Barbed wire woes.....

[Stoof]

Any tips on stretching barbed wire for feeder pens? I will have a four year old with me but I don't think he will be much help. I also can't get my truck close to the feeder because it is to wet. Any old school, one man methods would be greatly appreciated.

[miket]

If you have trees a come along would work

[westtexducks]

How tight do you want it? Do you have fencing pliers? If you want it mediocre tight, grab the wire with the pliers and pull with all of your weight and then start wrapping around the post as you pull. Have built several feeder pens this way. Also do you have t-post corners or do you have wood or pipe set in the ground for the corners? If it is just t-post and is not supported on the corners you will just bend the t-post so their is no real need to pull it to tight.

[Bonesplitter]

Come a long and a "bulldog". Bulldog is designed to clamp onto the wire while you stretch it and tie it off. Dont know the proper name for the device.

[Huntingnut]

How tight do you want it? Do you have fencing pliers? If you want it mediocre tight, grab the wire with the pliers and pull with all of your weight and then start wrapping around the post as you pull. Have built several feeder pens this way. Also do you have t-post corners or do you have wood or pipe set in the ground for the corners? If it is just t-post and is not supported on the corners you will just bend the t-post so their is no real need to pull it to tight.

This ^^^^.

[Dale Moser]

A claw hammer is the simplest way if you're stretching around trees.

[Osceola]

[westtexducks]

have used this gizmo to build miles of fence.

[BowCrazy]

A claw hammer is the simplest way if you're stretching around trees.

Have done this lots before.

[Stoof]

Fencing pliers yes. All T posts. I don't expect it to be fenceline tight but the last one I put up was pretty ghetto. I thought about trying to reinforce the corners with an extra t post set back a little farther on each corner and then wire from the top of the corner post to the base of the extra post is that makes any sense.

[Huntindad]

the one I built last year, I used a come-along with my 4 wheeler. worked pretty well. One thing you may have to do is stretch it as tight as you can. Once it is done and secured... take t-post and push the strands out, making it tighter and drive it in the ground. do this on all sides. Carefull with the little one. Barb wire will getcha.

[westtexducks]

Fencing pliers yes. All T posts. I don't expect it to be fenceline tight but the last one I put up was pretty ghetto. I thought about trying to reinforce the corners with an extra t post set back a little farther on each corner and then wire from the top of the corner post to the base of the extra post is that makes any sense.

That is exactly what you need to do. I would run one from the top and one from the middle to the bottom of the support post. Then it will allow you to really pull it tight. You can get a fence decently tight by just pulling with the pliers and pulling and wrapping at the same time with body weight and leg strength. Also I would put up the bottom strand first and stretch it and then move up to the next strand and so on. That way you are not fighting with the strands above you when you try to wrap it around itself.

[Tmag]

If you have trees a come along would work

This!^^^^ ATV with a winch will work too.

[Stoof]

Limited trees pretty far off and no ATV.
I am slowly formulating a plan of attack.
Thanks for the tips; I should be able to get this done.

[crittergitter]

Any tips on stretching barbed wire for feeder pens? I will have a four year old with me but I don't think he will be much help. I also can't get my truck close to the feeder because it is to wet. Any old school, one man methods would be greatly appreciated.

if your pen does not have to be straight try this. run your wire from one corner post to the other as tight as you can.

use other t post to push the wire out tight in between the two corner post.