Houdini-Proofing a Pasture

When the pasture-burning was completed, Bill traded his pyro equipment for fence repair tools, posts and barbed wire. He’s renting a new pasture this year and all potential escape routes must be eliminated. 

First order of business is to clear small trees and brush away from the fence to create a working area.

No, he’s not trying to cut down this tree with his small saw. That would be like trying to empty a pond with a tablespoon! The target is a thick vine loaded with a gazillion nasty stickers that grew up along the tree truck.

Bill pounds a steel fence post into the ground with a steel post driver. This "post pounder" fits over the fence post and is capped at the top end. Bill lifts it up by the handles and brings it down with heavy force to drive the post into the ground.

He uses wire cutters to twist, then cut a short piece of baling wire that secures the barbed wire to the post. Yes, there are special wire clips for this purpose; but this is an old post, shaped differently than the newer ones, so the clips won’t work.

Securing barbed wire to wood posts is a little different. Bill hammers a fence staple around the wire and into the post. Note to Self: Check his pockets to remove staples before laundering these clothes.

Oops, missed the staple!

Let’s try that again!

Bill uses two claw hammers—“the poor man’s fence stretcher”—to stretch wire around a corner post. He owns a fence stretcher, but in this situation of tight working space and very short length of wire, the hammers work better.

Did you notice Bill’s elbow poking out of a hole in his shirt? This is his “fence-fixing/building” outfit!

Some of the barbed wire is in good shape, just a little saggy; yet not saggy enough to require the time and effort to hook up a fence stretcher. So Bill uses a fence crimper to take up the slack.

The result: a crimped, but tighter, barbed wire fence

Finished! Our bovine Houdini disciples won’t be taking any tours of the neighborhood.

Cricket, the job forewoman, is pleased with the work!

Ahhhh! Time to relax...

...by catching supper!