Question about purchasing fencing

[KrisK]

I'm hoping to start fencing some of my field next year. I'm looking at net fencing to start. I am trying to find a supplier in Ontario or perhaps Michigan (if free trade rules apply) Any suggestions? It seems when I do an internet search I get alot of articles about fencing...but not where to buy it!

Thank you

[Maralynn]

Premier Sheep Supplies! Here is their webpage on different fences for diferrent livestock. I love their electric netting. Michigan has Tractor Supply Company. It is a farm supply store which should carry everything you need.

[KrisK]

Thank you Maralynn. I'll check the site out!

[Eileen Stein]

Kris, when you say net fencing, do you mean like electronet or something more permanent?

[kajarrel]

I'd look into Wellscroft (http://www.wellscroft.com/) - the carry Premier (fencing) products but, at least for us, the shipping is a fraction of the costs and products arrive overnight. The service is also remarkable.

 

Kim

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

You know Premier is offering free shipping on a lot of its fencing stuff for web orders? We just ordered some electronet and it got here in three days - free shipping. I would have spent the money long ago if I had known that AND if I had known how easy it was to set up versus the tension net we used nine years ago (what a disaster). Well, and we had to get the permanent fence in good enough shape to get power to it.

[KrisK]

Hi Eileen,

 

Actually, I'm looking at permanent fencing. We used to call it 'page wire' fencing but that may have been a local term. The following link is where I found information on types of fencing.

Now I just need to find where to buy it The local farmers I have talked to, don't have sheep and haven't put up new fences in years so they aren't too helpful for that information.

 

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livest...acts/02-053.htm

[juliepoudrier]

So net-wire is what I call field fence and what others call woven wire fencing. That's what we have our sheep in, with a strand of barbed wire at the top. We also use electronet, but some of the sheep (mainly the Scottish blackface) will attempt to go through it.

 

J.

[KrisK]

Julie, regarding the strand of barbed wire at the top, is that to keep the sheep in or predators out? It's possible that wolves might be an issue here but since the field I'm planning to start fencing is within close proximity of the house and outbuilding, I'm hoping that will be a good deterrent. Since we've lived here, I've only heard the wolves.

 

So net-wire is what I call field fence and what others call woven wire fencing

That's why pictures are really worth a thousand words! We could all be talking about the exact same thing and not know for sure

[Eileen Stein]

>

 

I thought so! Yeah, that's what we would call field fence or woven wire. That's what I use for our perimeter fencing (48" height, without the recommended barbed wire strand), and it's served very well for us. I have also used electronet, which is great for what it's good for, but I wouldn't use it for perimeter fencing.

 

Premier is a great outfit, and extremely informative and helpful to its customers, but the shipping costs have deterred me from ordering anything really big and heavy like field fencing from them (although that's where I got my electronet). I will have to look into this free shipping deal. I get my fencing from the local farm co-op retail store, but since it's called Southern States, I doubt it serves your region.

[kajarrel]

Premier's free shipping only applies to certain products - I just ordered a strainer and crimper/cutter, plastic feeders and lamb panels (not offered at Wellscroft) and paid shipping on each (along with other supplies that were covered). From what I saw on Premier's website, high tensile wire (woven and otherwise) is likewise not included. If this is the case, Wellscroft can save you a bundle and they're Premier's E. Coast distributor . In addition, because we get quite a bit of snow, I prefer their fixed-knot style woven wire fence over the type that Premier (at least used to) offer.

 

Kris,

The barbed wire is to keep predators out.

 

Kim

[juliepoudrier]

Presumably the barbed wire also should keep the critters on the inside from leaning on the top of the fence. One of Joy's Scottish blackface, not allowed out in the electronet with the other sheep because they won't stay in it, is somehow getting over or under the 48" with the strand of barbed at the top. There's no obvious place where she's crawling under, so it's a mystery (at least until Joy decides to sit out there and just watch till she does it--again). Hmmmm...maybe we have an open-jumper quality sheep!

 

J.

[kajarrel]

Ah, I just realized that you put the barbed wire at the TOP of your fence, Julie. Most people here put it at the BOTTOM to prevent predators from digging under the fence. I've never done this but we don't have wolves, just coyote and they've not been a problem. I do use a rope scare wire at the top of my perimeter fence since I allow my horses to occasionally graze in the same pasture.

 

Kim

[juliepoudrier]

Kim,

I'm not sure why the barbed wire was put at the top (I didn't have the fence put in--my neighbor did). We don't have a bad predator problem in this area, and I suspect that the fence guy usually does fencing for horses, so just followed whatever protocol is standard for this area for horse fencing. That's just a guess though. If I wanted to keep dogs, etc. from going under, I'd use a strand of hot wire a few inches off the ground.

