|
|
Post by northshoretrapper on Apr 10, 2012 16:10:04 GMT -5
Hello all! New to the site. Been on it for about a week now and like it very much! I was brought up on my uncles dairy farm (1/4 mile up the road) where i worked from 8 years old to college. My immediate family raised herefords. So, i have been around cows my whole life. I know them inside and out.... literally.  I currently have herefords right now. I am wanting to buy a dexter bull to breed my heifers. The gentleman i am thinking about buying from keeps hounding that the fence needs to have 5 strands... everytime i talk to him he preaches about the fence. Like i said...i have been arond cows my whole life and all we have ever done is put up 2 strands of 14 gauge electric fence. The first strand about 18-20"s off the ground and the second strand about 38-40"s above ground. This as kept holsteins and hereford cows/bulls/steers/calves in without a problem. Should i be worried about adding more strands with dexters? and what makes them so "special" that they need more restriction??? Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated. And by all means... i have no problem adding more fence. I just want to make sure it is actually really nesessary before doing so. Thanks! |
|
|
|
Post by jneail on Apr 10, 2012 16:41:19 GMT -5
I'm a novice, so take this for what it's worth. I only have 2 strands of barbed and no electric. The cows push through for grass on the other side, but they stay in- except the calf. I just put up some more fence and chose field fence because of the pushing and calves and I prefer not to use electric if I can help it. Just my preference.
From my experience, I'd say you don't need 5 strands, especially if you are running electric.
|
|
|
|
Post by wstevenl on Apr 10, 2012 16:43:33 GMT -5
We have 6 strand on the outside (high tinsel) and use a single strand inside for rotational grazing. The calves are small enough that they go under the single line until they are 10 months old usually. Some catch on quicker.
The only reason I would consider more than 2 wires is for the bull, if you are trying to keep him separate.
Also, we still have Dexter cows but switch to a Lowline Angus bull for beef. Have you considered one for your herfords?
|
|
|
|
Post by dexterfarm on Apr 10, 2012 16:56:24 GMT -5
I run 5 strand barb on the perimeter. No one gets through it or messes with it. I run 1 or sometimes 2 strand eclectic for rotational grazing. Calves do get through that. for the most part they respect the electric but they have gone through it. I am not letting them on grass right now until it gets taller and they did all run through 2 strand eclectic yesterday to get to the green grass.
|
|
|
|
Post by lavacaw on Apr 10, 2012 17:09:31 GMT -5
I joke about my Houdini cattle because the first day I got them, I found they could walk a cattle guard. We keep the gate closed on it all the time now. They slip through barbed wire that is the least bit loose and my bull can clear 4 feet in a fluid over the top jump. We have been replacing most of our barbed wire with field fencing with a single strand barbed wire at the top. We have replaced all the lightweight chain closures on the gate with heavier chain and clips because the bull found he could pop lightweight chain. Good luck.
|
|
|
|
Post by theburrowfarm on Apr 10, 2012 21:11:29 GMT -5
They can jump pretty good.Once a calf laid down and slid under the barbed wire his momma walked up to the fence looked straight up and cleared the near 50'' fence from a stand still. She collected her calf came around to the gate and stood there wanting back in.Which led me to put up field fence in addition to the 5 strand barb wire. |
|
|
|
Post by rezzfullacres on Apr 11, 2012 6:35:19 GMT -5
Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated. And by all means... i have no problem adding more fence. I just want to make sure it is actually really nesessary before doing so. Thanks! A lot depends on what is on the other side of the fence.....We run anything from woven wire field fence to 2 strand non-electric. Where the pasture joins the hay fields we use better fencing, in the woods we use much less. Dexter calves tend to slip through a fence much easier than the larger breeds of cattle you are used to. That was the hardest part for us, we raised holstein and angus before we moved to "Dangus" and than to all purebred Dexters, the calves are much smaller but for the most part seem to be much more willing to wonder fom momma than the others...So in other words you will have to find out what works best for you in your system. Good luck to you and enjoy yourself..... |
|
|
|
Post by Star Creek Dexters on Apr 11, 2012 7:44:12 GMT -5
We do 6 strands of barb wire on all cattle fences, and box wire/barb combo where goats are going to be with the cattle.
