fencing

Tomjim

for sheep wire how many metres should be between each stake

farawaygrass

4 yards here

Dinzee Conlee

5 paces here, which would be about 5 yards...

buffalobilly

a little over 3 here

Tomjim

the fence is going against a ditch would that make any difference ie could the gap be greater

wrangler

Tomjim wrote: »

the fence is going against a ditch would that make any difference ie could the gap be greater

I thought the same and put them at six mtrs, the ewes are now climbing the wire to graze the ditches and it's not enough to hold up the wire, it looks a hoor now between the stakes..... you'd probably get away with more than four mtrs better out in the field than against the ditch, I have to go with one in between now so I'll have them at 3mtrs , costs more now

Penny wise and pound foolish, eh

Tomjim

What are best stakes to use and the cost of the stake

wrangler

Tomjim wrote: »

What are best stakes to use and the cost of the stake

I use these last time, €740 inc vat for 95 5'6 stakes, don't now if they last 40 yrs but they seem a good stake very dense.
https://www.donedeal.ie/fencingequipment-for-sale/new-creosote-stakes-for-40-50-yrs/15252860

when money wasn't as plentiful I used Balcas, some are here 20 years plus, three years ago they were €4+vat.
I put up PDM stakes HERE in 2012 and I'm not that happy with them now, might be something to do with the changes in regulations on creosote now.
Apart from balcas, I found white stakes not worth putting up

Tomjim

What about clippex

RobinBanks

Hello all. Been trying to get someone to do a bit of fencing for me. Sheep wire. Impossible to get someone so I’m going to have to find the time myself.

I reclaimed a field and put in deep drain along 3 sides of the field. The other side is parallel to the road. Field seeded and I bought lambs last week. The feckers are spending a bit too much time below in the drain for my liking and I’m worried they will start to visit the neighboring fields.

The fence line along the drain will be straight. A long narrow field. My question is how often should I sink a strainer for tightening the sheep wire? If a roll of sheep wire is 50m should I sink a post every 49ish meters or can I space them out further and join the rolls together between the strainers? The field is around 300m in length.

wrangler

RobinBanks wrote: »

Hello all. Been trying to get someone to do a bit of fencing for me. Sheep wire. Impossible to get someone so I’m going to have to find the time myself.

I reclaimed a field and put in deep drain along 3 sides of the field. The other side is parallel to the road. Field seeded and I bought lambs last week. The feckers are spending a bit too much time below in the drain for my liking and I’m worried they will start to visit the neighboring fields.

The fence line along the drain will be straight. A long narrow field. My question is how often should I sink a strainer for tightening the sheep wire? If a roll of sheep wire is 50m should I sink a post every 49ish meters or can I space them out further and join the rolls together between the strainers? The field is around 300m in length.

Those 50m rolls are probably mild steel and nearly impossible to tighten and keep tight, no professional fencer uses that wire, the stuff to use is the high tensile steel sheep wire for permanant sheep fencing and it comes in 100 m rolls, If you do a good job on the strainer you can pull 2 roll 200m.
Those 50m rolls are cheaper but they'll be loose in a couple weeks and the grass will pull the fence down in no time.
I've a 400m high tensile fence that I put up in two pulls with the tractor and it's as tight now as when I put it up 20 years ago

RobinBanks

wrangler wrote: »

Those 50m rolls are probably mild steel and nearly impossible to tighten and keep tight, no professional fencer uses that wire, the stuff to use is the high tensile steel sheep wire for permanant sheep fencing and it comes in 100 m rolls, If you do a good job on the strainer you can pull 2 roll 200m.
Those 50m rolls are cheaper but they'll be loose in a couple weeks and the grass will pull the fence down in no time.
I've a 400m high tensile fence that I put up in two pulls with the tractor and it's as tight now as when I put it up 20 years ago

Thanks for reply! Do you you joined the 100m rolls together then pulled both to the strainer?

I will def but the high tensile wire cheers

wrangler

RobinBanks wrote: »

Thanks for reply! Do you you joined the 100m rolls together then pulled both to the strainer?

I will def but the high tensile wire cheers

Yea,, Joiners or gripples come with the wire usually but i think you can buy them separate either but I'd always twist the wire at the joiner as well for extra strength I've found they com apart some times, You need to do a great job at the strainers, get them down firm and prop them. I use a clamp on the wire and pull it with the tractor.

