# cattle panel fencing questions



## edmonds (Dec 19, 2008)

A lot of people on this forum advocate livestock panels as fencing material, especially for bucks. I mostly use electric fencing, and currently have electric wire separating the buck (and bucklings) from the does. Its working fine for now but it may not hold up in rut. So I am thinking about using cattle panels together with an electric wire or two to keep goats off panels.

Questions:

Could I use cattle panels only on the border between the buck and doe pastures and use electric fencing for the other sides of the buck pasture, or do you think the buck would challenge the fence on all sides and not just along the border with the does?

What do you use to fasten the panels to T-posts? Would plastic cable ties work?

What do you do about the 1/2 inch stubs of wire that stick out on both ends of the panels?

What do you use to cut the panels, and then what about sharp edges?

Which side of the T-post do you attach the panels to: the studded side or the T side?

Thanks


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

I don't have answers to all your questions, but re: which side should be strongest, make it the one that's betwixt bucks and does. Last year, our sweet little docile buckling jumped the fence to get to his lady love. 

This year, he's a stinky but still sweet yearling who will probably walk right over that fence when he goes into full rut. 

Plastic cable ties are totally inadequate as sole fasteners of the fence. Maybe they'd be okay reinforcements, but you're better off picking up the fasteners made for attaching fencing to t-posts. I don't recall the name of them, but they're heavy gauge wire, shaped like a "C" with the ends hooked over. Sort of look like miniature water bottle bales.

Fold over sharp ends of wire.

Attach the wire to the posts so that the cross-wires on the fence are on the studded side.


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## farmmom (Jan 4, 2009)

A lot depends on your buck. Mine were separated from the does strictly by electric, and never had a problem, but not all are that way. The cattle pannels can be put on t-posts, I would think the reallly heavy duty zipties would work, but I would make sure the panel was on the same side of the post as the buck so he wouldn't stand on the panel and break the ziptie. Honestly, the t-post clips are very inexpensive, so they would be my first choice. Put the panel on the t-side so the zipties are between the studs. This makes it harder for the buck to push up on the panel to try to slip under.

I've cut the panels with a metal blade on a jigsaw, but would probably use my sawzall now that I have one. The sharp edges, I suppose could be sanded, but I just attach them to the end posts where the goats can't get to them.

The ends, I would probably just overlap and use your zipties to hook them together. An electric backup is always great.


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## luvzmybabz (Sep 8, 2008)

If you purchase t posts they should come with pre bent fence clips like a V with tails at the tops take about 2 minutes to put on.

In theory depending on if you have access to electric where you are building the pen you can use a grinder to file down the edges, you can you bolt cutters to cut the panels. I say in theory because I have asked for hubby to do this for 2 years and I still catch clothing or sometimes skin on those stinking metal burs.

We put our cattle panels on the studded side with the panel between the post and the animal for additional support. 

Cattle panels cost more then wire fencing but I have seen what some goats did to wire fencing prior to deciding what we were going to use. We started out with what we could afford and add 2 or 4 panels which can greatly enlarge the area if you start small.

You can also use a cut peice of cattle panel as a gate with the screw type D rings as hinges and a double ended clip on the other side.

PS plastic zipties can become brittle in the sun after a couple of summers I had to replace many on my chicken coup this summer.


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## KimM (Jun 17, 2005)

edmonds said:


> -A lot of people on this forum advocate livestock panels as fencing material, especially for bucks. I mostly use electric fencing, and currently have electric wire separating the buck (and bucklings) from the does. Its working fine for now but it may not hold up in rut. So I am thinking about using cattle panels together with an electric wire or two to keep goats off panels.
> 
> Questions:
> 
> ...


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

We use an electric net between the bucks and does and it has held up 2 years running.
We use cattle panels as part of the perimeter and only run an electric wire if we use shorter panels.
We put the panels on T Posts with wire twists. Cable ties don't hold up well outside and will get brittle. We also make sure the panels are on the side of the post facing the goats which is usually the studded side.


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

I tie mine on the posts with twine


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## edmonds (Dec 19, 2008)

Do you overlap the panels by a few inches or abutt the panel end on the T-post?
Can the T-post clamps fit over 2 panels?


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## Oat Bucket Farm (Jul 28, 2006)

All of my panels are tied to the t-posts with baling twine as well.


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## KimM (Jun 17, 2005)

We overlap by one section, or about 6 inches. Yes the clips will fit over 2 panels but tightly. We use heavy channel locks to grip and sort of ratchet the end of the slip around the panel. I can get a picture if it helps.



edmonds said:


> Do you overlap the panels by a few inches or abutt the panel end on the T-post?
> Can the T-post clamps fit over 2 panels?


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## Laverne (May 25, 2008)

A cordless drill with a grinding head can be used for sharp edges. To use a cattle panel as a gate I use brass snaps and snap it shut at a T post.


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## PNP Katahdins (Oct 28, 2008)

I would suggest using combination panels instead, which have smaller holes at the bottom, to keep kids out too. Cost is a little higher but worth it to us. Our dry lot is made this way. We overlapped the panels a little and made fasteners out of wire pieces cut to the right length. T posts work great with these.

Start with the side between the buck and does. If you have a problem on other sides, do them too.

Peg


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## betsy h. (Sep 28, 2008)

Two words- bull panels.

I use cattle panels for everything. Last year, my old buck decided that he was going to continue to stick his head through the fence, so I had to find another way. Then, I found I needed a panel to put in front of the hay bale so the girls would not break the welds by standing on it.

My local co-op has bull panels which are the same length, but have smaller spaced cross bars, slightly taller and are much heavier gauge. I bought one to use and it works very well, so we are going to buy several to use on the fenceline between the bucks and does for fall. Whew!


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