Keeping your critters

For some people, securing outdoor animals in pens or shelters seems very difficult. We need to do this to protect them from the elements and keep them out of our neighbor’s property, but sometimes our less responsible or more unlucky neighbors need a little help with this. Traditional fencing materials like beams, posts, and chain link can be very expensive. As someone who grew up off the grid during my childhood and wanting to be frugal in my adulthood, I've learned some lower-cost techniques for safe and humane animal containment that don't require draining the bank.

When you hear electric fencing, you imagine complex electrical setups and parge wires, maybe even with barbed wire as an addition to it. In reality, a single electric wire strung around the perimeter of your property, connected to an inexpensive solar or battery-powered fence charger, can keep most animals in or out for a fraction of the price you think. Plastic step-in posts every 10 feet are sufficient to hold the wire and only cost a few dollars each. It's crucial to insulate the wire so your animals don't receive a shock, and to check the fence daily until they learn its boundaries. Within a week, even stubborn goats or horses will respect the barrier.

For smaller animals like chickens or rabbits, poultry netting makes an affordable pen that's durable and predator-proof. Sold in long rolls at most local hardware stores, the plastic-coated wire mesh only costs around $20-30 for enough to surround a 10x10 foot area. Simply secure the netting to posts or poles around the perimeter and your animals will be safely contained. Look for 1x2" or 1x3" openings to keep out weasels, hawks, and other predators that could threaten smaller livestock. You run a beam across the length of the pen and drape some over the top to keep those airborne threats away. The more the material reflects light the better, as owls and hawks tend to avoid flashy lights or material.

If you have access to natural materials, you can build simple pens at virtually no cost. Willow branches, which readily take root when planted, make long-lasting, living fencing ideal for small livestock when woven into fences or panels. Pruned branches from fruit trees like apples or cherries also root easily and grow quickly to form a natural barrier. Interweave branches between posts until about waist high, then reinforce with twine or baling wire. Within a year or two, these fences become completely self-supporting.

For larger animals, barbed wire or plain wire and T-posts provide a very affordable option if installed properly. Tension is key to keeping the fences up, as larger animals can easily flex loose cable and step over it. Be sure to wrap the end-posts deep in the ground. Consider adding a single strand of electric wire at the top as a deterrent if your animals are prone to testing boundaries. Caution is needed with barbed wire, so only use if you're experienced handling it safely. Razor wire is never necessary, simple basic barbed wire is sufficient. You can also reach out to local ranches or stores and see if they have remnant sections you could buy for less and just use multiple lengths to connect two posts at a time until you make the whole way around.

On the smallest budget, simple panels made of scrap wood or salvaged pallets can work for chickens, rabbits, or sheep. Nail, drill, or wire-tie panels together into portable kennel-style pens and move them daily to fresh pasture. Be sure materials are safe for animals by removing nails and not using splintered wood. Watch for gaps they could escape through, or for indications that they are eating through the wood. These DIY solutions last for several months until you save up for something more permanent, and some people stretch it for years. Pallets are a little more difficult to locate, but don’t give up. I have had my best luck working with roofing sales sites to buy skid pallets that metal roofing comes on – those are typically around 3.5-ft by 11-ft. Most companies want to sell their pallets these days, so reach out to contractors you may know or construction material recycling organizations like the ReStore in Anchorage or the Matsu Valley Rebuild Materials Center locally in Palmer.

You are the steward of your animals. Keep them safe, and keep your relationship with your neighbor happier.

Christian M. Hartley is a 40-year Alaskan resident with over 25 years of public safety experience and public service. He runs a freelance business, Big Lake Writer, from home in Big Lake that he shares with his wife of 19 years and their three teenage sons.