In which a Bored Dragon is a Naughty Dragon (and now there's a fence)
Apparently, the Dragon got bored.
This is not a good thing.
She has lived at Haiku Farm for more than ten years, and in all that time has pretty much ignored Goatenheim, the goats' fenced enclosure.
Until a few days ago, that is, when she decided to find out if it's really true about the grass being greener.
 |
| The gap between the big fence post (photo left) and the green post used to be only big enough for a goat to squeeze through. The center post makes it narrower (again) |
Lacking anything else on her social calendar, Fiddle squoze herself through the narrow gap between the big post and the t-post, and proceeded to munch the grasses of Goatenheim. I found her within, escorted her out, and then built the goat-door in the photo above: newly narrowed, with strings to prevent tall people--and Dragons--from entering.
"Still bored" said the Dragon. So, last night she decided to paw at the fence to try to knock it down.
 |
| Here's the spot where I found her straddling the fence with both front shoes caught in the wire. |
Fortunately, a bored Dragon is not a stupid Dragon.
When she discovered the extent of her stuck-ness, she stood still and waited for me to come extricate her.
Which I did. In the dark. Because I forgot to grab my flashlight before heading down for what should have been a routine feed time, and only figured out what happened by Braille, which (in case anybody is wondering) isn't optimal for wire-fence-extrication.
"Wait there, don't move, I'll get the bolt cutters," I told her.
"Okay," she said. "Bring cookies too?"
I did not bring cookies, but she stood still as I felt around with my fingers, cut fence mesh, tried to lift her foot, cut more fence mesh, pulled wire out of both front shoes (!!!!!!), and finally got her untangled.
"Dinner time!" she announced, unrepentant. And marched into her stall as if we do this every night...
...and stayed there through breakfast time this morning, while I built a temporary barrier to keep her out until I could run to the feed store for supplies.
Since I never need another scare like that one, I completely rebuilt the Goatenheim fence.
I removed all the old, too-short fence posts and pounded in new posts.
I hauled out the old, bent-up mesh wire, and rolled out brand-new fence mesh with SMALL squares--much less likely to catch a wayward horseshoe.
The fence mesh is now secured tightly at three points on every post, so it will resist sagging when the goats lean on it.
I re-installed the string "goat-gate" near the big wooden post.
The goats can enter their enclosure from two different locations, which is important for Small Annoying Animals who hang around (and pester) the Dragon.
When Jim got home, he helped me clear the final blackberry vines from the hotwire source, and we heated up the new tape attached to the top of the posts.
Fiddle watched Jim test the fence. "It's hot! Will burn your nose," he told her.
"It wouldn't dare," she told him. But she didn't touch it.
So, there it stands: the new and improved Goatenheim Fence.
 |
| It's completely ghetto, but using her portable corral as a barrier fence totally worked. |
I admit, that stretch of fence was pretty pathetic, even before Draconic involvement. The posts were leftovers from everything else, the mesh wire wasn't the right size and just kinda bent into place all those years ago.
 |
| Itchy goats like to rub against the mesh, which has been drooping for quite a while |
Since I never need another scare like that one, I completely rebuilt the Goatenheim fence.
I removed all the old, too-short fence posts and pounded in new posts.
 |
| Yes, Monica: there is such a thing as a t-post puller. |
I hauled out the old, bent-up mesh wire, and rolled out brand-new fence mesh with SMALL squares--much less likely to catch a wayward horseshoe.
 |
| I locked up Fiddle while I worked, but the goats helped at several points. |
The fence mesh is now secured tightly at three points on every post, so it will resist sagging when the goats lean on it.
 |
| I think I invented at least one new cuss-word while installing those fence clips, but they are TIGHT now! |
I re-installed the string "goat-gate" near the big wooden post.
 |
| The goats and I can duck under the string through the narrow gap. The Dragon cannot. |
The goats can enter their enclosure from two different locations, which is important for Small Annoying Animals who hang around (and pester) the Dragon.
 |
| Are you trying to get a hoof stuck, Dobbie? Srsly? |
 |
| The goats seem to be immune to hot wire, and they pull it down whenever possible. This tape should be tall enough that they won't bother (I hope) |
Fiddle watched Jim test the fence. "It's hot! Will burn your nose," he told her.
