Shade Cloth

I wonder if I could get some feed back on shade cloth. I see a lot of the "typical" type of shade cloth. Which is very tightly woven. But I am seeing more of the shade cloth that is more like a snow guard fence. It has a mesh look to it with 1-2" holes.


 


What are the pros and cons of each? I hear farmers say the traditional stuff is very difficult to manage with high winds. Ripping off the fence, and in some cases even bending fences. With that characteristic about it, could it also create a wind barrier that would make it difficult for fog to travel through when fogging for EHD?


 


I like the thought of the mesh type shade cloth but wonder if I am over looking something. I can see potential for antlers getting tangled. But could that be avoided by planning the placement of bucks and mounting the cloth on the outside of the fence where bucks will reside?


 


It seems a bit cheaper as well. About 30 dollars for a 50 ft. roll.


 


Give me your input. Thanks in advance.

My thoughts, shade cloth prevents visibility (outside looking in or so bucks doesn't see the does). I would hold the cloth 6" off the ground and just high enough so bucks can't see over. I would also back the cloth with a smaller wire so the cloth can't move. The cloth I would put on the doe side so that the bucks doesn't wrap a big section of cloth around their antlers.


The grid type material I would use to prevent fawns from sticking their heads through the wire and pulling ear tags.


Just my thoughts still learning others might have other good ideas or different but important uses for this material.


Hope this helps.

I've used ground cover. Its black and you can't see threw it at all. I've heard of guys spraying there shade cloth to kill the midge fly since there range of flight is 4-6 feet off the ground. Much cheaper than shade cloth I believe it was 100$ for 300 feet. If you decide to put anything up use 1x1 boards to fasten to fence the more surface area the better.

Where are you using shade clothe and Why? There are usually better more permanent solutions & options for most applications.

Purposes for our farm:


 


1. I have one section of fence that I would like to keep outsiders from looking in. Maybe use a solid cloth for this section.


2. I want to have some sort of clearly visible object on the fence for the deer to see if they get spooked. (we have some non-bottle fed does) I imagine running full speed a wire fence might be difficult to see especially in lower lights. Might help keep deer from running into the fence.


3. To keep the deer from seeing each other. I can see that being a benefit.


4. I want to cloth the ally to keep the deer moving one direction and not trying to dart to the side. If the only direction they see is forward then hopefully that's the way the go.


 


In most of these cases I think the mesh would work. I appreciate any input.

I used to have a bunch of shade cloth up and to be honest, when it hits the ground it goes to the trash. If you live in the hills where there is no wind you will be fine but if you have wind you will have constant issues. And you will be stretching your fence again in a few years. Yes its nice on the nice days but my days of fighting it are gone

I don't use shade cloth anywhere near deer. If things start to get dry they start to eat it even when there is still some feed left in the paddocks. It's a killer. I use second hand corrugated roof sheets 2.4 m ( 8ft ? ) high as fence in pressure areas instead of plastic. 


 


Sharkey

1) Deer can see the fence. I would worry MORE about putting it halfway up and leaving the top without it. That is sure death in my eyes.


2)Deer eat the stuff when it starts to get tattered (and it WILL.and they will) and they can't digest it. Certain death again


3) it gets ripped up by rain...wind etc. If you get snow and ice you will find it ripped down


4) it is high maintenance...and expensive...then there's the clips ;-)

I threw most all my mesh away.  I have lost does from eating it.   I now use the solid plastic from the "deer store".  It's 30 mil thick and it does not tear and the deer won't eat it.  I set my posts at 12 feet and I also use 1x4 green treated every 4 foot.  I sandwich the plastic and the fence with [2] 1x4's.   I don't use clips.  Wood and screws only.  This plastic is solid and needs to be well braced.  I have all holding areas lined and all my fence by the highway.  It works great.  I have had it up for years and see no problems.  I am in a high wind area.   I use 6 ft heights in alleys and have no problems with deer trying to go over it.  I have 8 foot in holding pens.  I am going to try 4 foot in some alleys.  Without high pressure, I think it will be fine.

I would recommend leaving a 1" horizontal gap 36" above the ground in alleys and corrals that deer are worked through with solid walls. They will look through the gap for a way out instead of jumping for the top edge. They also move along much better because of the gap.

