Continuous fencing

[huntaholic123]

Alright fellas, anyone have any experience with continuous fence paneling? I am redoing my cattle yard and going with six bar, 20 ft panels and will run a single hot wire around the interior side to keep the cattle from rubbing up against it. I am using eight foot by 2 7/8 steel poles every ten feet. My question is does a guy auger holes and drop a bag of quickcrete and top off with dirt? Use gravel? Or just use the loader to push them in? Figured I would check here for some input. Much appreciated.

 

[Idahoguy]

I did a pipe fence and used the same posts. I pulled the old wood posts and used the same holes. Mixed up some concrete and set them. Some guys use a loader and push then in. I know a guy who builds fence for a living and he has a pounder on his side by side that he uses.

 

[jolemons]

Push in line posts and concrete the corners for holding and feeding pens. My preference would have been to use slightly longer 2 7/8 posts so that 4' is below grade, but i think you'll be fine. For processing, sorting and shipping areas that will take a lot of pressure, concrete line posts and corners.

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[huntaholic123]

Push in line posts and concrete the corners for holding and feeding pens. My preference would have been to use slightly longer 2 7/8 posts so that 4' is below grade, but i think you'll be fine. For processing, sorting and shipping areas that will take a lot of pressure, concrete line posts and corners.

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For sorting areas I went with ten foot, 3 1/2 wide pipe and planned on concreting all of them.

 

[jolemons]

For sorting areas I went with ten foot, 3 1/2 wide pipe and planned on concreting all of them.

Sounds like a solid set of pens that'll last decades. Good luck

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[realunlucky]

If you use gravel then concrete on top of it, your less likely to have your posts rust off.

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[Roy68]

Push in line posts and concrete the corners for holding and feeding pens. My preference would have been to use slightly longer 2 7/8 posts so that 4' is below grade, but i think you'll be fine. For processing, sorting and shipping areas that will take a lot of pressure, concrete line posts and corners.

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Agree with Joel. We do concrete them all. Also we cope the tops and run a top pipe as well down the lines. This spreads load so one pipe doesn’t take the brunt of the pressure. Our cattle as a rule are not rank by any means. However the first time a critter tries to go over that top pipe it will save the continuous fence panel. If you don’t use a top pipe cap your post tops to keep them from filling up with water. You can weld a top on our jam some newspaper or similar in the top and fill with a little concrete to seal the tops.

 

[Billy Goat]

What's the soil type?

Your soil determines post depth. I don't have much experience with metal posts here in the East, mostly use wood. I'd say minimum of 4', I do 6' sometimes.

Supposed to use gravel under your concrete so water has somewhere to go.

Just did a clinic on metal posts, drive them a lot deeper than what you typically do with wood, but they sure drive easier. Keep in mind a post that's driven is typically at least 1.5 times stronger than a dug post.

 

[ChrisA]

I drove in 5 1/2" x 8' creosote posts for line and low stress areas, used 6 1/2" posts for high stress areas; also used 7 bar continuous for alley leading to tub and squeeze, we have calm cattle but I cant imagine even a spaz considering going over the 7 bar.

Pipe posts aren't something we see much up here in Iowa. Love the continuous fence though, and its no more expensive than guard rail. Can't believe we put up with rickety old cattle panels for so long.

Chris

 

[Haggin]

I would use - at a minimum - limestone screenings/tillings (sorta like limestone gravel or chips) and concrete at the corners. The limestone packs like concrete after a bit but drains some too. And you don't need to tamp all day to get the post set.

Or just go concrete, its really the same amount of work in the end I think (I have a concrete mixer on a Bobcat). Don't forget to get the weld on caps for the pipe too, easier than filling with concrete.

We use the same fence type for horse dry lots and runs off their stalls in the barn. I used wood posts with the limestone tillings for that, but horses don't lean as much as cattle will on a fence.

 

[Laramie]

Soil type and water table can really make a difference. In dry climates with no close ground water, pushing them in (at least 4') will work fine. In a wet climate/location, I prefer to concrete in a larger pipe and slide posts in and out using a collar. The collar fits on your post and keeps the pipe in the ground from filling up with water. This makes changing out a post super simple but they are very solid.