Post by bluebar23 on Jul 22, 2017 12:30:14 GMT -5
DH and I just bought an old farmhouse on 5.5 acres, and I'm itching to buy my first dairy cow (see longer introduction in Welcome section ). I'm planning to get a cow/calf pair. There's a 20x26 shed that will make a perfect mini dairy barn, and its conveniently placed so that I can fence about a 120x200 sq ft area, giving them about .55 acre pasture, just to get us started. Basically, as soon as the fence is up I can bring a cow home, so I'm anxious to get this done I thought maybe if some of you could answer some of my questions it might save me some confusion/headache. I'm putting up just enough to get us started, but I've lots more fencing in the days ahead, so that the rest of the pasture acreage is usable!
I think I want to use 4-ft woven/field fence with a strand of barbed wire along the top (going taller in case we add goats someday to help with grazing). I understand a lot of people like electric fence, but with a toddler running around (and hopefully more to come) that makes me more nervous than one strand of barbed wire that's well out of reach.
I am planning to use t-posts with treated wood posts for corner bracing. This is where most of my questions come in. Although I only need a few, of course wooden posts cost a lot more than t-posts; has anyone used these Wedge-Loc (or similar) bracing hardware systems for t-post corner bracing? Wondering how well they work, and whether they require larger/longer t-posts for the braces than in the rest of the fence.
If I go with wooden posts, what size would I want for this style of fencing? Is an 8-ft long 6-inch post big enough? Do you recommend setting with concrete, or no?
Also, how do you space out your t-posts? I'm seeing all kinds of suggestions online, 10 ft, 16 ft, 20 ft, etc. And what height of t-post should I buy? (I'm not sure how well they'll drive into the ground here... but no reason to think it will be particularly difficult.)
Finally, gate suggestions?? DH is a carpenter, so I thought maybe he could just build me something out of wood... but does that mean I need an H-brace on either side of the opening?
I think I want to use 4-ft woven/field fence with a strand of barbed wire along the top (going taller in case we add goats someday to help with grazing). I understand a lot of people like electric fence, but with a toddler running around (and hopefully more to come) that makes me more nervous than one strand of barbed wire that's well out of reach.
I am planning to use t-posts with treated wood posts for corner bracing. This is where most of my questions come in. Although I only need a few, of course wooden posts cost a lot more than t-posts; has anyone used these Wedge-Loc (or similar) bracing hardware systems for t-post corner bracing? Wondering how well they work, and whether they require larger/longer t-posts for the braces than in the rest of the fence.
If I go with wooden posts, what size would I want for this style of fencing? Is an 8-ft long 6-inch post big enough? Do you recommend setting with concrete, or no?
Also, how do you space out your t-posts? I'm seeing all kinds of suggestions online, 10 ft, 16 ft, 20 ft, etc. And what height of t-post should I buy? (I'm not sure how well they'll drive into the ground here... but no reason to think it will be particularly difficult.)
Finally, gate suggestions?? DH is a carpenter, so I thought maybe he could just build me something out of wood... but does that mean I need an H-brace on either side of the opening?