Irrigation and Fence work

Irrigation went much better today.  Late morning I moved the long line of irrigation pipes.  Much easier to move when one moves each pipe only 60 feet.  I also replaced the bad sprinkler and replaced a 20 foot pipe with a 40 foot pipe.  At the end of the day I had some energy left so I moved one of the two lines I will switch to using tomorrow.  The field wasn't as muddy as I expected.

The irrigated part of the field already looks to be taller and better.  It may be my imagination as this seems to quick too be true.

I also moved the haybine out of the path of the new sprinkler line.  No sense getting it wet.  I tested the PTO running the haybine.  It works.  I need to get the hydraulic couplers off the disc as the couplers on the haybine don't fit my tractor.

I also completed (for now) the fence rebuild between the corral and the hayshed.  The old fence was the worst fence on the ranch.  The fence was so bad that for the past year I have been using corral panels to shore up the fence. Something always came up to prevent me from rebuilding the fence.  I don't really have time now but I decided to rebuild part of the fence anyway.  I used the reason that I will place the stuff inside the hayshed south of the hayshed once I clean the hayshed out in order to place the hay inside there.  So I rebuilt the part of the fence next to the hayshed so I wouldn't have to move the stuff again once I do rebuild the fence.

Like everything here my short rebuild took longer than expected due to distractions and extra additions to the rebuild.

First, I forgot the railroad tie post I had placed next to the hayshed a few years ago when I first planned on rebuilding the fence, was a foot away from the hayshed.  A foot away in case I need to do work on the hayshed wall.  Therefore I needed longer boards as I wanted the boards to be inches away from the hayshed to prevent any cattle from trying to squeeze through a foot open space.

I work with the boards I salvaged.  I have 7 1/2 ft, 8 ft, 11 ft and 16 ft boards.  I found four 11 foot boards.

The second addition was adding a wooden fence post halfway in between the two railroad ties posts 10 ft apart.  The 11 ft boards are solid, but not that solid that I wanted to trust that long of a space to a cow pushing on the boards.

The third addition was seeing the gap between the boards and noticing how some cows or calves would put their head through the gap to eat grass on the other side.  I have a number of wire panels so I cut sections and nailed them up to the boards.

I only planned to make three fence section but having switched from using the 8 ft boards to using the 11 ft boards, I had the 8 ft boards there to use.  So I did.  I placed them on the other side - the side that starts at the gate.

Because the sprinkler line comes to the fence I wanted to finish the partial rebuild before turning the sprinklers on.

I did.  For the most part.  I have some finishing work to do once I get more fence staples.  I did take down half of the old fence before I decided to quit for now and finally turn this sprinkler line on.

Donna was surprised I was making the fence so strong here.  Was I planning to put bison in this part of the pasture?  No.... but that's an idea.


I forgot to take a photo of the front side of the fence.  It is nicer looking.

It is an optical illusion as the gap left to be built is 27 feet.  The three sections along the hayshed are also 27 feet.  The section on the right is 8 feet.

In the following photo you can kind of see the pathetic old fence.

Dad would 'patch' and reinforce old fences with baling twine.  I may still have a couple odds and ends of twine on other fences, but this fence was the last large twined area.