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The Fence Post

Goat Fencing

September 30, 2019 | by Joe Morrell


goat next to fence on sunny day

Stubborn--yes, but also strong and smart

Barnyard or backyard, goats may be a source of comic relief or the creators of mayhem. So much depends on the enclosure you provide for your herd. Goats interact with fencing and will test its limits. Your herd of goats will find a fence's vulnerability and capitalize on it for their own exploring and ravenous ends. 

To begin with, a 4 foot high tensile woven wire fence with 4" x 4" openings is the rule. Goats are strong and smart and your fence has to be as well. Tough and flexible woven 12.5 gauge wire with strong stiff stay knots is imperative. This combination of factors will stand up to the roughhousing that goats bring to the party.

About those terms--

  • Woven Wire--A woven wire fence's linked yet loose structure allows for a large amount of bend, twist, and pull without breaking--a perfect design if you have livestock to contain
  • Woven Wire--also makes for secure mesh, strong enough to hold together well when impacted by a demanding goat; plus, it adapts to variable terrain                                                                                        
  • 12.5 Gauge--a thickness of wire with a minimum of 1,350 pounds breaking strength, plenty strong for your goats                                                                                                                                           
  • High Tensile--means higher carbon steel wire, roughly twice the strength of low carbon wire yet lighter due to the higher grade of steel, the payoff being easier handling. Safer than barbed wire for your goats and can be electrified 
  • Standard Class 3 galvanizing--protects the wire and extends its life; with proper maintenance, it can last up to 40 years    
  • 4" x 4" Openings--goats can't get their heads and horns through, avoiding injury; it's smooth wire--again, reducing injuries                                                                                        
  • S knot--(also known as Square Deal) this knot is used insquare deal fence knot making non-climb 4" x 4" mesh sheep and goat fence; the S knot prevents the fence from buckling or sagging; it also provides extra vertical strength and rigidity while at the same time allowing flexibility; these knots add to the fence's adaptability to hilly terrain; one-piece vertical stay wires, attached to line wires--with a crimp, prevent slippage

sheep and goat fence drawing: S knot

Don't Underestimate Your Goat

Add an extra strand of electric fence wire at the top of the fence to ensure safety, especially for more ambitious goats. Yet, no matter what system is in place when keeping goats: vigilance is required. Be assured, a break or defect in a fence and your goats will take advantage of it--down the street before you know it. Hello, neighbors. Straying goats will munch a rose bush over a clump of grass.

When goats are limited to a grassy enclosure, the incidence of worms and parasites goes up. They are known as browsers in their style of feeding--leafy fodder above the ground is of particular interest and they will use a fence to find ways to get at bushy shrubs and the lower growth of trees--or happily climb trees. If you've got a goat that makes a practice of finding new and creative ways of escaping, it may be time to enhance your enclosure for Ms. or Mr. Gruff, upgrading your existing fence. A rebellious goat will readily tutor other goats in your herd with its pillaging tactics.

The Ingenuity of a Goat!  Wait for it...

 

Check with the Town

If you're desiring a backyard goat, remember that cities and towns may have size and number limits of your herd. And consider your neighbors as they can be noisy as well as hungry. You must have space--you cannot "share" your yard with a goat: your yard won't exist after a goat has its way with it. As omnivorous as they seem, they will not eat what they've peed on so their fodder must be kept off the ground in a raised feeder. 

a black and a white goat in gated entry

Spring Shedding

Seems to be that shedding is going to be one of the stressors on your fence. Shedding? Yes, this is why a woven wire fence comes in handy; it flexes with the strains of a goat, using it to rub off its warm winter undercoat that comes off each spring. You might give your goats a good brushing to help the process along and prevent some wear and tear on your fence. 

