Morgan, moving donkeys. (And chickens, which is unnecessary, by the way.)
I had my fencing man back out here this week for two days. I suspected Patriot had jumped the fence in the horse field. Turns out–no. Up on the bank above the field, the woven wire fence was down in a large section. All Patriot had to do was walk out.
It’s my deer path on this farm. Now I know.
This means, however, that the horse field is quite a bad field for a horse. When other farm animals get out, in my experience, such as goats, sheep, cows, etc, they don’t go far. They hang around. Often just outside the gate, waiting to be let back in. Even the donkeys only went a little way up the road.
But a horse? A horse will travel a mile and a half. And probably to the next county.
In the upper pasture, where Jack and Poky got out, the issue was minimal. There was a section of high tensile fence and they slipped through it. The fence was undamaged anywhere. It’s not a deer pathway. Barb wire was added to that small section of high tensile for security. The donkeys and Patriot were put back in that secured field today.
As for the horse field–only animals who won’t run off if they find themselves outside the fence can use that field. That means my milk cows, so once they come home, that will be their field. However, if the deer should decide to continue to use that as a pathway, they will find it a much more painful pathway than in the past. Four strands of barb wire now secure the fence against that bank.
I learn about this farm, and how to best use this farm, every day!
yvonnem says:
Thank goodness for the fence man..animals always seem to find a way out, one way or another. I’m glad you have found such good people to help you with your new farm.
On May 4, 2012 at 7:12 pm
KarenAnne says:
Yikes. I seem to recall reading that there’s a way to build fences that are deer proof in a normal manner – overhangs or something. I would worry that deer might attempt to leap over the barbed wire, not realizing it would cut them, and suffer bad damage.
On May 4, 2012 at 8:03 pm
holstein woman says:
Suzanne, my DH and I have found that barbed wire electrified is the best to keep animals in or out. We started years ago putting up woven wire with smooth electric fencing for our fields. Then last year we put up 5′ woven wire and 3 strands of barbed wire on our side of it to keep critters from bending the woven wire. It works great! Yeah it is expensive, however it lasts a LLLLOOOOONNNNNGGGG time.
On May 4, 2012 at 11:59 pm
tractor57 says:
Here it is a given that deer will jump just high enough to knock down the top wire (barbed or no).
On May 5, 2012 at 1:52 am