How Far Apart Do You Place Your Fencing Stakes?

mikefoxo

We'll be doing a bit of permenant (sheep and thorny wire) and temporary electric fencing soon enough and I just wondered how many poles/stakes we'd need and what kind of distance between each does the best job while making them go as far as possible:cool:

restive

Three large steps, what my father used to call yards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:rolleyes:

Conor556

5 foot x 3 inch timber stakes for the sheep and thorny wire and plastic posts for the electric fence

20silkcut

11 big steps apart for me

td5man

mikefoxo wrote: »

We'll be doing a bit of permenant (sheep and thorny wire) and temporary electric fencing soon enough and I just wondered how many poles/stakes we'd need and what kind of distance between each does the best job while making them go as far as possible:cool:

3-4m for sheep+barb wire 6' posts
15m for electric depending on ground 5' posts

AntrimGlens

restive wrote: »

Three large steps, what my father used to call yards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:rolleyes:

+1

paddysdream

5 yards apart for sheep wire.Use 5ft. stakes for sheepwire plus one strand of plain or barbed or 6ft. stakes for two strands over sheepwire. 8ft. straining posts on ends and bends.Use only ht 32 inch sheepwire(anything in medium steel will sag something terrible over time and is hard to tension correctly)Usually run one strand of ht below sheepwire ie keep sheepwire off ground and use plain to fill gap. Keep barbed or electric plain about 4 inches over top of sheepwire and same again if using two strands. Top strand should be about an inch under top of stake(so measuring down from top of stake thats 1inch plus 4 (or 8 if two strands) plus 32inches plus about 3 or so (depending on ground)
Simply to make a sheep wire pullers you just need piece of heavy angle iron about 40 or so inches.Weld a ring to it half way down Simply drill holes in angle to match strands of sheepwire ,run cut ends of same thru the bar, fit your 8 gripples , wrap and nail on other end of sheepwire to strainer at one end ,roll out wire (join extra rolls with gripples) connect to tractor with chain and PULL(maybe not best explaination of method but its quare simple!!!!)
As regards electric; stakes 10 to 15 meters apart depending on no. of strands
As above ht wire is the only one to use
At this stage would refuse to use medium steel wire if farmer tries to get me to erect it(medium barbed is prob. not as bad as sheep or plain to use )
Use good insulators and underground cable on elec. fence.Stakes and strainers as per sheep or barbed ie 5 foots and 8 foot strainers
Sparing stakes is stupid as they are a minor part of the cost of fencing (ie on a 500 metre straight run of sheep fencing keeping them 8 yards instead of 5 saves approx 35 or so stakes ie 150 euro and makes a verrry crappy fence whilst still using approx 650 euros of wire
After all that I also usually keep them a little closer (4 yards or so)when its a bounds fence with no hedgerow anywhere ie a completly standalone fence

bob charles

for electric fence as far apart as possible. less posts mean cheaper job and less maintenance. usually got at least 25m apart and squeeze the proverbial out of the wire

nashmach

bob charles wrote: »

for electric fence as far apart as possible. less posts mean cheaper job and less maintenance. usually got at least 25m apart and squeeze the proverbial out of the wire

Wouldn't go as wide as Bob but the middle stakes don't do much - don't skimp on the strainers.

paddysdream

bob charles wrote: »

for electric fence as far apart as possible. less posts mean cheaper job and less maintenance. usually got at least 25m apart and squeeze the proverbial out of the wire
As I said earlier skimping on stakes is not cost effective as the main cost of fencing is the wire and labour
After 20 or so years at it I can tell you that spacing out stakes too far just means a much poorer fence whilst not saving a lot
People then just find themselves putting in intermediate posts here and there to "just strenghten the fence where them auld bullocks do be scratching "
With an electric fence as with any wire fence good tension on the wire is very important
Strainers and props should not be skimped on
Use props on all end strainers if putting two strands over sheepwire otherwise you will either pull them over or fence will loosen over time
You will know how tight sheep wire should be when it doesnt sag from strainer to puller
I use 125hp 4wd drive to pull sheep wire where possible and that will put a good strain on it
Have seen countless crappy jobs over the years and many times farmers end up just pulling down and replacing
Finally think of the job satisfaction of going out to a field and looking at that lovely straight level fence instead of an up and down sagging mess!!!!!!!!!
That said farmers aint spending a lot on it this weather and couldnt blame them ;last job I done cost over 5k to fence a field of about 5 or 6 acres all around with 6ft stakes and sheepwire plus 2 barbed, and that didnt have an excessive amount of bends requiring strainers(he fell in for field plus mon. so cost wasnt an issue thank god

20silkcut

5k to fence a field OMG!!!!!


Sorry for the dramatic text just genuinely surprised.

Is straining fence wire with a 125 hp tractor a tad excessive?

paddysdream

20silkcut wrote: »

5k to fence a field OMG!!!!!


Sorry for the dramatic text just genuinely surprised.

