Barbed Wire. Why?

[ShooTa]

im loving this discussion

as a estate owner in waiting im always looking out for the more sensible option vs the "tis how we've always done it" . as a few have mentioned the humble hedge is far superior in many ways ( assuming you have the men/money to look after them) and the pipe over the wire for known crossing places is what we use here .

 

now we only have sheep and some of those buggers can jump -which is why we have the barb - but sadly our fences are not kept to a good standard - we neither have enough time nor money to keep them fully taught - i wish we did. but the ideas you are putting forward regarding the structure of the wires is intriguing....

we currently have 1 barbed wire bottom followed by the large fencing and then a single HT wire next followed by barbed on top - am i right in thinking that ( in liu of a good hedge) that we should try having only HT? at top and bottom?

[hedgesparrow]

im loving this discussion

as a estate owner in waiting im always looking out for the more sensible option vs the "tis how we've always done it" . as a few have mentioned the humble hedge is far superior in many ways ( assuming you have the men/money to look after them) and the pipe over the wire for known crossing places is what we use here .

 

now we only have sheep and some of those buggers can jump -which is why we have the barb - but sadly our fences are not kept to a good standard - we neither have enough time nor money to keep them fully taught - i wish we did. but the ideas you are putting forward regarding the structure of the wires is intriguing....

we currently have 1 barbed wire bottom followed by the large fencing and then a single HT wire next followed by barbed on top - am i right in thinking that ( in liu of a good hedge) that we should try having only HT? at top and bottom?

re part of your post have the men/money to look after them. to lay a hedge yes it costs but a good laid hedge will last 15years plus before it will need atention again all it needs after 3rd year is a light tickle to top and sides and will thicken out to be a barrier againts any stock. how long do posts last 5 years. needs to be checked man time checking it cost of materials work that out againts paying a hedgelayer to lay hedges and a hedge wins in cost and low maintanance. long live the laid hedge. plus there was grants to help with having hedges laid. so cost nowt

[Xaltu]

Long live the laid hedge, however our livestock would quite easily eat there way through it. Not a great fan of barbed wire but found that it is more stock proof when slack. Trying to change diehards regarding the use of barbed wire fencing is a lot harder.

 

As mention previously I have witnessed cattle rubbing themselves on the barbed wire hard enough to pull out the staples holding the wire.

[ShooTa]

hedge - thanks will have to look into the grants

[muldonach]

im loving this discussion

as a estate owner in waiting im always looking out for the more sensible option vs the "tis how we've always done it" . as a few have mentioned the humble hedge is far superior in many ways ( assuming you have the men/money to look after them) and the pipe over the wire for known crossing places is what we use here .

 

now we only have sheep and some of those buggers can jump -which is why we have the barb - but sadly our fences are not kept to a good standard - we neither have enough time nor money to keep them fully taught - i wish we did. but the ideas you are putting forward regarding the structure of the wires is intriguing....

we currently have 1 barbed wire bottom followed by the large fencing and then a single HT wire next followed by barbed on top - am i right in thinking that ( in liu of a good hedge) that we should try having only HT? at top and bottom?

 

Barbe wire is of no earthly use against a jumper - its purpose is to discourage leaning and scratching.

 

If your are not containing cattle but do have jumping sheep then a HT bottom strand with the net lifted a couple of inches higher than normal and then two strands of HT at 6" intervals above the net should assist.

 

If you cannot keep fences taut then you are not going to contain sheep.

 

Trying to contain raking sheep by use of a hedge alone is the route to a loss of sanity and a shortage of bedsprings and pallets. Sorry but I will have to disagree with others here - in my view hhedes are of no use whatever as practical long term low maintenance stock barriers for sheep or cattle. Our forefathers used hedges and drystone dykes because they had not yet invented wire.

 

We encourage all our former hawthorn hedges wherever practicable - but we back them all up with a net and barb!

 

Cheers

mac

[ShooTa]

muldonach - cheers - theres taught and there's taught - ours are tight but dont twang

as for our few hedgerows - as they are butting roads they all have fencing alongside.

[ArthurBottlesworth]

Go over to prairie farming?

 

Upland sheep farming not economic across all of europe anyway

 

Average age of sheep farmer about 58

Grants to welsh farms £365m welsh farm profts £180m

 

Had mate up from london, looking at sheep across valley we guessed 1,000 sheep

Discussed their value

Hi comment " not much of a business is it"

Made me think when you look at capital involved and value of product

 

I think he has a point........

[farmer rod]

Much as I like all the different theories, for my cattle stock net and two strands of barbed means that they will mostly be where I put them. We graze some ground where the deer are often caught up in the wire so I changed 50 m to one strand HT on top, result 4 hours new years eve x 3 people, 3 hours New Yrs day (+ hangovers) x 2 people and today just myself for an hour and a half chasing bullocks back into the field. They have loads of grass, but they will always test the boundary.

 

Im a great fan of hedges but if you want to sleep ever, barbed as well.