[TheForge] Movable fencing for Goats (OT)

[dann at wctatel.net]

A few decades back, I remember reading Mother Earth News about a portable
fencing. I think it was stiffened fence panels on with a couple of old
lawn mower wheels in the corners. It was designed to be moved a couple
times a day, if needed.

The author picked up the unwheeled "front panel,  walked forward a few
yards and set it back down. Guess that would work provided the ground was
basically level, so that the goats couldn't crawl out in some gully,
underneath the panels, or provided that the person moving could lift the
front movable panel over / above any shrub in the fresh graze.

Goats are naturals for de-foresting: they do a heck of a good job getting
rid of brush,  so even if this worked to let them graze a  zig sag path
for future grazing of the horses, goats, it might still be a win.

dann

> Sheep were traditionally fenced in movable enclosures created with
> hurdles.  Traditional hurdles are woven from ~1" branches and small
> "wythies", and have a hole in the center so you can put a bunch of
> them on a stick and carry the lot.  On either side, the post can be
> jabbed into the ground, but they are by no means sunk in the ground.
> I suspect adjacent hurdles were secured together, but I don't know
> that for a fact or how it would be done.
>
> It seems to me that much the same effect could be achieved using
> modern materials (that the goats can't eat).  Best materials:
> Anything lightweight that comes to hand.
>
> Folks around here throw away aluminum-framed chairs all the time (and
> at one point I collected them up because the metal is good for
> casting).  The chair frames would make a good start toward hurdle
> frames, and the holes for the springs, etc., could be the start of the
> "weaving".  These would be even lighter weight than wood/wythie
> hurdles and easy to carry.  They could even be made quite pretty, with
> a little forethought.  Of course, wythie hurdles are inherently pretty
> by today's standards.
>
> If you want wythies, find an area full of willows, or other suitable
> species, and cut the sapling trees severely - like to a foot or less
> from the ground - probably just before the growing season commences.
> You'll get "watershoots" or "wythies" in quantity.  This was formerly
> a regular practice in parts of England that wove baskets, etc.
> Prunings from fruit orchards will work too.
>
> If you get serious about wythie hurdles, I can provide detailed
> information on their construction.
>
> Bruce
> NJ
>
> On Wed, Sep 10, 2008 at 5:40 AM, Ruuf <ruuf at slingshot.co.nz> wrote:
>> I can't see your fencing idea working for more than a week or two, as it
>> is
>> quite time consuming and a hassle moving fencing all the time,
>> especially
>> where the ground is hard.
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