Had to make a run into the farm supply place today and pick up the rest of the gates I need for the bit I am working on.
I need a name for this small paddock that will basically be the interchange area between five different fenced in sections and allow access to an outbuilding but I haven't come up with one yet....
Perhaps the control paddock?
Luckily neither the horses nor the sheep are particularly hard on gates so I can usually get by with the lighter tubed ones and save a little money Even then for two 16 foot and a little 4 foot walkin gate I shelled out over three bills. The only real downside to these gates is the lambs can slip through them like water for about the first month or so of their little lives. Not all of them are brave enough but there is always a few who think it's great fun until they realize they are too stupid to figure out how to get back in with mom. The gates that open out into the world I usually wire some other fence to the bottom to keep this from happening.
When I got back I spent the rest of the afternoon until feeding time working on the control paddock. Hanging some more support boards and getting another section of cattle panel ready to fill another gap. Since the control area is filled with so many gates AND I now have an abundance of cattle panels I am using them to add support to the many posts.
Tomorrow I will hang the walk in gate, finish that section of post supports and get started on laying out the two new gates pictured above. Once finished with these last bits which include digging out another seven post holes this weekend I will be about 60% finished with the control paddock but will once again run up against a soft wall so to speak.
It will be time to integrate the ram's paddock into the control paddock and before I can do that I will need....
1. Make him his own shelter because he will lose access to the barn stall he has been using.
2. Need to come up with at least another eight to ten wooden posts as the South section of the control paddock will pretty much clean me out of posts once again.
and 3. Move said ram into the control paddock temporarily while I finish his paddock before I can move on the East and South sheep pastures.
Man this fencing project is NEVER going to end. Looks like another year of a small garden for me but I need to get the pole beans in at the very least so I may have to stop this week and till up a spot for them.
Keep Prepping Everyone!!!!!!!
Trap, it's called a trap.
ReplyDeleteI would call it " the hub". - Marivene
ReplyDeleteToo big to be a trap. The hub is a good suggestion though Marivene!!!
Delete7hose are some purty gates!
ReplyDeleteTY Mbumgua - I wish gates were a little cheaper though :(
DeleteWow, new gates would be wonderful, mine are patched together but right now only keep the draft horse in and he isn't hard on them. I think those things rust from the inside but there isn't much to be done about it. I remember when people had wooden gates, I don't know if they made them or if they were for sale.
ReplyDeleteSf - I thought about building some gates. I have made a few smaller ones out of cattle panels and 2x4's I had laying around that were damaged but they sag much faster than the metal tube ones.
DeleteYour system sounds really versatile. I love gates that do more than shut one pen. Do you use hex wore on the bottom of your gates? I used to zip tie it on the bottom two feet to keep lambs in.
ReplyDeleteFiona - I so far have been lucky enough that I have been able to hang the gates close enough to the ground lambs can't go under them but they can go between the lower bars that's why I put the light fencing on them. The other issue is the sheep can stick their heads through the middle bars and raise the gate up if they are really intent on doing so.
Deleteyou've been nominated by me for a Leibster blog award - you can check it out on my blog. and i double-dawg dare you to play!
ReplyDeletesending love. your friend,
kymber
bahahahah! you were also nominated here:
ReplyDeletehttps://fast-sos.blogspot.ca/2016/05/leibster-award.html
HAHA I am going to start adding oak leaf clusters to my leibster award pic on the blog.
Deletei'd better see some oak leaf clusters soon....ya big baby! can't even answer 10 little questions....ok...you precious little snowflake! bahahahhaah! xoxox (no really, do it for fun. everyone would love it if you did one!)
DeleteI'll throw in "crossroads" as the gating arena. Hat tip to Clapton.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm Crossroads paddock. I like that one too!!!!
DeleteGates are so expensive! I wish I could say we are 60% done with our fencing project but we aren't there yet. How about 'the mixing bowl' for your name.
ReplyDeleteLisa - Yes they are. At least I can buy the cheaper ones if I had cattle I would need to spend three times as much. Mixing bowl that's another good suggestion
DeleteHow about "the intersection" as you are guiding traffic where you want it to be. I only had one experience with sheep. The girl next door raised one in her yard as a FFA project. I remember thinking they are really dumb animals that you have to control by brute force. Yours sound smarter. Julia
ReplyDeleteAnon - Intersection is good too!!!
DeleteSheep are odd. I have some that are as intelligent as dogs and some that are just plain stupid. The good thing about sheep is you generally only have to get one of the smart ones going in the right direction and the rest follow. In fact when one doesn't follow is when they really do stupid stuff and one of the dumb ones is by itself. When that happens your best bet is to make an opening and let it get to the others or it will hurt itself. The smart ones are a treasure though and allow you to control the rest of the flock usually.
Picadilly circus would be appropriate!
ReplyDelete