Is straining fence wire with a 125 hp tractor a tad excessive?

No,not really for sheepwire as you need to pull it fairly tight and if you have 3 or 4 hundred metres joined together then it takes a fair pull to tension it
There is no other way really unless you use a pullers to pull from both ends to the middle and then pull the piece between the bars with a grippple pullers
Works ok but not as good and takes a while longer to set up
Usually only use those when you cant pull past the strainer with a tractor ie fencing into a corner from another corner
You will find that the slack on even a long fence is only about a couple of meters.Check that the wire isnt sticking on any stakes ,slight bends etc when its getting tight then pull another bit till its tight enough
Wire should be tight enough to play a tune on
As regards the price for 5 or 6 acres totally fenced ,well 1000 metres of ht sheep wire would be approx. 1200 plus vat , 10 rolls ht barbed about 300 ,few rolls of plain maybe 150 then staples(barbed ones are the only job) plus stakes prob. 200 at 4 euro(including props) and 8 ft. strainers (could use anything from 10 on a dead straight run to 40 if you have a lot of bends!!) at maybe 15 euro
What are we up to now on materials alone?prob.1700 for wire and staples plus maybe 1300 for stakes and strainers ie 3k
Now two men for a couple of days ,tractor ,diesel for jeep , etc plus a few bob for profit(the whole idea of the job!!) and you can see it all adds up
Look at the tams scheme pricing with the dept. and i think from memory they allow about 6 euro a meter for sheep fencing and that is about as competive a price you will get and have it done corrrectly .Priced a few jobs for it but never done one and from talking to others they seem to tell the same story ie lots of pricing but noone doing it

20silkcut

paddysdream wrote: »

20silkcut wrote: »

5k to fence a field OMG!!!!!


Sorry for the dramatic text just genuinely surprised.

Is straining fence wire with a 125 hp tractor a tad excessive?

No,not really for sheepwire as you need to pull it fairly tight and if you have 3 or 4 hundred metres joined together then it takes a fair pull to tension it
There is no other way really unless you use a pullers to pull from both ends to the middle and then pull the piece between the bars with a grippple pullers
Works ok but not as good and takes a while longer to set up
Usually only use those when you cant pull past the strainer with a tractor ie fencing into a corner from another corner
You will find that the slack on even a long fence is only about a couple of meters.Check that the wire isnt sticking on any stakes ,slight bends etc when its getting tight then pull another bit till its tight enough
Wire should be tight enough to play a tune on
As regards the price for 5 or 6 acres totally fenced ,well 1000 metres of ht sheep wire would be approx. 1200 plus vat , 10 rolls ht barbed about 300 ,few rolls of plain maybe 150 then staples(barbed ones are the only job) plus stakes prob. 200 at 4 euro(including props) and 8 ft. strainers (could use anything from 10 on a dead straight run to 40 if you have a lot of bends!!) at maybe 15 euro
What are we up to now on materials alone?prob.1700 for wire and staples plus maybe 1300 for stakes and strainers ie 3k
Now two men for a couple of days ,tractor ,diesel for jeep , etc plus a few bob for profit(the whole idea of the job!!) and you can see it all adds up
Look at the tams scheme pricing with the dept. and i think from memory they allow about 6 euro a meter for sheep fencing and that is about as competive a price you will get and have it done corrrectly .Priced a few jobs for it but never done one and from talking to others they seem to tell the same story ie lots of pricing but noone doing it

that's a fairly comprehensive answer my god.
I had sheep once and spent a fortune on fencing but done the labour myself. I too used the tractor for putting the strain on but the father ate me for it. He believed in vice grips and twisting iron bars he said it was totally wrong to use a tractor on something like that. Now I feel a bit vindicated as you sound like a sheep fencing pro.

Ashill5

Hi Paddysdream,

I'm intending in getting a bit of sheep fencing done.
What are the best posts to use as hoping it will be a long term investment,
I debating going an extra bit and getting cresoted posts or I have been told that larch are good as well.
While the ground it's not that bad but it wouldn't be the driest.
And what would the best sheep wire to use.
I will be putting a row of electric fence on top.

Sam Kade

Ashill5 wrote: »

Hi Paddysdream,

I'm intending in getting a bit of sheep fencing done.
What are the best posts to use as hoping it will be a long term investment,
I debating going an extra bit and getting cresoted posts or I have been told that larch are good as well.
While the ground it's not that bad but it wouldn't be the driest.
And what would the best sheep wire to use.
I will be putting a row of electric fence on top.

You dug up this old thread to ask that.

