Expert: Kindred Beisinger penname K D Elizabeth Beisinger - 4/20/2010

Question
Hello.  I have a 3 acre parcel of land which needs to be fenced.  My plans are to have two horses, raise a single steer, milk goats, and perhaps chickens in a coop.  The land is flat and straight with no trees to contend with.  I have been looking at cattle (livestock) panels and tposts as the permanent fence.  I have a solar hot wire system as well.  The panels are 16 feet long and 4 feet tall.  Is this a feasable fence or shoud I really go with a horse nonclimb.  I priced it out and it will be about the same, but if I go with the panels, I could probably do it mostly myself.  I helped my dad make a fence as a child, and it was a total failure.
Any suggestions you have are appreciated.

Answer
Dear Stacy,
I admire your plans, but I will tell you 3 acres with all you have planned will need to be supplemented with quite a bit of hay, even throughout the summer, and if you don't rotate pature, you'll need to keep an eye out for parasites with the livestock.  2 horses will keep 3 acres right down to the ground.  I have a number of cattle panels that I use for fencing, for the same reasons you mentioned.  They are great for goats and calves.  If you use regular fencing the posts would be 10 feet apart, so for animals of any size, you would want to place T posts in the middle of your panels if that's the way you choose to go.  I had a horse that did climb and bend a cattle panel.  She was a good horse and did fine with barbed wire, but if she was in the barnlot with the cattle panels, she climbed on them and bent them.  
I wish you well and much success in your endeavor.
Kind Regards,
KD Liz
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