maineraiser
Member
about every day my cows get out i need some suggestions on what kind of fence i should replace the old one with. the fence is a three strand hot wire fence and its hot. 
:shock:
:shock:
need better fence
- Thread starter maineraiser
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Mahoney Pursley Ranch
Well-known member
Six high barb hot wire 18 inches up from bottom and one on top wire.
backhoeboogie
Well-known member
IMHO The 6 foot T-Posts aren't tall enough, once you drive them.
Cattle panels are back down to around $15 a piece at Tractor Supply. I am about to resolve to use them henceforth on the outer perimiters. With a solid strand of wire above them, hot if need be. The panels are less than $1 a foot, when you think about it. Then you are done for life.
Years ago I resolved to never use wood posts again. That was after fires and 45 MPH winds took out most of my fence posts. What I miss about wood posts is that I could drive a fence staple on inside edges and tighten wire, very simplistically.
Cattle panels are back down to around $15 a piece at Tractor Supply. I am about to resolve to use them henceforth on the outer perimiters. With a solid strand of wire above them, hot if need be. The panels are less than $1 a foot, when you think about it. Then you are done for life.
Years ago I resolved to never use wood posts again. That was after fires and 45 MPH winds took out most of my fence posts. What I miss about wood posts is that I could drive a fence staple on inside edges and tighten wire, very simplistically.
TLCfromARK
Well-known member
maineraiser":275fui8x said:about every day my cows get out i need some suggestions on what kind of fence i should replace the old one with. the fence is a three strand hot wire fence and its hot.
If you've got 3 hot wires and they're still getting out I'd think it was time for some of those outlaws to ride off into the sunset.
JMO
;-)
Saltydawg
Well-known member
TLCfromARK":5jl1lv2m said:maineraiser":5jl1lv2m said:about every day my cows get out i need some suggestions on what kind of fence i should replace the old one with. the fence is a three strand hot wire fence and its hot.
If you've got 3 hot wires and they're still getting out I'd think it was time for some of those outlaws to ride off into the sunset.
JMO
;-)
Yea sumtin don't seem right to me.
You either have one or two "bad" cows leading the others to the promise land or your fencer isn't working right or sumtin.
I'd be searching for the culprit(s).
SF
Well-known member
Is there any feed in this pasture? Is the fencer on? Is the fence shorted out? If a 3 wire hot fence isn't holding them in, you've got other problems in my opinion.
If you're going to build a new fence, my choice is 48 inch high field fence with a barbed wire on bottom and a barbed wire on top. Keep the fence close to the ground with the barbed wire below it. This not only helps keep the cows in, but helps keep the predators out. JMO
If you're going to build a new fence, my choice is 48 inch high field fence with a barbed wire on bottom and a barbed wire on top. Keep the fence close to the ground with the barbed wire below it. This not only helps keep the cows in, but helps keep the predators out. JMO
I agree with Dawg on this one. If three hot strands won't turn'um, somethings wrong here. Better check for a short or ground problem. Not many things can lean on a hot charger long enough to get out.
When you ask which fence is better, much depends on how large an area you need to fix. There are some really good fencing materials out there but some are REALLY expensive.
Where ever possible I use field fence and barb wire combo like someone said here already. Good field fence runs about $115 per 330 foot roll down here. Posts (wooden) are pretty pricy right now though.
Where ever possible I use field fence and barb wire combo like someone said here already. Good field fence runs about $115 per 330 foot roll down here. Posts (wooden) are pretty pricy right now though.
backhoeboogie
Well-known member
Field fence is okay if you don't have feral hogs. If they ever move in, you wasted your nickels.
nycowgirl
Well-known member
I recently bought one of those electric fence testers that has the 5 lights on it that (Dare brand "Five-O-Lite Tester" Jeffers catalog $8.97) gives you the voltage output of your fence. My Zareba(sp?) fencer was only giving me 2 lights right at the fencer. I just ordered and received yesterday a Parmak Mark 6 fencer. Now all 5 of those lights light up even on my farthest fence line. Now my fence is nice and hot. I've also noticed the animals jump higher and further when they touch it. That's the true test!
http://www.jefferslivestock.com/ssc...DLPKBECAKHWD372A&pf_id=12195&cmkw=five o lite
http://www.jefferslivestock.com/ssc...DLPKBECAKHWD372A&pf_id=12195&cmkw=five o lite
SF
Well-known member
nycowgirl":2k0vxncj said:
Don't forget the "grab it yourself" test. If your arm isn't numb afterwards, its not working good enough. :lol: :lol:
Not really, I use the 5 light tester too. :lol:
T-Bone
Well-known member
maineraiser":2frlh2bi said:about every day my cows get out i need some suggestions on what kind of fence i should replace the old one with. the fence is a three strand hot wire fence and its hot.