Ashill5

I was just flicking through and replied to it.
Didn't realise that there was a problem digging up old posts😳

MIKEKC

paddysdream wrote: »

5 yards apart for sheep wire.Use 5ft. stakes for sheepwire plus one strand of plain or barbed or 6ft. stakes for two strands over sheepwire. 8ft. straining posts on ends and bends.Use only ht 32 inch sheepwire(anything in medium steel will sag something terrible over time and is hard to tension correctly)Usually run one strand of ht below sheepwire ie keep sheepwire off ground and use plain to fill gap. Keep barbed or electric plain about 4 inches over top of sheepwire and same again if using two strands. Top strand should be about an inch under top of stake(so measuring down from top of stake thats 1inch plus 4 (or 8 if two strands) plus 32inches plus about 3 or so (depending on ground)
Simply to make a sheep wire pullers you just need piece of heavy angle iron about 40 or so inches.Weld a ring to it half way down Simply drill holes in angle to match strands of sheepwire ,run cut ends of same thru the bar, fit your 8 gripples , wrap and nail on other end of sheepwire to strainer at one end ,roll out wire (join extra rolls with gripples) connect to tractor with chain and PULL(maybe not best explaination of method but its quare simple!!!!)
As regards electric; stakes 10 to 15 meters apart depending on no. of strands
As above ht wire is the only one to use
At this stage would refuse to use medium steel wire if farmer tries to get me to erect it(medium barbed is prob. not as bad as sheep or plain to use )
Use good insulators and underground cable on elec. fence.Stakes and strainers as per sheep or barbed ie 5 foots and 8 foot strainers
Sparing stakes is stupid as they are a minor part of the cost of fencing (ie on a 500 metre straight run of sheep fencing keeping them 8 yards instead of 5 saves approx 35 or so stakes ie 150 euro and makes a verrry crappy fence whilst still using approx 650 euros of wire
After all that I also usually keep them a little closer (4 yards or so)when its a bounds fence with no hedgerow anywhere ie a completly standalone fence

Do you use 1.6 or 2.5 underground cable. Local supplier only stocks 1.6. Contractor said 1.6 will lose power of vegetation falls on fence

Jimlh86

Ah don't mind the old thread so what! Fenced recently myself, just electric. Used high tensile wire and pdm strainer and turning posts. After that you wouldn't be too bad with intermediates because the important part is solid. I used tanalised and as they go ill replace with better posts.

Sam Kade

Ashill5 wrote: »

I was just flicking through and replied to it.
Didn't realise that there was a problem digging up old posts😳

Most people start reading the first page and then realise the thread is old, a no no on boards

Kovu

It's not a no no, I explained it elsewhere a while ago on some other thread. It depends on a multitude of factors- age of thread, number of replies in relation to open or closed accounts, current threads that have been on the front page more recently etc etc.
Fencing is one of the more subjective topics so different threads may suit certain posters to ask questions.

Backseat moderating on the other hand....;):P

greenpetrol

Ashill5 wrote: »

I was just flicking through and replied to it.
Didn't realise that there was a problem digging up old posts😳

Front loader and chain to pull them up

einn32

20silkcut wrote: »

11 big steps apart for me

Same.

Muckit

My ground would be very flat. I put permanent electric fence posts 20-25 yards apart. More than sufficient, especially if using one strand. A great job especially along by a hedge as you can top in under it and aren't weaving mad in and out around posts.

Did any of ye see the pic in the journal of the young lad bringing cows in for milking? Now l know there was probably a bit of foreshortening but the posts seemed to be drove v close together along the roadway.

I also thought would his Daddy if interviewed take all the credit and say 'oh there's only one labour unit on this farm!!!'

Sam Kade

Muckit wrote: »

My ground would be very flat. I put permanent electric fence posts 20-25 yards apart. More than sufficient, especially if using one strand. A great job especially along by a hedge as you can top in under it and aren't weaving mad in and out around posts.

Did any of ye see the pic in the journal of the young lad bringing cows in for milking? Now l know there was probably a bit of foreshortening but the posts seemed to be drove v close together along the roadway.

I also thought would his Daddy if interviewed take all the credit and say 'oh there's only one labour unit on this farm!!!'

A neighbour of mine puts stakes 5 yards apart for electric fence on level ground. there's one field of 16 acres divided into 3 paddocksI estimated around 340 stakes that he used to fence it :eek:

Sam Kade

Kovu wrote: »

It's not a no no, I explained it elsewhere a while ago on some other thread. It depends on a multitude of factors- age of thread, number of replies in relation to open or closed accounts, current threads that have been on the front page more recently etc etc.
Fencing is one of the more subjective topics so different threads may suit certain posters to ask questions.

Backseat moderating on the other hand....;):P

Bit of a nuisance though when you start reading through lots of posts and then realise it's an old thread.

Kovu

Sam Kade wrote: »

Bit of a nuisance though when you start reading through lots of posts and then realise it's an old thread.

So the moral we take from this story is to check the last post date.
Sure fencing threads never go out of date anyway, last time I checked there wasn't much more to it than posts and wire!

pedigree 6

I used this thread before I did the sheep fencing there lately.:)
I put the stakes in at five yards/steps apart.

Nekarsulm

Four to five paces apart for sheep( how long are your legs?) , electric fencing in paddocks etc, as far apart as practical.
You will probably be running the topper under it a few times a year, and closely spaced posts are a pain in the whole.