Consider Predators

Your goat may be wily, but it is also vulnerable to attack. “Coyotes are very good at killing sheep and goats. They will eat anything from newborns to adult animals. They are a threat year-round,” says Reid Redden, Texas A&M extension sheep and goats expert. Other trouble makers are:

  • dogs
  • bobcats
  • eagles
  • vultures
  • mountain lions

He confirms there are various trapping methods--but for success, there's nothing like a good fence.

A Few Facts:

  • First and foremost--goats are social animals and being isolated is stressful for them
  • They walk immediately after being born and are weaned around 3 months
  • Birth occurs in spring, after 5-6 months gestation, producing 1 or 2 kids
  • A male goat is known as a billy or a buck; if castrated, they are called wethers
  • Females are does or nannies; they are generally ready to breed once they have reached 80 lbs.
  • The lifespan of a domesticated goat is generally 12-18 years, varying with the breed

Goat Fence

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Topics: goat, woven wire, high tensile wire, 12.5 gauge

Alligator Easily Scales Fence

September 5, 2019 | by Joe Morrell

Chain-link Fence Flop

When thinking about alligators in the U.S. one imagines first and foremost Florida, then perhaps Georgia and Louisiana. However, their presence goes much further than that--add Alabama, Mississippi, South and North Carolina, the eastern part of Texas, southeastern Oklahoma, and the bottom tip of Arkansas. 

Here is a stunner. There is a plethora of safety guidelines available online for avoiding these threats to life and limb.

 

Staying Safe

The estimated number of alligators in just Florida is 1.25 million. By the late 80s, the American alligator was considered endangered. It has quickly recovered its population since being protected. As humans encroach upon the habitat of alligators, the incidences of interacting with these significant reptiles have increased dramatically. 

In any case, the alligator safety basics are:

  • Do not attempt to deal with alligator yourself
  • Call your local animal control or 911
  • Do not approach an alligator
  • Do not feed an alligator
  • Avoid sudden movements

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gray alligator at daytime

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Topics: wire mesh, fencing materials, woven wire, welded wire

Wire Mesh Art by Cédric Le Borgne

August 29, 2019 | by Joe Morrell

Haunting Cityscape with Lighted Chicken Wire 

Cédric Le Borgne is an innovative artist from Toulouse, France and this display shows how he has taken ordinary chicken wire and made something extraordinary out of it. Here is a short video of one of his exhibitions by night:

 

To see some other innovators using chicken wire, check out this blog.

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Topics: hardware cloth, wire mesh

Gabions...More Design Ideas

August 20, 2019 | by Joe Morrell

Are you ready to change the landscape? 

 

Custom and Standard Orders

Welded from heavy 11 gauge wire, typical gabion mesh has 3" x 3" openings, with Galvanized After Weld mesh as the standard--protecting against rust while offering long life. In coastal or saline environments, a tough coating of PVC is recommended to offset corrosion and this, together with the galvanization, offers double protection. Also available: panels for assembling gabion baskets, with a standard set of dimensions being 3' x 3' x 6' or a larger set can be ordered in lengths of 9' and 12'.

It's very possible that your project may require a different set of specifications--gabion mesh can be customized and special ordered. Here is another video with some very striking designs:

 

Design Possibilities

At Louis Page, we love the ingenuity applied to the design of gabions and the endless variety of uses for them, whether it's for walls, casual seating, embankments, or planters, the list goes on. The sturdiness and style make these small or great feats of engineering an enhancement to whatever surroundings they inhabit. 

Look at this planter one of our clients created:

gabion planter

Gabions are also useful for:

  • erosion control
  • bank stabilization
  • channel linings
  • weirs 

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gabion drawing filled with rocks

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Topics: vinyl coated wire, gabion, galvanized after, GAW, wire gauges

Fencing Your Dog: Some Recommendations

August 9, 2019 | by Joe Morrell

Safe Pups and Their People

There is no use in putting off the repair or construction of a fence if you're a dog owner. Most obviously, keeping your dog safely away from the street is paramount. A fenced-in yard allows a dog to run, jump, and play, offering life-enhancing exercise. A fence allows a dog to safely do what a dog must do: employ their senses--smelling, chasing rodents, and guarding the house from passersby (without incident), to name just a few. This activity is an essential aspect of a dog's life and health, and a fence offers a measure of freedom, for you and your dog. A well-surrounded backyard doesn't preclude the need for the joy of fido's joys--being walked--that roam around the neighborhood to broadcast his essential message: I'm here and it matters. 

