[Brucklay]

Finally we thought our fencing was up to scratch!! We had a fencer come and do our paddocks in three goes and he did a fantastic job. As we had only the pygmy goats to start with we'd decided on stock fencing with a tight wire at the bottom and 2 at the top. this works 99% of the time. We do get the odd 'head in fence' but I work from home and can pretty much tell the bleat of a stuck goat. When we had to remove the static caravan from the land the tractor driver managed to get through the double gates into the 2nd paddock but couldn't get through the double gates to the track and therefore the only option was to cut a section of fence aaaahhhhhh. Now we have a weak section that the Jacobs have taken advantage off rubbing themselves and their horns etc - I don't like barbed wire but is this the only way to go for these medium sizes sheep. What I'm asking really is whats the correct fencing for Jacobs - I thought possibly just 5/6 rows of plain wire with barbed wire top middle and bottom and with a small amount of equipment we could do that, I don't think we could redo the stock fencing tight enough - thank you

[woollyval]

Hello
Just repair the stock fencing NEVER EVER use barbed wire ir you will have sheep impaled on it by their wool as well as other parts of their anatomy All you need is a wire strainer and a decent post to strain against which it sounds like you already have! Go get a wire strainer from the farm supplies and some staples. Or.....try a gripple as I know some swear by them http://www.gripple.com/products/catalogue/agricultural/products/torq-tensioning-toolag.html
and try and google or get a book on how to do it. Will take 2 of you if not experienced but really is very easy even for me!!!

[Brucklay]

Thank you Woollyshepherd - yes seen the 'gripple' things - the fencer used them, stupidly I didn't stand over him to see how it was done - glad you said No to barbed wire as we've not used any and was very reluctant to go down that route - I think well go down the gripple with correct tool and a new section of stock fencing to do the job.

[waterhouse]

It's a monkey strainer and lets you get serious tension in the fence before you put the staples in.  It will give you a fence that's as good as new.

Make sure the fence wire is the right size for medium gripples because it's hard to buy small ones in small quantities and they're not cheap.  You shouldn't need gripples to joint stock fence though if you use proper fencing pliers which allow you to take two wires and twist them together easily but permanently.

Remember that staples on intermediate posts in between the two fixed ends of the fence should not be tight but allow the fence line to move a little. 

[Brucklay]

Thank you Waterhouse I'll be off on the hunt for a 'monkey' tomorrow - should be someone around here sells them - want to get it sorted before they do too much damage - up side, if they get through it only into another paddock so no disaster there.

[waterhouse]

It looks like this...

[cooper956]

sheep netting and top wire of barbed gripples fine for repairs i realy use them for new fenceing (i do contract fenceing) if used for repaired wind the two ends round the wire ether side of the griple as thay do slip back with time there are many tools for tightening netting some cheap some dear for your bit id not go out buying any. have you asked the fence how much to repair it? i seam to get asked to do lots of repair jobs to fences iv put up and then someones gone and  driven a car or something though it 

[OhLaLa]

Use stock fencing. Where the joins are either side use bracing bars. They weave down between the two pieces of stock fencing and create a good join.

As said, barbed wire is a no no.

[cooper956]

barbed is only a no below the top of the stock fence! and alost a must seen fences ruined in no tme at all due to haveing now barbed on netting is just under a metter high so barbed ontop nothing should catch itself on it unless its trying to get out. never had anything badly injored on barbed used this way once had a cow jump a new fance geting barbed round its foot snaped a 6" straining poost off nad a dozen stakes before geting itself lose had nothing more than a few scratchs

[waterhouse]

It's just a no-no with horses.  I hate the stuff no matter how useful it is

[Fleecewife]

The thing with barbed wire is that animals don't know it's going to hurt them until they are halfway across it.  Jacobs will occasionally jump, but having barbed wire there would not stop them, just injure them.  We hate the stuff and removed every bit here after one of our dogs had three consecutive trips to the vet to have her belly restitched from jumping fences.  For march fences we double fence plus hedgerow in between, but just single for internal fences, one or two plain top wire strands. The best way to prevent jumping is to have it taught, which you will once you've done the biz with your gripples and monkeys 
If you have the same problem again, undo a stretch of netting next to a strainer, so you just have to re-attach it, rather than cutting in the middle of a length.

[Anke]

We got our monkey strainers from the BTCV catalogue, but that was a while ago. Not sure if they still do them, but any fencing supplier will have them.

Really top electric wire is the safest optopn, but I guess not always possible.

[Brucklay]

Thank you for all the input - I think it was an old cowboy movie that put me off barbed wire when I was about 10, the baddies wrapped someone up in the stuff - anyway - bit's are ordered and on their way, could get locally but at twice the cost!! We have had no problems with any of the other fencing, no jumping over - I really think they are just taking advantage of the weak bit of fencing - won't be cutting any more fencing ever, even with 'head in fence' incidents I've now got the technique to get them out - but get a dirty look afterwards like it's my fault!!!

[cooper956]

not had any of our jacobs jump a barbed fence yet have had them jump ones without though and next doors horse is leaning over my barbed wire fence like it wasent there take off the barbed and it would be in dam things. barbed used propaly should not harm stock its when its too low and slack its a danger to all iv pulled more stock from broken old fences than i can rember but never one from good well maintained fence other than one jacob i have that sticks its head in  the netting at least a few times a year 

[woollyval]

Sorry Cooper but having been a smallholder all my life I have seen too many injuries from barbed wire to condone it in any situation save as a ground line at the bottom of pig fencing to stop under fence rooting.
When you have seen an animal (goat in this case) with its udder ripped to shreds from jumping a taut properly put up top barbed strand you will understand