RobinBanks

wrangler wrote: »

Yea,, Joiners or gripples come with the wire usually but i think you can buy them separate either but I'd always twist the wire at the joiner as well for extra strength I've found they com apart some times, You need to do a great job at the strainers, get them down firm and prop them. I use a clamp on the wire and pull it with the tractor.

Sounds like a plan. Have digger man lined up to drive stakes and strainers. I will bury a stake behind strainer to use as a tie back and I have a clamp made up to pull the sheep wire evenly. Had planned on using block and tackle but tractor sounds like better job

razor8

Have to do some grant fencing and I’m told the x knot sheep wire is the only job

Have used high tensile for many years and never an issue. The x knot is €15 per 100m dearer

Anyone use it?

Green farmer

+1 on the sheep wire, get the high tensile 100m rolls. A few years ago I got the green 50m British made wire in Dairygold. It’s a very soft wire, that completely falls apart under pressure from sheep. The sheep can get their heads stuck in it and end up pulling the tags out of their ears. They also break the wire as it’s very weak and leave huge holes from bits breaking off even when properly stained. I’ve changed to the proper wire elsewhere now, and it’s a million times better product.

sandman30

razor8 wrote: »

Have to do some grant fencing and I’m told the x knot sheep wire is the only job

Have used high tensile for many years and never an issue. The x knot is €15 per 100m dearer

Anyone use it?

Never used the X fence, but heard complaints that the wire occasionally snapped where the horizontal and vertical meet, after the vertical was stripped off and tying the wire off on the strainer.

Cattlepen

RobinBanks wrote: »

wrangler wrote: »

Yea,, Joiners or gripples come with the wire usually but i think you can buy them separate either but I'd always twist the wire at the joiner as well for extra strength I've found they com apart some times, You need to do a great job at the strainers, get them down firm and prop them. I use a clamp on the wire and pull it with the tractor.

Sounds like a plan. Have digger man lined up to drive stakes and strainers. I will bury a stake behind strainer to use as a tie back and I have a clamp made up to pull the sheep wire evenly. Had planned on using block and tackle but tractor sounds like better job

Get the digger man to strain the wire with the clamp attached to digger . More subtle and controlled when straining than the tractor.

Siamsa Sessions

I might get shot for saying it but I used 2-foot sheep wire here and put two strands of electric wire above it. Total height is around 1m.

The reasoning was that it's cheaper and easier to pull tight.

Re distance between stakes: I'd be inclined to leave no more than 3.5m (3 of my short leg steps!). You'll only use an extra few stakes overall and tis a better job.

White Clover

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

I might get shot for saying it but I used 2-foot sheep wire here and put two strands of electric wire above it. Total height is around 1m.

The reasoning was that it's cheaper and easier to pull tight.

Re distance between stakes: I'd be inclined to leave no more than 3.5m (3 of my short leg steps!). You'll only use an extra few stakes overall and tis a better job.

Did you use high tensile or mild steel wire?
Nothing wrong with total height of the fence anyway.

Siamsa Sessions

White Clover wrote: »

Did you use high tensile or mild steel wire?
Nothing wrong with total height of the fence anyway.

Fairly sure it’s high tensile but now that you ask I’m not 100% sure. Will check it tomorrow morning

Cattlepen

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

White Clover wrote: »

Did you use high tensile or mild steel wire?
Nothing wrong with total height of the fence anyway.

Fairly sure it’s high tensile but now that you ask I’m not 100% sure. Will check it tomorrow morning

When you find out would you mind mentioning the brand. I didn’t think 2ft high tensile was available. Would love to know if it is

Siamsa Sessions

Cattlepen wrote: »

When you find out would you mind mentioning the brand. I didn’t think 2ft high tensile was available. Would love to know if it is

My mistake - the 2-foot wire is mild steel not high tensile.

A little bit concerned now given the comments on here re mild steel but sure we’ll see how it goes

wrangler

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

My mistake - the 2-foot wire is mild steel not high tensile.

A little bit concerned now given the comments on here re mild steel but sure we’ll see how it goes

Don't put it up, is it in 50 mtr rolls

Oops just read that you have it up