Look at your specifications for the linear ft max.
1.You may have too many feet of wire.
2. The amp rating could be for smaller cattle.
3. Good ground. Verify that you have a 4-6' grounding rod with good clean contact.
4. Go with a heavier gauge stainless steal wire. A thicker wire will carry more current.
5. Try going to two wires. This will increase the amps at point of contact.
HOSS
Well-known member
If anybody is having problems with the feral hogs call me! There is nothing I like better then feral hog on the barbie-q spit. Well...........hunting them is a blast also.
backhoeboogie
Well-known member
flaboy+":mzghgq3o said:
Flaboy, Those hogs have chewed through cattle panels. They run into fences at full speed and if their head gets through, they'll wiggle and flail until they do. They sheer off wooden fence posts. I've seen nine of them hit it one behind the other. They are completely nuts.
This year I have trapped over 30 of them and I am about to reset my traps for the firs time since October. I don't get alot for them but I get rid of the fence wreckers right along with all the rooting holes.
Not trying to hi-jack this thread. But if cow panels get tore up by hogs, field fence doesn't have a chance.
ChiefGriz, Jump in here at any point. You've seen cow panels torn up by hogs. Only thing that will hold them are sheep panels and they climb over them because they are only 5 feet tall. (seen that too)
backhoeboogie, I don't doubt it. I am sure our hogs are smaller as are our deer. I have seen some pretty big and nasty ones though. Ours seem to test it quickly and if they are unable to get through quickly they move on. Could be our forage is better and they just head to the next restaurant.
Now, if you are talking about penning them then even some of ours could tear out of field fence.
It works for us down here.
Now, if you are talking about penning them then even some of ours could tear out of field fence.
It works for us down here.
backhoeboogie
Well-known member
If it worked here, that would save some nickels.
After I trap them I do pen them. I have eaten a few and they were good. Chiefgriz helped me load some in the trailer and we hauled them to a buyer. Biggest one we trapped was probably about 275 but he crawled out of a 5 foot tall pen built out of sheep panels welded to tube steel frames (heavy duty).
I hate to shoot anything and let it lay. Some folks do that, but I don't. Better to trap them and let someone get use of them.
If I get some pics of wrecked fence, I'll post it, you'd be amazed.
Its hard to see the cow panel splits because the rail webs spring back a little. Find the round opening then wiggle the individual steel strands adjacent to it. You'll find the hole is actually much much bigger since they broke the welds on the adjacent pieces.
nuff hi-jacking . I have to build heavy duty fence, not just to keep mine in but to keep other's out, and then the wild critters too.
After I trap them I do pen them. I have eaten a few and they were good. Chiefgriz helped me load some in the trailer and we hauled them to a buyer. Biggest one we trapped was probably about 275 but he crawled out of a 5 foot tall pen built out of sheep panels welded to tube steel frames (heavy duty).
I hate to shoot anything and let it lay. Some folks do that, but I don't. Better to trap them and let someone get use of them.
If I get some pics of wrecked fence, I'll post it, you'd be amazed.
Its hard to see the cow panel splits because the rail webs spring back a little. Find the round opening then wiggle the individual steel strands adjacent to it. You'll find the hole is actually much much bigger since they broke the welds on the adjacent pieces.
nuff hi-jacking . I have to build heavy duty fence, not just to keep mine in but to keep other's out, and then the wild critters too.
Gliderider
Well-known member
So if three strands of hotwire will hold them, then why am I getting blasted on my thread for having improper fencing when I have 5 strands of 14 gauge hotwire?
Saltydawg
Well-known member
Gliderider":ja6j0bnq said:
Won't get blasted by me /shrug.
I use three runs of barbed wire. Then i run a single hot wire about mid way between the top two barbed runs.
I like a BIG jolt on one wire....seems to work better for me than having my fencer try to keep up with multiple wires.
Most cows won't test a wire a second time if they get hit good by it.
edit: Just looked at the thread where people were "blasting" you for 5 wire electric.
I didn't realize you were talking about a fence between two bulls lol.
I don't run bulls in adjacent pastures....its simply too hard to keep them apart.