"It wouldn't dare," she told him. But she didn't touch it.
 |
| The Dragon is not a fan of hot wire. |
So, there it stands: the new and improved Goatenheim Fence.
 |
| Good for another ten years or more, I hope! |
You know what's ironic? That your fencing is sheep/goat safe, but not horse. While goats have slimmer legs and hooves and could get wedged in more often.
ReplyDeleteThe other day Mag and I found a small group of sheep and a baby was standing upright with both legs in the mesh, exactly like yours. I thought he was trapped, cuz he was fumbling around. But he was just eating the plants he could reach by climbing the fence. Eventually he climbed down and said "MMMMMmmmmmmm?" to us. So cute!!! Mag was as fascinated as I was.
T-post puller! Recently we tried to pull "only" 5 T posts out of the ground but only managed 2 cuz of the drought. I spent some time trying to dig them out and fill the area with water from the hose (you would have died laughing!). No, nothing. Our T posts are 2 meters, and very deep.
The thing is we never usually have to remove them. Just, now that we've purchased this land between our house and our pasture, we must. J is intrigued by the idea of your T post puller but I say let's just wait for rain, cuz in 10 years we have never really had to pull them out, and we only have 3 to pull. Wish you were here to laugh at our attempts, a cup of tea in your hand.
Also, this is happening! We were at the Notary yesterday with the sellers. We got the loan last week. I WILL HAVE this bit of land between my house and my pasture! And although we are not allowed to change it in any way.....hrm.
T-post puller is awesome. This video is totally deceptive, I think they've buried their t-post in top soil, you do actually have to work a bit if the post has been in the ground for more than 15 minutes. But it's a lot easier that yanking them out by hand, and the puller will NOT bend the post: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kps9SXr_ETw
DeleteAre you still using a hammer to pound posts in? That's the part that makes me laugh. A post pounder is so much easier!
As for "goat safe" mesh, find the goat photo on this post and laugh. Goats are ridiculous. https://bit.ly/2m6kYlo
Not allowed to change the new land, hmmm. So, does it get inspected, how, and by whom and how frequently? It's more difficult to sneak changes past inspectors in these days of satellite surveillance, but you might be able to install a garden, yes? A large garden outline with a sandy "picnic area" in the center? That might be acceptable? That fence? That's not an arena fence, it's a trellis. For the garden...
Naughty Fiddle! Maddie would put her feet through field fence, too, but didn’t have shoes on, so could readily extricate herself.
ReplyDeleteT-post pullers are SOO nice! Used to just use the tractor with a little piece of chain, but borrowed one once when a line of trees prevented access, and went out and bought one immediately! It’s a little late now, but needle nose pliers are really handy for this fence clips. You might think about some sort of corner brace on the curve.
a t-post puller.... something I DESPERATELY NEED. It is literally impossible to pull t-posts out of sumemr ground without one.
ReplyDeleteAsk me how I know :/
I am 3/4 done with our new goat fence area. Somebody Not-Me (no, seriously, not me) to whom I am married said we could start stretching the fence without doing the H-brace on the fence posts because it didn't matter because the concrete was cured.
So now I need to figure out how to keep the goats from escaping out the 18 inch open space created from the corner post that's at almost a 45 degree angle. After that the new goat space is complete.
Question: How did you stretch the wire on a curve like that, and with only T-posts to brace against? WELL DONE!
Also: she stood trapped in wire, and didn't care. GOOD INTELLIGENT DRAGON.
You definitely need a t-post puller. They cost, like, $40. Figure out how many times you will use it in your lifetime (approximately 2 billion uses) and do the math. Super cheap-o. Same with a t-post pounder, which I believe lytha in Germany still doesn't have?
DeleteMy fence isn't "tightened" (I don't use a stretcher), it's just "hung" on the posts so there's no spro-i-i-i-i-ng to it. Secured it to each post in 3 places (YES, Laurie, the needlenose pliers and some cuss words are the tools needed) to keep it upright--these are 6' posts pounded 2 feet down. The goats rub on the outside of the fence, pressing it into the posts, not the other side, so it's adequate if not ideal. A corner brace would be ideal.
Also, we deliberately got Nubian (i.e. big) goats because I didn't want to keep repairing small holes in the fence that allow little goats to escape.
Trapped in wire, and irritated that I didn't bring cookies. But really sensible about what to do when she can't fix things herself. Good (Naughty) Dragon!
A t-post pul-what the HECK? I cannot believe such a thing exists. I will have to find one forthwith.
ReplyDelete