[langdon]

its getting all mad and kinda stressfull around here now as the boxes keep pilling
up everywhere!!
only yesturday it dawned on us that the ground now been rock hard with the cold frost and snow its going
to be hard to put posts in ground for where our goats are going
we dont have a tractor with a post driver, so if any one has any ideas on how we could do it please tell me
am thinking of going into our local builders merchants and seeing if there is any thing that we can rent for a day or two
to drill down or something.
langdon

[OhLaLa]

You need a petrol/diesel driven hole bore. It stands about waist high and looks like a heavy duty corkscrew with huge wrap around motorbike type handles on it. That is about the best you will get and you will still find it hard going. You will certainly warm up nicely!   

[HappyHippy]

I don't have goats so could be way off the mark here - but would electric fencing keep them in ? The metal spikes would be MUCH easier to push into hard ground
Eeek too btw - only 9 days to go !
Good luck !
Karen x

[RUSTYME]

I use a 6ft x 1 3/4" solid metal bar to ram down into the ground and  each time wiggle the bar about to make the hole bigger , then when deep enough just put the post in and whack with a maul . You could also get a manual post knocker to use instead of the maul , the type that is a 6" or so pipe with one end closed off and handles both sides , you then place it over the post and lift and drop HARD  !!!!
But if your ground is frozen more than say 6" down ....I doubt you will get them in by hand anyway.
I have never used the powered auger type of hole borer . Seeing a bloke spinning round on one , hanging on for dear life , somewhat put me off the idea.

cheers

Russ

[doganjo]

My son used Metposts here - they go into really hard ground and you just slot the squared off posts into them. http://www.metpost.co.uk/mp_prod_selection.html

[Anke]

My goats stay happily(?) behind the electric fence, at the moment I have just the normal (horse)tape on (I think) 3ft stakes, no problems.

[langdon]

what did he use them for if you dont mind me asking, i dont think they would go down far enough
langdon

[doganjo]

He used them for the fence posts for my duck run, then attached stock wire to them - you can use the shorter ones and concrete them in. Picture attached - the green screening is to stop the little ones escaping through the sheep fencing

[Fleecewife]

We were putting in strainers the other day - the ground is not frozen very far down, so once you have got through the top few inches it's no more difficult than usual (hah !).  We use a pinch bar as rustyme says to start the holes for stobs.
It might be warmer by the 10th 

[bamford6]

the best bet get some 1 local with the tools and go for it .i used the electric board i paid 4 pound each and dun the lot in a day .im sure some 1 would do it for a few quid .forget builders merchants they use the word vat

[Sandy]

Exciting but going to be hard work, the grounds going to be very hard just now as well!!! Eat loads of porrage!!!