Which Type of Fence?

  • Chain-link or large openings

Efficient for some things, but sadly often dangerously climbable--a medium or large size dog can easily gain a foothold and get over a fence. Chain-link also won't win you any points with neighbors aesthetics-wise either. If your dog is a climber (see the video below), gaining a foothold is possible with other styles of fence, too--call Louis Page for advice on the right-sized openings.

  • Electric

An invisible fence might solve the boundary and aesthetic issues, but for a dog, the shock can be received as a punishment, when delivered it can be misconstrued with whatever the dog is perceiving at the time of the shock so fears can result. And it can in some cases be breached if the incentive is great enough. 

  •  Apron

A great option for medium and some large dogs, especially if your dog is a digger. This line wire, running the length of the roll, acts as a guide for bending or folding the bottom 12 inches of the roll to create an apron. When folded at a 90-degree angle, this part of the fence lays on the ground. Grass or vegetation will grow up through the apron, securing the hexagonal mesh to the ground. This eliminates the need for the digging of a trench and burying wire in the ground--nice chores to avoid. When your dog comes up to the edge of the vertical fence and starts digging, the wire mesh stops them. To keep your dog within the enclosed area, place the apron to the inside and the apron will prevent digging under the fence. 

Very helpfully, your fence...

  • lessens the number of times a day a dog must be walked
  • is a good substitute for a trip to the dog park (particularly if your dog is aggressive with other dogs)

Please also remember: even your dog can be unpredictable and this fence quite crucially:

  • Protects others
  • Guards against injury, awkward mishaps, and unfortunate encounters
  • Keeps you from liability issues
  • Wards off intruders, accompanied by your dog's bark, of course
     

tan and white dog behind fence

Height is important--if you have a big dog, a 4-foot fence will not suffice. Anywhere from 5 to 7 feet is required depending on the size and agility of your breed. For smaller breeds, four feet should do the trick unless you have a dog who is Captain Marvel and should be wearing a cape.

  • Walk around the yard and make sure there's nothing that would give a leg up and help a dog escape, like stacks of debris or wood

Adapting Your Existing Fence

Here's a solution from Down Under:

 

Ground/Sod Staples

ground staple

If you've got a digger, add some heavy 8 gauge wire staples (also known as U pins) to an existing mesh fence. They're 8 inches long with 1" spacing between prongs. Ground staples are a cinch to drive into the soil and are long enough to secure the fence. Use these handy stakes to firmly keep the bottom of the fence flat to the ground. Good to use when you want to keep your pup or other animals from getting under a fence.

A Secure Backyard

2018dogbehindgate

And once behind the fence, alleviating boredom with your presence is the greatest reward for a dog who desires your companionship and leadership. Activities behind the fence may include training exercises or teaching tricks, throwing a ball or playing Frisbee, using toys, (and then swapping out the toys to maintain interest) with breaks from being fenced in. Hiding a favorite treat or toy to discover in the backyard can give an opportunity for distraction. If a grooming session is something that your dog enjoys, do it in the yard so positive associations are made.

 Remember that herding or sporting breeds need more distraction

Call Louis Page and talk with us about your dog and the particulars of your property and we will advise you as to the best style and grade of fence for your situation. We'll help take the guesswork out of creating the right enclosure for your four-legged best friend.

And finally, depending on your dog's agility (and desperation) there are some common but questionable choices out there:

 

Dog looking over fence

Wire Mesh and Fence for Dogs

 

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Topics: apron fence, wire fence and mesh for dogs

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