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[Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>]

>  Alas, TMEN has removed the photos
> of the chicken moat that show the wood posts and elegant corner
> bracing on that project.

My mistake. Starting at:

http://www.motherearthnews.com/multimedia/image-gallery.aspx?id=112728&seq=0

and then clicking down at the lower-right, they do have two more of my  
original photos,
which do show some of the wood posts. It is hard to see, but the  
outside corner posts are braced with horizontal beams and the inner  
corner post is joined by a loop of heavy wire that is twisted for  
appropriate tension. This shows on the drawing. This design proved to  
be solid as long as the moat was used. I eventually tore it all out  
and redesigned the garden. That's when I found the cedar posts to be  
all rotted away except for the skinny heart wood, with little red  
spikes pointing out, the former centers of branches. The whole thing  
had stayed solid because, as all fence builders know, two strong  
corners will hold up a long stretch of fence.

To make full disclosure, I must say that I dislike fences. I don't  
like building them, I don't like maintaining them, and I don't like  
having them impede my way. That is not why I don't raise large  
animals, but it is a bonus.