[Womble]

Hi folks,

Can anybody give me a rough idea of the cost of stock fencing?   Let's say sturdy posts and square sheep mesh, with a strand or two of barbed wire on the top, maybe like this:



Basically how much should one budget per 100 metre length if firstly you were just to buy the tools and materials and install it yourself, or if secondly if you were to get a specialist contractor in?

Cheers!

[HappyHippy]

My fence posts cost £2 each for 3x3 square and about 6ft long, the way I was taught to put them in was to lay them end to end to give the spacing (approx 6 ft between posts)so for 100m of fencing you'd need 50 posts = £100
Strainer posts vary in price depending on size and depending on what is going in the field, the amount you will need will vary.
Stock fencing - the stuff I get comes in 50m rolls, at a cost of approx £30 for roll, so 2 rolls = £60
Barb wire comes in rolls of 200m, at a cost of approx £30 this would give you a top and bottom strand (depending on what you're putting in the field) for 100m
So around £190 plus the cost of your strainer posts per 100m of fencing would be a rough guide.
I have no idea what contractors would charge though and I'd make sure you're sitting down when they tell you 
HTH
Karen

[doganjo]

I already had posts and sheep wire here, my joiner took £350 to put in the posts, fix the wire to it and make and attach two wooden gates.  Length of fence was about 23 metres.  By the way, I have a length of sheep wire left over - about 10 metres I think if anyone local wants it.  He only used my big sledge hammer to put the posts in(can be borrowed....... ) and they are steady as a rock.  Used staples to attach the wire - they are cheap as chips from Focus etc DIYs.  If I'd had the strength I'd have done it myself, but I am not fit for that now.  I did once put up 300 metres of sheep wire on to an established  p & w fence.  when I sold the croft and divided up the land, the local fencer took £1400 to fence off 5 acres along two sides of an oblong, including all materials.  Hope that helps. 

Incidentally I'd kill anyone who tried to put barbed wire on any fields I owned regardless of what was going in them.  It killed a friend's dog.  Dreadful story, can't even let myself think about it let alone describe it on here.

[HappyHippy]

I'm afraid I need a single strand of barbed wire around the base of my fence (ground level really) to stop the pigs from rooting under it and escaping  Electric fencing's just not an option with my kids being around.(Although maybe Kaitlin would benefit from a bit of electric shock treatment lol!  )
I have, however, clear signs on my property to warn any walkers that dogs MUST be kept on leads (for the protection of my stock and also for the dogs protection)
I understand barbed wire's not ideal for everyone, but it's what works best for me.
Sorry Annie 

[Rosemary]

I reckon kids would soon learn to respect and electric fence 

[HappyHippy]

Most kids, yes - but you've not met my Kaitlin, Rosemary ! 
She's got NO sense of danger, (it's linked to the autism/ aspergers/ ADHD) we tried electric fencing before with weaners - BIG mistake  She continually got shocked until she figured out how she could pull the stakes out and lay them flat so that it shorted and she could get in, we tried fixing the tape to big stabs with the wee plastic brackets but she just undoes the tape from them so she can get in (and the pigs can get out !)
Suggestions on a postcard please lol! 

[cooper956]

id charge roughly £4.50 -£5 per meter supplyed and fitted or £2-2.50 fitting only the 50p is where tractor carnt get or there is complacashions in the job as for cost of tools basic you may get away with £100 but wont get it tight ect but we probly have more like £500 worth in hand tools without the chain saw tractor and post knocker

[Womble]

Thanks folks - that will do nicely for the budget. Not sure we can afford what we have in mind of course, but it's always best to be informed!