I have two ongoing projects that have been taking a lot of time and money for the last couple of years. First, and most expensive (so far) is the fencing project. I started about two and one-half years ago to build a perimeter fence around the farm my wife inherited. Her original "home-place" is about 50 acres. I bought an adjoining 18.5 acres about six years ago. One of those deals you can't turn down. Here is a picture from Google Earth of the place. The area I have fenced so far is outlined in red. It includes a perimeter fence plus one cross-fence of the pasture her dad kept for about 70 years. The recent purchase is also cross-fenced on the land-line between it and the original farm. All the fencing so far is done with "field-fence" or what is locally called 'page-wire." What we used to call hog-wire. This is much more expensive than barbed wire, but maintenance is much less, and it is a better fence. My red lines aren't exactly straight, but you get the idea. The larger rectangle is the original farm. The smaller rectangle, at a right angle, is the 18.5 acres I bought.
Prices of some components, notably steel t-posts, have doubled. When I started fencing, t-posts were $2.50 at the near-by Tractor Supply, and you could catch them on sale for $2.25. I bought 400 at one batch when they were on sale. I wish I would have bit the bullet and bought a thousand, because they are now $4.60 and never on sale. I have close to two miles of fence so far, and have a t-post every 10 feet. I used single braces at each end of a run of fence, with single and double braces in the middles of runs as needed. I put a 5"-7" treated wood post every 100 feet in all runs of fence. All wooden posts are anchored with half a bag of Sakrete (bagged concrete mix). I am now 99% finished with fencing. I am currently working on a corral and working facilities for a small herd, about 20 mama cows. Cows are so expensive now that I can't afford to buy any, so I am just continuing to spend money on facilities. The next expensive part of this project will be running a water-line about 2000 feet to the back side of the pasture, where the working facility will be. PVC pipe is not cheap, and I need to use 1" sched 40. All my advisers tell me that I would regret using a smaller size and a thinner wall. They, of course, aren't the ones shelling out the cash.:roll eyes:
Anyhow, some pictures.
Prices of some components, notably steel t-posts, have doubled. When I started fencing, t-posts were $2.50 at the near-by Tractor Supply, and you could catch them on sale for $2.25. I bought 400 at one batch when they were on sale. I wish I would have bit the bullet and bought a thousand, because they are now $4.60 and never on sale. I have close to two miles of fence so far, and have a t-post every 10 feet. I used single braces at each end of a run of fence, with single and double braces in the middles of runs as needed. I put a 5"-7" treated wood post every 100 feet in all runs of fence. All wooden posts are anchored with half a bag of Sakrete (bagged concrete mix). I am now 99% finished with fencing. I am currently working on a corral and working facilities for a small herd, about 20 mama cows. Cows are so expensive now that I can't afford to buy any, so I am just continuing to spend money on facilities. The next expensive part of this project will be running a water-line about 2000 feet to the back side of the pasture, where the working facility will be. PVC pipe is not cheap, and I need to use 1" sched 40. All my advisers tell me that I would regret using a smaller size and a thinner wall. They, of course, aren't the ones shelling out the cash.:roll eyes:
Anyhow, some pictures.
