Low-Cost Tire Fence

Low-Cost Tire Fence TIRES/WHEELS Miscellaneous 27-4-35 When Gerald Michaud expanded his cattle handling facilities he went looking for economical, durable fencing at a low cost. He got what he wanted by building a "tire fence" out of 9-ft. high earth-moving tires. The fence measures 330 ft. long and is designed in a semi-circular shape that allows the movement of cattle from either side into his handling facility. He obtained 37 tire sidewalls at a cost of just $200, which was the trucking fee to his farm. Each sidewall is 9 ft. in diameter and weighs about 1,000 lbs. He used a backhoe equipped with a narrow bucket to dig a 12-in. trench along the fence line. He then set the second sidewall in the reverse position end-to-end to the first one, overlapping slightly. He used 6-in. lag screws to fasten the tires together. "The big tires have a 5-ft. dia. bead," he says. "That meant I still had a 5-ft. dia. hole in each sidewall that I covered with smaller diameter tires that are bolted to the big ones." To discourage animals from trying to jump across the "valleys" between the tires, he bolted a 1 by 6 between them. Soil was then backfilled into the trench about 18 in. above ground level. The backfill further discourages animals from testing the fence, and it provides a solid wall to hold feed from his bale shredder that's unloaded next to the sidewalls. It also allows rain and snow melt to drain away from the tires. "We've used it for three years with no problems," says Michaud. "Our bulls are so intimidated by the fence that they don't even try to crawl through or jump over it. The black fence provides an excellent windbreak for calves as the black rubber draws heat from the sun. Calves snuggle against the backfill. My total cost was less than $300." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Gerald Michaud, Box 1979, St. Paul, Alberta, Canada T0A 3A0 (ph 780 645-2520).

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