I used 2 3/8 oil pipe (not drill stem, it's heavier) to build my corral. With the leftovers I made H braces and corner braces for field fence. I concrete those in place. With good corners and braces in the right places (water gaps, etc.) you don't have to mess with barbed wire as often as you think. Works here, anyway.
Oil Pipe Fencing
- Thread starter GotMyHandsFull
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ohiosteve
Well-known member
I think using oilfield pipe for high pressure areas is a great idea. I've been working on plans for my working pens for a few years now. I plan on using 4.5" casing pipe for my posts and 1.5" and 2" tubing for my rails. Possibly some 2 3/8" upset tubing. The last time I used drill stem to build something we used it to cross a 12'x12' pit for a grain leg that fully loaded semi's drive across. If you need something SUPER DUPER heavy you can use drill collar. That is the first several joints of drill stem that needs to be extra heavy at the start of the drilling process. These work really well for push bumpers on semi's and hard-use trailers.
I like the idea of building a perimeter fence out of oilfield pipe but I don't think it is economically feasible right now.
I like the idea of building a perimeter fence out of oilfield pipe but I don't think it is economically feasible right now.
jedstivers
Well-known member
If you can build a perimeter fence out of it you have made your money in something beside cattle.
greybeard
Well-known member
If I remember correctly, a 6" drill collar with a 3 1/2" opening weighs somewhere around 80lbs per foot, so yeah, it's heavy--in more ways than one.ohiosteve":288tamki said:
backhoeboogie
Well-known member
You're exactly right on the 7018 GB. I use it in practically everything. When I have to use 6010 or 6011, I overlay that with 7018.
The corrals in the place I bought had the sucker rods attached with 6010 or 6011. No penetration. Welds have just about all broken thru the years. I spent a whole day overlaying welds. No problem since. Thankfully the base pipe was heavy. Turned up the heat and burned it in.
The corrals in the place I bought had the sucker rods attached with 6010 or 6011. No penetration. Welds have just about all broken thru the years. I spent a whole day overlaying welds. No problem since. Thankfully the base pipe was heavy. Turned up the heat and burned it in.
Supa Dexta
Well-known member
GotMyHandsFull":tlhtm95h said:
Ok, Was just making sure. Where are you located that you require so much pasture? Don't you just have the 45 cows?
John SD
Well-known member
TexasBred":3206mnkq said:
TB, not sure if you're serious or not, but IMO 10 acre tracts would be doable if someone really , really wanted to
I will say up front I personally would not want to deal with 10 acre tracts of pasture :yuck: I have no experience with intensive grazing, but if subdivision into 10 acre tracts is desired, go with electric division fence and move as necessary.
I'm assuming square sections, but not square tracts. Instead, make the tracts pie shaped, served by one single water tank in the middle :idea: :idea: :idea:
I have one section of contiguous pasture, but it is not square. 480 acres consisting of 3 quarters of one section (missing the NE 1/4) Has one 12' tire tank in the middle, and a dam and dugout in it.
Adjacent to the NW 1/4 iof this pasture is 160 acres made up of 4 - 40 acre parcels, making the pasture 1/4 mile wide and 1 mile long.
I have a well with submersible pump at the far west end with no pressure system. If I put a foot valve on the pump and added a pressure tank, I could pipe water a 1/4 mile into the big pasture for better water distribution. As is, I can open the gate and let cattle in to water on from the bigger pasture now.
I have a water tank from my pipeline 3/4 mile east of the well in the 1/4x1 quarter. No surface water in this pasture, but the tank placements work quite well. Cattle are never more than 1/4 mile from water. Got to keep a close eye on the pumps/electricity so must be checked everyday.
John SD
Well-known member
Supa Dexta":1gr8qcre said:
1280 acres divided by 45 cows is 28 acres per cow. Sounds reasonable to me for year round keep. I usually use 30 acres per cow for a round number "here".
I take in 60 pairs each year for summer pasture on 840 acres of pasture from June-Dec grazing season. That figures out to 14 acres/ AU.
The cows stay until end of December as weather allows. 2 bulls leave Aug 1. Calves leave by Nov 1.
GotMyHandsFull
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Supa Dexta":2ellvxd7 said:
You're correct. When I inherited the ranch l last summer, my uncle had only 45 cows. About 3/4ths of the place was leased to other ranchers. Fortunately, those leases expired Jan. 1, and one of the first things I did last summer was notify the leaseholders that the leases would not be renewed. The leases called for 120 days notice. Since Jan. 1, I've bought 25 cow/calf pairs, 18 heavy-bred cows and 55 Holstein steers weighing about 200 pounds each.
John SD
Well-known member
GotMyHandsFull":3hmpko4y said:
OK, that changes the scenario a bit :nod: So is it accurate to say this 1280 acres could potentially support 180 cows in your area? (7 acres/AU)
200 lb Holstein steers
:shock: You sir, are a brute for punishment My next question would be, is this year round, or do you need to cut the numbers somewhat, in order to provide acres that produce hay when grazing is not feasable/possible?
Of course you could buy hay and/or other feed to supplement your needs. Which to start with might provide for your needs better, at least initially, than buying equipment and doing the work yourself.
I have no cattle myself anymore, but I've always enjoyed making hay. It's also one of the things about the cattle business that I can still do myself. Putting up hay gives me a purpose, but it is more of a hobby now instead of a need.
Used to put up at least 400 acres of hay per year. Now I'm down to 200 with help on a share basis with equipment I already own. I sold my share of the hay to a couple neighbors.
Your situation may be quite different if you are starting from scratch with no equipment, or are unable to do the work yourself. If you embark on harvesting hay, finding someone to harvest the hay on a share basis might be the way to start.
Share hay "here" used to be done on a 50/50 basis. With the cost of fuel/equipment, nowdays 60/40 with the lesser portion to the landowner is more common. HTH.
DaveM
Well-known member
I agree with Brute 23 to some extent. Just because it's made of steel doesn't necessarily mean it will last longer than barbed wire. However, with oil prices where they are the value of used tubing will be just a little over scrap price in the near future. You should be able to pick up this type of 2" tubing for around $.50/foot this summer. If you can make sure the pipe came out of wells in which there was no hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas present, it will last a long time. I think the biggest cost will be the labor to have it welded together, unless you have the time and skills to weld it yourself. I do like the look of a pipe fence!
That's the problem. There is about to be a flood of pipe on the market with these oil booms going on. The Eagle Ford and all these big producing zones have H2S, C02, salt, ect.
The pipe you want is from these little shallow wells that produce darn near fresh water. ;-)
The pipe you want is from these little shallow wells that produce darn near fresh water. ;-)
Black and Good
Well-known member
All I use it for is t build corrals, such as the one pictured. I prefer to use the 2 7/8" drill stem for the post. And 3/4" or 7/8" sucker rod as opposed to 1 1/8" oil pipe. B&G