In regards to gaps/vision.  I have found that once inside the shed (10m x 14m )sambar, rusa, & red deer settle faster if they can see around & see other deer & myself. This is not the case for chital or fallow though, although I still work them in the same inside breaking down yards just not in the same way. I have four 3,5m x 3.5m draughting /holding rooms to the right of a central lane way (1.5m wide 14m long, it also can be broken down into several 1.5m x 2m rooms using doors)) in my shed. I find this size room the best for draughting & sorting deer. Larger rooms often require another person, although I have four outside yards (corrals?) which are 3.5m X 7m & I can break down largish mobs & still draught out individual deer by myself in these. The inside draugting rooms are solid until 1.2m (4ft) & then horizontal 50mm (2inch) pipe with 50mm gaps between till the ceiling 2.4m (8ft). On the left of the central lane way is my work area with crush & scales, this also has the same horizontal steel pipe from 1.2m to the ceiling. This way the deer & I can watch each other I can talk to them & i believe they settle much faster this way. At the back left hand section of the central lane way is my dark rooms (solid walls to the ceiling). This can be opened up into a single room (4m x 7m) if I'm preparing deer for a few days prior to transport. Or it can be broken down into two, three or four separate rooms using the doors. From the dark room I can load out deer up the ramp attached, return them to the outside yards or the lane ways so they can wander home, or run them into the crush & scales. These yards are designed to work on animals from little hog deer to elk with just one operator. I have never worked whitetail deer like this though.


 


A gap/light at floor level is also a good way to keep deer from jumping, particularly with fallow I've noticed. What I have also seen done a few times is having a slatted floor in the dark rooms with the only source of light coming up from the gaps in the floor. It works but only briefly as after a few minutes the deer seem to become accustomed to it & can start to behave badly again.


 


Good yard design is so important.

Sharkey

Your terminology is different than ours but I follow you. Crush= squeeze etc.

The whitetails are very edgy compared to elk or mule deer. I haven't worked any other species before except whitetails. I have only interacted with others in the wild. Your facility sounds interesting.

GOOD STUFF

Bell994061415235594



Sharkey

Your terminology is different than ours but I follow you. Crush= squeeze etc.

The whitetails are very edgy compared to elk or mule deer. I haven't worked any other species before except whitetails. I have only interacted with others in the wild. Your facility sounds interesting.




I have an idea in my head that they may be something like chital/axis or fallow to work with. It would be interesting to hear from others who have experience with these & whitetail to see if they can make a comparison.


 


Sambar are my most "interesting" ones to work with. They are wonderful in the paddock & move through gates & lanes well , but in the shed if they loose their patience they are dangerous, they have a temper far worse than a cranky elk & are the only true "defender" in all of the deer species. I have allowed for some "protected contact" & have walkways above the central lane & holding pens. I won't yard sambar stags in hard antler (interesting as being Asian they all don't follow a seasonal cycle either), even the hinds can be dangerous right throughout the year if they are treated badly.


 


As you pointed out it can be a bit more work to build in gaps in walls of lanes & yards but it is a really good way to prevent bad behaviour & reduce stress on the animals & handlers. Do whitetail settle faster if they can see others, even if they aren't in the same room?


 


The only whitetail deer left in Australia now are a few does at a Zoo outside Melbourne. The last buck was in private hands & he died a few years ago. Attempts were made to bring the does to him but the zoo wouldn't co operate & no semen was drawn, so that is it. We have also found EHD antibodies in deer down here (no clinical cases though) so even if we could get the permits to import some I doubt there would be any investors.


 


Sharkey

While working whitetails in the handling facility I have noticed that the deer that are tame that have not been bottle fed become the most defensive and prone to attack both doe and bucks.

Seeing another deer does calm them somewhat. A deer by itself is much more nervous than two. Most are followers. Lower light calms them the most.

I have it around all my pens. It works well near the road to deter people from stopping and staring into the pens. I have not had any problems with wind but my fence is very solid. You HAVE to put it on the outside of the fence in buck pens or they will shed it as soon as they shed their velvet. If they shred it, you will have a deer witty a particular affinity to the cloth and will chew on it (I have two and they are related so maybe certain lines like it, lol). I use the green cloth and clips that Henry Martin sells. I do think it prevents the deer from crashing the fence as much and if they do, there heads don't get caught in the fence stays. I will probably take all mine down and just place it on the outside of the perimeter. I didn't have designated buck and doe pens when I started so the bucks have shredded much of it. However, my new buck pen looks great because I learned from my prior mistakes.

John a simple second run of fence with a 4' buffer space between buck or breeding pens will stop nearly all bucks from using their horns to fight or damage the fence. Evergreens and tall ornamental grasses can be planted as a permanent sight barrier. The grasses will grow enough in one summer to block the view into pens. Cedars and pines under planted with burning bushes, low grow sumac, and forsythia create an attractive sight barrier. The contrast of the yellow flowers in the early spring with the green pines color is nice. In the fall the red burning bushes color looks beautiful with pines green hues. The look out at your animals will also be easier on the eyes. Deer can jump much higher when shade clothe is on the fence and the top edge is defined by it.

Bell,  I have planted both ornamental grasses and pines as a barrier.  Next I'll probably add some black eyed susans for color.  My bucks don't rub the shade cloth to fight they like to rub their velvet on the fence.

I too like Black-eyed Susan in front of tall grasses with pines. Don't overlook low grow sumac. It has beautiful fall colors. The deer will keep ever thing chewed back off the fence. They keep the inside trimmed into a nice flat hedge row.

Where did you buy your ornamental grass & black-eyed Susan seed at ? And what is the price for it ?


 


Thanks Joe