The Frugal Homesteader Pt. 2 (Pallet Fence)

One of the most daunting challenges of our homestead experience has undoubtedly been fencing. When we bought our property there were some things already in place that were obviously going to save us time and money, but a fence was not one of them. There was a barn with several built-in chicken coops, a huge outbuilding/garage, and frost free hydrants in good locations. It was like someone had thought of just about everything. Everything except for a good perimeter fence. I don't think this even occurred to me at the time. After searching for two years we needed a place (like yesterday), the price was right, the location was good, and we jumped at it. Chickens were naturally the first "barnyard" animals we acquired. One of the existing coops has a small door which leads outside into an enclosed (with chicken wire) and covered space, about 8'x12' in size. This sits in the space between the barn and Garage. If closed off by fence, the space between the buildings would make a great chicken yard about 30'x50' in size.

Wanting only the best for our feathered friends, I decided to make it a priority to fence this area in and give the birds some space. The only obstacle was that little four letter word...CASH. I simply did not have the money to go to the local farm store and buy chicken wire, T-posts, lumber, screws, fencing staples or any other common items needed to build a traditional fence. What I did have was something I had been collecting over time and had quite stash of...PALLETS!!

I had found a good, consistent source for pallets that summer at a local beer distributing warehouse. Sometimes they have no pallets and sometimes I can fill my pickup bed and trailer with no room to spare. I would just swing by if I was in the area and had a large supply of pallets in no time. I also had a container of 3" deck screws I had salvaged while disassembling a hot tub deck for a family member. Most of the screws had enough life left in them for one more project.

(I happened to have a pic of the back section of fence with the outdoor coop in the foreground)

After buying a latch and hinges and an 8ft 4x4 post for bracing the gate, I had a functional fence for about $20. Now this wasn't the prettiest fence. In fact I was a little embarrased at first, but my wife @clickinchicken thought it had character. Most importantly, it was affordable and it kept chickens in the yard!

The pallet fence no longer stands in the Garden of the Goats. Why? Because we acquired goats. I am now finishing a more traditional fence with posts and livestock panels. The pallet fence would not have held against goats, but it was never intended for goats. It was made for a specific purpose and it served that purpose well.

(Here my daughter is helping me set the posts for the new fence as the pallet fence nears the end of its well served purpose)

How About You?

• Have you had a situation that required a little creativity to solve a problem that had to be done "on the cheap"?

Feel free to comment and share your experiences an suggestions!

-Kerry