Just like the others have said, the calves are so small, they often get between the strands of barb with no problem, even with our about 9 inches apart on the first 3 strands.
Good luck to you!
|
|
|
|
Post by kansasdexters on Apr 11, 2012 9:51:15 GMT -5
We use 5-strands of barbed wire for perimeter fence in most of our pastures. In our calving pasture, we have added cattle panels all around in order to keep the small calves in and the coyotes and dogs out. In our bull pasture, more security was needed, especially since we keep a mature (9-year old) bull, so we have 5-strand barb wire, covered with cattle panels, and two-strands of electric fence. We also have heavy duty bull gates with double chains. If a mature Dexter bull can put his head under a gate, he will lift up and easily fold a light-duty (like the brown Priefert-type) gate. With a heavy pipe bull gate, he can't do this. He will then try to wedge his head between the end of the gate and the post that it is chained to, and if he is able to do this, he will break the chain -- so you have to minimize the distance between the gate end and the post, and also double chain the gate (top and bottom). Dexter bulls are experts at going under fence and gates - so keep the lower barbed wire at about 4 to 6-inches and tight! Dexter bulls will dig holes, so check your fences often, especially if/when you have open cows and heifers on the opposite side of the fence from the bull. Dexter bulls are very motivated breeders, and they will do their darn best to take care of any open females. This 9-year old Dexter bull is only 1,100 lb and 47-inches high at the hip, but he is very smart, very strong, and very able to lift and push his way through weak gates or inadequate fencing (and he knows that he can):   Patti |
|
|
|
Post by midhilldexters on Apr 11, 2012 12:22:45 GMT -5
I use 4 lines of high tensile. I took all my internal gates between pastures down, like Patti I had issues with bulls (horned ones) lifting and trashing gates. Instead of gates, I use a single strand of polwire with a gate handle on one end to hook over the high tensile, this sits on 2 step in posts. My cows do not attempt to cross or go under it, even the bull.
I also have lots of temp. pastures that I create with polywire and step in posts, I generally use 2 wires and mine don't mess with it. My calves are all introduced to electric fence between 3-7 days old, they hit it once or twice and they never bother it again. I've waited until the calves are older and it's a nightmare, they run through it, over it and under it. When done young they don't mess with it. All my calves are out in a permanent polywire fence at under a week old. I don't have any barbed wire on my property at all.
Do what works for you and your cattle, be ready to change ideas and try new things. Try not to cobble together fence with duct tape and bale twine, cows always trash it lol.
Carol K
|
|
|
|
Post by dexterfarm on Apr 11, 2012 14:54:38 GMT -5
maybe I have just been really luck but I have not had trouble with bulls and fences. I just have old wooden gates that I know they could take right out if they decided to. The worst I have had was a bull that I was borrowing and he did not like my idea of rotational gracing and kept jumping the poly wire so he could go lay down under his favorite tree in the next paddock.
|
|
|
|
Post by rezzfullacres on Apr 11, 2012 16:56:52 GMT -5
Try not to cobble together fence with duct tape and bale twine, cows always trash it lol. Carol K This is so true, although these items will fix everything else around the farm they are not for use in fencing....... |
|
|
|
Post by northshoretrapper on Apr 12, 2012 7:22:31 GMT -5
Thanks everyone for the replies. I have decided to be better safe than sorry and add two more strands for a total of four for the outside perimeter. I will add one more strand to my existing one strand for between pastures. Start with that and see how it goes.
|
|
|
|
Post by cripple creek dexters on Apr 12, 2012 8:46:08 GMT -5
Two strand of electric should do it unless you are seperating a bull from females. We have five strand along the highway and along our border with BLM to keep the range cows out, but everything else is two strands of hot just like you said.
|
|
|
|
Post by littlecowfl on Apr 14, 2012 10:07:30 GMT -5
Two of my dun heifers seem to think of the fences as an Olympic gymnastic event. Then, they bawl at me like crazy to let them back inside.  Good thing they are cute. |
|
