Putting in a supporter post.

While workin' hard on the farm today, I decided to take pictures of the steps for putting in a post and make a "how to" blog about it... just for fun :)

See, I just put my boar hog back in with my sow for breeding but one area of my pen needed to have some better support (because my pigs are a lot bigger now then the first time I bred them). So I put in a middle post at the south panel and set up boards all around the panel tops. Listed below are my pictures of the tools you will need and the steps you should take for putting up a fence post.

Love is in the air... Left to right: Jingle Bells and Plan B

My Dad and brother helped put up the top boards first.

My boar hog "Plan B" weighs about 700 lbs.

The tools you'll need: A pair of post hole diggers and something to chop up any roots you might come across.

First, take your post hole diggers and dig your hole down deep enough for your post to be sturdy once packed in. (In other words, you don't want your post sticking up to high above your fence)

Once your hole is dug to fit your post, start filling in the hole with the dirt you dug out.

After each new layer of dirt you put in the hole, gently pour some water in with it to help pack it down.

After adding a layer of dirt and water, tamp down the dirt around the post to make it more secure. (I used the handle of my root cutter to tamp down the dirt... probably not the safest thing to do but I couldn't find my tamper at the moment.)

Once you've filled your hole and made sure your post is secured satisfactorily, you can start securing your fence to your new post.

You'll need: a hammer, a screwdriver(not pictured here, sorry), screws for the board, and staple nails for the panel. I used three inch screws. I only had smooth stable nails but I prefer the barbed kind, they drive better and hold better.

I screwed in my top board first for upper support. (I use an impact screwdriver.)

Then I nailed my panel to the post. I put a nail every other wire. Note: I drove the nail over the vertical wire, not the horizontal wire, this method helps prevent the panel from slipping when a hog rubs/lays against it.

While hammering in the nails, it's a good idea to have someone push against the post as you hammer so that you don't knock your freshly packed post loose from the ground (because the ground hasn't had time to finish setting yet). But if you're alone, you can wrap your arm around the post and pull it to you as you hammer.

My finished post job.

Alright! You now have the basics for putting up an extra post for your livestock pen, good luck and happy farming! :)

~RebelYell