Rock Cages Make Solid Corner Posts

Rock Cages Make Solid Corner Posts FENCING Miscellaneous 34-2-11 Using rocks for fence corner posts is an old idea that makes sense to a Menahga, Minn., dairy farm family. Over the past 15 years, they have built 32 rock cages, 5 ft. in diameter and 8 ft. tall. "Wooden corner fence posts never seemed permanent enough," says Tony Peeters. "We have to pick the rocks anyway, so it's a good way to make use of them." He had old corncribs that were no longer being used on the farm. He uses wire panels from them to make the rock cages. He places each cage on level ground, slips metal posts inside to wire the fence to, and fills them using rocks with a loader bucket. Peeters, his wife, Terry, and their daughter and five sons pick and load the rocks into the bucket. Because of the size, there isn't any need to reinforce the cage with concrete or steel. "I wanted to make them big enough so there's no way they're going to move," Peeters says. On some, he attached plow lathes to add hinges and hang heavy gates. Holsteins can rub on them all they want, and the cages won't budge. Peeters figures another 15 rock cages will finish off the fenced areas of his 500-acre farm. The corncrib wire has been holding up well, and he picks up old corncribs from neighbors and at sales. "We're really happy with them," Peeters says. "We even put some on low ground." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Tony Peeters, 51405 555th Ave., Menahga, Minn. 56464 (ph 218 385-2068).

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