Installing Alpaca Paddock Fence

Like most ranchers I’m sure we spent our Labor Day weekend hard at work.  With a new cria due any week now it was long past due to put in field fence.  The last thing I’d want is for a healthy cria to be born just to sneak under the fence and into the horse paddock!

While I worked on taking down the old and installing the new the girls got to enjoy a temporary graze on my “lawn”.   I used, SunGuard II Fiberglass step in posts, Kencove electric twine and a nice wheel winder to make it easier to handle the twine.  Oh, mental note; when using the winding wheels they are fully insulated so if you don’t use all the 800 feet of twine just keep the rest on the wheel, hand the wheel on a nail or something and electrify the fence!  Saves the hassle of cutting your twine just to want it longer the next time you put up a temp paddock. 

Tractor Supply had a great sale on field fence.   Red Brand Field Fence, some t-post clips, and a few wedge-loc diagonal brace kits and I was ready to go.   We decided to take out the old fence totally, grade out the area to level it off and re pound all the t-posts.  I opted to use t-posts instead of wood because our barn is old and located in a bad spot so some day it’ll have to come down and all the fence will have to be moved again.

I’m very happy with the finished look.  The field fence is 47” high and we topped it off with a strand of hot rope.  This way my nosy horses keep their heads on their side of the fence and feet off of it too.


If any of you moved into an old farm and had to work with what was left over after years of neglect you’ll appreciate the first few photos.