Fencing
We began on the homestead free ranging our chickens. We have since decided that this has not been the best of options for us as we have many issues. These issues include, coyotes, racoons, dogs, hawks, destruction of gardens, chickens wandering into town and fear of damage to neighbouring farmers crops. We have now installed chain link fencing over a 3/4 acre area to protect the hens. We hope to have approximately 30-50 hens in this area at any given time. The chain link is 6' and buried a few inches into the ground. An electrical scare wire installed on the outside 5" from the ground should deter ground predators. Peeled cedar fence posts installed using a hand auger make up the corner/brace posts and metal T-bars run in between. A large gate allows for tractor entry for pasture maintenance and moving the coop. Though chain link is usually an expensive option we were able to find good used fencing for free, as well as the T-bars. The gate we purchased used for $20. Cedar posts, electrical wire, and post insulators were all purchased new.Containing the goats on their pasture has been interesting. We originally installed a Permanent 5' 5 wire electrical fence using Cedar posts and T-Bars around a 2.5 acre area. A solar fencer provides the "shock" and though more expensive upfront, the cost of running power or an extension cord would have surpassed the amount of the solar fencer. Unfortunately, this did nothing to keep the goats contained. We decided to install barb wire which we found for free and installed 2 strands of it in addition to the 5 electric wires. The barb was grounded to the rods. The installation of page wire around the perimeter on the outside of the posts allows for a second row of fencing. The goats have yet to escape from this arrangement ( Knock on wood, hard!). This setup should also keep predators from entering. A large used gate (covered with chain link) allows for tractor & pedestrian access. The cost of this solar fencer, the galvanized electrical wire ( 14ga. & 17ga.), insulators, cedar posts and fencing pliers adds up, but over the lifespan of the fence is really not to bad compared to some other options. We were able to get the T-bars, gate & chain link covering it, cedar (posts) trees from our property and heavy gauge wire for the braces for free and reused the page wire that was on our property which made the project more reasonable.
T-bars were installed using a ladder and sledge hammer. Cedar posts were installed using a hand auger and elbow grease. The Cedar posts are just set in the ground and repacked with the soil ( mostly sand). For the most part the posts sit on a gravel bed about 3' down. The posts installed in the fall, which sat over winter and spring before the wires were installed are much more solid than the ones installed, and a wire quickly attached (which meant more dirt packing). Two of us did the installation of the electrical wire, the solar fencer and gate which made things easy as one could run the wire while the other attached it to posts. The barb was run a little slower and regardless of the care taken working with it, received many scratches, cuts and pokes, but nothing too serious.
T-bars were installed using a ladder and sledge hammer. Cedar posts were installed using a hand auger and elbow grease. The Cedar posts are just set in the ground and repacked with the soil ( mostly sand). For the most part the posts sit on a gravel bed about 3' down. The posts installed in the fall, which sat over winter and spring before the wires were installed are much more solid than the ones installed, and a wire quickly attached (which meant more dirt packing). Two of us did the installation of the electrical wire, the solar fencer and gate which made things easy as one could run the wire while the other attached it to posts. The barb was run a little slower and regardless of the care taken working with it, received many scratches, cuts and pokes, but nothing too serious.