# setting posts in swamp?



## ontario hay man

Hey guys. Im a bit stuck on how im going to build my page wire fence through a swamp. It is very wet and water logged. I dont think i can get the post pounder truck through it and probably not the tractor either. Looks like its dig by hand. What i need to know is once i get the holes dug what should i fill the holes in with? the mud wont work so should i use small stones? there will be a spot that needs braces and i want it to be solid. Thanks


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## deadmoose

How many posts in the swamp? Dump a bag of quickrete in after the post is in then fill with gravel.


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## ontario hay man

Im thinking about 20 posts. If i could determine how far down to the hardpan i could get a high hoe to plunk them in but i dont figure i need that much iron 4 feet in slop lol


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## Farmerbrown2

What about a digging bar make a hole then drive in with a 20lb sledge a guy up the road put a couple hundred posts in that way and I'm talking 4 to 5 inch post. If its that wet won't your cows get stuck in the mud? Here on the east coast they (the gov.) pay to put up fence around those areas.


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## ontario hay man

The cows seem to be able to bog through it. Whats a digging bar?


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## hillside hay

A digging bar is the only way I've ever built fence. 15lb. steel bar with a sharpened squared off section at one end. Any chance you couldmake that area a pond?


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## slowzuki

Here you some times have to rock in posts in swamp, page wire is bad in swamp if you have a turn too, just pulls the posts out over time no matter what.


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## ontario hay man

It is a turn around a pond. I was going to let them into the pond area put grandpa owns that piece and put an end to that. Bit of a piss off. It would take 50 feet on high flat ground if i could let them in opposed to 500 feet around the thing.


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## carcajou

Any chance you could go with high tensile over the swamp? Set a few long posts at the corners?


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## ontario hay man

I might have to resort to that. Im doing the rest of the farm with page wire because im absolutely sick of electric fence. The weeds grow up and ground it out and i have no time to trim it. The cows have been out more times this year then they have in 20. Im done with electric.


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## ontario hay man

So i have a digging bar after i google what they look like. Just never called it that. So just chip away at the hole with it til its deep enough instead of digging by hand? would one of those hand post hole diggers help?


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## carcajou

When i have to fence through swampy, wetter areas i usually go around them in the summer with temp fencing. I go back in the winter after the ground is frozen on top and screw in piles with the skid steer. About the only way i know to keep them in the ground, posts just push back up and need attention every other year or so. A piling screwed down 5 ft seems to stay put. My yearlings don't seem to respect a barb wire/page wire fence till i get them trained to a very hot wire, then damn near anything will keep them in.


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## ontario hay man

Its normally passable with machinery. This year has just been so wet we have no shot. Maybe i should just see what next year brings.


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## carcajou

And we are having the hottest, most dry summer ever. Go figure.


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## ontario hay man

If you send that hot weather on a one way trip east we might be able to git r dun next month.


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## swmnhay

REA and pole barn builders have gone to using pea rock around posts.Probably work in your situation also??


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## ontario hay man

Ya i could try that. I was thinking stones about an inch or 2. Maybe i will get lucky and it will dry up some. It was dry for a week in july then a 3 inch rain screwed that plan lol. I wonder how one of those ice fishing augers would work?


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## IHCman

I don't think I'd try an ice auger to dig the holes. I don't think the transmission on it is strong enough, might wreck your ice auger.

In the past if I've had to dig a hole in swampy ground I used a spade or a post hole digger. Not much fun digging in mud when it sticks to your digger. Usually packed the post with gravel when done or dry sand.

I spent two summers working for a neighbor that did custom fencing and we drove a few posts in swampy areas with a 14lb maul. Not a lot of fun to stand on an atv trying to keep your balance while swinging that maul.

I've gotten tired of wood posts pushing out in those wet areas and have started building corners out of drill stem. Use a wheatheart post pounder to drive em in. If its too wet to get in with the tractor then I usually wait till it drys out.


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