Does it have splits or cracks? The average length of oil fi eld pipe is 31 feet, with a minimum of 29 feet and a maximum length of 31.6 feet.” Know what you are buying in galvanized pipe as
well. The ideal pipe is hot-dipped inside and out. Check to see if it is galvanized outside and painted inside. Is it a second because of splits or lumpy galvanization? Has it been subjected to salt spray? Determine the wall thickness. Schedule 40 and SS20 are the best. Galva- nized pipe typically comes in 21- and 24-foot lengths. When selecting timber for posts, always use round
over milled, because it dries more uniformly and is less likely to warp. Never use landscape timbers or 4x4s, because they are not treated with a wood preservative for below-ground use. Be aware that wood treated with alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ) accelerates corro- sion of metal fasteners and fence wire compared to untreated wood. CCA, a mixture of copper, chromium and arsenic
oxides, is one of the most commonly used wood preser- vatives for pressure treatment of fence posts. Retention rates of 0.40 and 0.60 pounds per cubic foot (pcf) CCA are recommended by the American Wood Protection Association (AWPA) for fence posts. The commonly used CCA retention rate is 0.40. If
the ranch is near the Gulf of Mexico, or in other areas where wood rots in a short period of time, you might want to consider 0.60 pcf. Ask for mill certifi cation
as to what wood preser- vative treatment is being purchased. The white sapwood
and bark rot away in ce- dar posts, leaving the red heart. Redberry juniper is less susceptible to rot than is blueberry juniper. It is found in southwest- ern Oklahoma, western Texas, southeastern New Mexico, southern Arizona and northeastern Mexico. Commonly called redberry cedar, it dominates the area between Kerrville and Leakey. Blueberry cedar, also known as blueberry juniper
Ask how deep the contractor intends to put the line and brace posts.
If a contractor has a problem
with questions, hire a different person.
or Ashe juniper, is most commonly found in the Cen- tral Texas region. Although blueberry cedar rots faster than redberry, it produces the straightest fence posts and is usually less expensive. In the fence post busi- ness, redberry juniper is often called western cedar and blueberry juniper is called eastern cedar. Braces are the foundation of a fence; so do it correctly and use good materials.
Fence contractor “Ranchers often use contractors to build fence in
order to avoid diverting ranch hands from other im- portant tasks. When taking bids for fence-building, ask the contractor to list the types of materials he will use and the depths at which he will set the posts. This information will allow bid comparison on an ‘apples to apples’ basis,” Brown recommended. “If there is a large dollar variance between the bids, fi nd out why. It may result from differences in post spacing or in the way braces will be built. Ask how deep the contractor intends to put the line and brace posts. If a contractor has a problem with questions, hire a different person.” Fences play a huge role in successful ranching. They
can aid in biosecurity, keep breeding programs intact, reduce liability from cattle on roads and highways, pro- vide opportunities for fenceline weaning, add to ranch esthetics, and make good neighbors. Because of their many functions, it is important to use good materials and build them right.
tscra.org June 2015 The Cattleman 91
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