 

J.

[Bill Fosher]

A single roll of fixed-knot 13-48-6 fencing weighs about 240 lbs., so it will be shipped by truck. I'm not sure what customs would be like getting fencing into Canada -- it is a steel product, so there might be some falderal. At least it's not softwood lumber, wheat, or meat.

 

I would contact the manufacturer, Baekert, and ask them for Canadian distributor and retailers.

 

The nifty thing about Solidlock is that it doesn't take nearly as many wooden posts as hinged-knot page wire. One every hundred to hundred and fifty feet will do on reasonable terrain. The rest of the posts can be steel T-posts, which are much less expensive and can be driven with hand tools.

 

The not so nifty thing is the price: $277 US per 330 foot roll.

[kajarrel]

I'd use a strand of hot wire a few inches off the ground.

Again, I don't use a bottom wire, but the nice thing about the barbed wire (it goes on the outside of the fence, btw) is that you don't have to keep the grass cut down to keep it from grounding out. If you've got a large pasture, and no hired help , this is an important consideration.

 

Kim

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

The barb is to keep cattle from leaning over the fence. My neighbor did it too. He's since gone to all HT. He feels my pain as he watches us convert 60 acres of cattle fencing (three strands of LT wire and barb) to field fence. We are topping 32" field fence with two strands of electrified HT. Julie, that's the wire that I was saying I am parking the electronet under right now - so we've got the Fort Knox of electronet setups. It will still be nice to convert it to permanent tomorrow - YAY!

[jomur]

Kristine

I live in Portland On just i hour south of ottawa.I use "woven wire" perimeter fencing on T posts and/or cedar posts at about 5 yd spacing.My suggestion is 48" high fence with 6" vertical spaced wires ,with varying spacing horizontal wires at 6 " at top and about 3" at bottom.This is a standard fence but I don't have the specs at hand now.My local feed store carries it at about $235 CDN per 330 ft.Just looked up specs ,it's "Fence -Hi -Tensile 1047-6.

I also used fencing at 12" spacing in the vertical wires and found it nt as satisfatory as sheep /lambs can get their heads through it --and get stuck.

I'm sure you have a farm supply dealer in your area.He can get you the fencing within a few days.I buy my T posts 6ft long at TSC in Watertown NY.I can get them for $3.00 US apiece.They are close to $6.00 or so in Canada.I get them when I & my wife. go to US trials for aweekend and thus no duty on them after 48 hours over($200 each duty free).From what Bill says ,fencing is about equal in cost in the USA.

There is a retail store in Carleton Place just outside of Ottawa that has a complete supply of sheep related items,its called the Wool Growers Co-op.See www.wool.ca.I ordered my Sydell sheep handling eqpt thru them and had it delivered direct to me .They are very co-operative and prices are reasonable.I get my fencing locally however.Let me know if you need any further info.

Where in N.Ontario are you?

[KrisK]

Hi Jim,

 

Thanks for the information. It's much appreciated.

I'm in Massey, about 1 hr. west of Sudbury. There are a lot of cattle/dairy farms around but almost no sheep that I've seen. I'm sure that there will be a supplier on Manitoulin Island (about an hr from here) but it really helps to know what the heck to ask for. I have friends in Ottawa and travel down to that neck of the woods a couple of times a year so I can check out the retail store in Carleton Place.

 

Bill, I like the idea of needing fewer wooden posts which will make the job less time consuming, (I hope). We don't have a very big tractor (an little 8N ford) and no auger so we'd be renting the equipment. If what I read was true, then spending the $$'s up front on the hi-tensile might save money in the long run.

 

Thanks again!

[Bill Fosher]

Yes. The HT, fixed-knot stuff is expensive up front, but it is virtually indestructible. I built some on the farm I used to rent and in the two years it was up before I moved it had had trees fall on it and a 3/4-ton pickup slide down and icy hill into it.

 

The trees caused no damage at all -- the fence just sprung back up into place when we cut the tree off. The pickup did rip a hole in the wire that had to have a section spliced in, which was a bit of a hassle. From what I understand, the truck was sliding backwards and the driver had said her prayers, believing that she would go through the fence and continue down a longish hill that ended in a wooded area, but the fence stopped her.

 

The other thing you'll want to do if you really want to do it right is have the wooden posts driven rather than digging holes. They'll be much more solid. You'll need to build H-braces at the corners, ends, and gates. But if you do it right the first time, you should have a fence that will last as long as you want to keep using it -- 40 years plus.