BARB WIRE ROLLER/UNROLLER
The level-wind works excellent for rolling up old barbwire fencing spooling wire evenly across the full width of the spool with a guide pulley that travels back and forth on a cross-cut threaded High Tensile 4140 steel shaft for extra strength This unit can hook into 2" hitch receiver or to...
fencefast.ca
