Will is still working on the floor joists of the new barn, trying to get them all done before winter closes in. (There were more than 90 of them in all! All had to be fit into the support beams to give a flat, level base for the floorboards of the hayloft to be nailed to.)
But, our pigs are getting HUGE and their pen seems smaller every day, so we screwed up a whole bunch of free wood pallets to make a much larger pen. We just have to put a pig hutch together next to the calf barn and we’ll be ready to trailer our piggies down to their new quarters. I’ll be so glad; their old pen is getting pretty yucky with mud and the weather’s getting colder. They’ll like their new, much roomier pen better. Or at least WE will!
Our old chainsaw just got back from the shop. It had been gradually losing power and Will feared for the worst, thinking it was dying. We had saved for a new saw and when we took the old saw in, we picked up a new saw. There is scarcely a day goes by that we don’t use a chainsaw and our old one saw plenty of daily use with the 40 acres of fence posts to be cut to length and pointed, the storage barn being built, four years worth of firewood being cut, the new barn’s timber framing, the calf shed, clearing fence lines, brushing out pasture, etc. It sure didn’t owe us anything! BUT the happy news is that our good old saw wasn’t dying. It only had a carbon-plugged spark arrestor on the muffler, which choked it out. The shop bill was only $27 and we now have two running, dependable saws. We should be good to go for years and years now. It doesn’t take much to make homesteaders happy! — Jackie
Ellendra,
Yes, pigs can be hard on fences; they’re so strong. But neither Will or I have had trouble with our histories of pig pallet fencing. Yes, the fence also works well with sheep, calves and even goats if you use high enough ones. I had a goat shed and fence made all out of pallets and scrap dump lumber in Montana.
Jackie
Dave,
Our new saw is a Husqvarna 445, which replaced our Huskie 345. We like the saw as it’s plenty macho for general homestead use, yet light enough not to hurt our backs.
Jackie
Great idea for a fence! I hope it holds up well. Had to tell you the story of my dads hog pen. He had a problem with his hogs getting out, so finally he put an electric fence where the hog wire was. All it took was one time for the hogs to touch it with their nose, and they would never go close to it again. He left the fence, but turned off the power. Never had another problem!
I’m curious to see how well the pallet fence holds up, I always heard pigs were pretty rough on fences. That style fence sure looks easier and more affordable than the ones I’ve been looking at.
Wonder if it would hold sheep, too, or would they lean on it and try to climb it too much?
The barn is looking great!! I like your idea for the new pig pen. I am doing the same thing to keep critters out of the garden. God bless you and happy thanksgiving.
Hi Jackie,
Great news on your old chainsaw. Could you let us which manufacture and model you new chainsaw. I am in the market for our first chainsaw.
Thanks!
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