Creek crossing

[jodywy]

Old place l could fence across river with a guide wire cable, creeks just with barb wire. New place crews are deep gollies and dry this time of year .Was thinking good RR tie H brace on achieve side a couple of high wires across then the guide wire low with , boards, pvc pipe or some other product to hang down let the high water pass, then kep sheep and cows in when water ges down. Just wondering if any body dot a suggestion for something to drill and hang on the cable.

[Silver]

Our creeks are muddy bottomed and cows don't like to cross. I usually end the main fence with a brace at the top of the bank (our banks are not very high most places, mabe 3-10 feet). I just put some small posts in down to the water and run some wire tied loosely to the brace at the top. In theory when the high water comes this will tear off at the brace and not damage the rest of the fence.

I had to walk the dozer up the creek about 4 miles day before yesterday to push a dirt crossing across a creek channel to extricate a couple of yrlg heifers that were stranded between two branches of a creek.

[mrj]

jodywy, I've read some articles over a few years past showing systems like you describe for that problem. Best LOOKING one was with PVC pipe, looking to be 6 to 10 inch diameter, cut to length to fit from the support wire or pipe down to low water line, following contour of the creek bank from side to side. It appeared the pipes would sort of flow with the rising water and ride out the floods, then drop back into place to appear to be a barrier to critters wanting to escape.

I've pointed out magazine articles detailing some of those systems to 'higher management' on this ranch, but to date, none has been tried. Just sticking with the old 'fuss and fume' system when water gets high and fences have to be repaired or replaced!

Having recently gotten 1.11" rain, our first of that amount since early June, we wouldn't mind a bit of a gully-washer and REASONABLY high water in our creeks for a short while! As has been typical of our meager rains this year, we are getting several days of misty, cooler, cloudy weather, which surely does magnify the benefit of the rain, for which we are duly thankful. All those prayers for rain are being heard, if not answered quite to the degree we think we need!

mrj

[sandhiller]

What I am trying out for a river crossing:
This about 100 yards side. One side of river, I have a pole about 10 ft high. Other side I have a post with a good anchor behind it, about 50 ft high on the hill side. Between the two, I strung two strands of barbed wire. Wires were hung down from that to support a electric fence tape. This has been up about 20 years, but tape was always getting broke. Last year I strung a other strand of barbed wire high enough that I could stand in River and reach it. That is insulated at ends as well as on support wires comming down from the suspension wires. It is hooked to a fencer
From that wire, I hung electric fence tape down to about 2 ft above the water. I put one about every foot. It took lots of electric fence tape, but been working good. When the wind blows hard, cows could probably walk under, but they don't. My cows know what electric fence tape is and when It is fluttering in the wind, they stay away from it.

[George]

What I am trying out for a river crossing:
This about 100 yards side. One side of river, I have a pole about 10 ft high. Other side I have a post with a good anchor behind it, about 50 ft high on the hill side. Between the two, I strung two strands of barbed wire. Wires were hung down from that to support a electric fence tape. This has been up about 20 years, but tape was always getting broke. Last year I strung a other strand of barbed wire high enough that I could stand in River and reach it. That is insulated at ends as well as on support wires comming down from the suspension wires. It is hooked to a fencer
From that wire, I hung electric fence tape down to about 2 ft above the water. I put one about every foot. It took lots of electric fence tape, but been working good. When the wind blows hard, cows could probably walk under, but they don't. My cows know what electric fence tape is and when It is fluttering in the wind, they stay away from it.

Sounds like a good plan to me. In Indiana it is against the law to electrify barbed wire ( thinking seems to be if an animal is caught up in a hot barbed wire they will cut themselves to pieces every time it pulses ) but with it being above the animals I do not see any reason for it being unsafe.

[sandhiller]

The barbed wire keeps the tape in place, and not slidding. most animals will not get hung up in a barbed wire that is 6 or 7 feet off the ground.