Don't Fence Me In

(entrance to the sheep pen)

We have a little bit over an acre and it was pretty much just one paddock when we arrived. Over the past 18 months there has been quite a bit of fencing to do, creating a garden/house yard, making the boundaries secure and fencing off a paddock for the sheep. Having sheep also means having a penning area in order to be able to catch them for shearing, health inspection and slaughtering. They don't like corners much and this curved fence above is a good visual for them. It was made from "give-away" timber - an old pool fence someone was dismantling. 

The other side of the sheep catching pen is created by this existing foundation wall from the ruined cottage at the bottom of the property. Over many years, quince and plum trees have grown through an abandoned wire fence above the stone wall and created an impenetrable yet natural looking barrier so we are working with what we've got and saving where we can.

A tall pine tree has been chopped down while the Golden Child was home to help his father and they created a "wall" with the cut logs and made a partition for the compost heap by weaving the limbs. Again, natural, effective,cost efficient and it solved the dilemma of getting rid of tree waste.

Both are pretty solid yet temporary. They are easily shifted should needs change.

And since we've been here, needs have changed and our garden is as fluid as it was in our last place. Already the shearer has decided that we need more room for the vegetables and extended the house yard, employing old gates and recycled timber sourced cheaply from someone dismantling an old deck. These sort of projects cost only a few dollars for the gate fittings as we still have wire left over from the boundary fencing.

The Golden Child and I spent a lovely day together while he was here, dividing off some of the fowl yard for the young chicks as they grow through. Again, the posts, rails and even the wire is all recycled from previous applications and the only cost was the screws and staples. This will also give us the flexibility to have guinea fowl or quail if we desire later down the track.

The fowl yard as you know is made entirely from recycled material and I've posted about it here if you would like to see more photos. At the back of this yard is a little drop door that we can leave open for the fowl to access the paddock and free-range all day. Thus they are fenced from the house yard but have access to the paddock.

So many reasons and needs for fencing and many ways to do it. The boundary fences are properly strained and needed to be secure and have cost the most of course but otherwise, it is possible to be quite resourceful. One man's trash is another man's treasure.