# Preferred Fencing



## Fowllife

What type of fencing do you guys prefer?

I'm going to be installing some more fence in the spring away froim the home farm and I want something I don't have to worry about, but is still cost effective. I have a 6 wire hi tensile at the home farm that it seems like shorts out somewhere every other week. It will be used mainly for cow/calf pairs, but i may put a buck goat in it on occation. I would like to make sure a small calf can't crawl out if the charger doesn't work for some reason. I was thinking of the following options

Option 1 - 6 wire hi tensile electric with 1 or 2 strands of barbwire. Wood post at 50' o.c. with steel tee post at 17' o.c. Top of fence would be at 48". Would you just use the barb wire in place of hi tensile, or use 8 wires total?

Option 2 - 39" high woven wire cattle fence with i run of barb wire at 48" high. Would the post spacing above work with this? Would I still want 1 or 2 hot wires on the inside?

Option 3 - Better idea ????

My cattle are not fence pushers and do well with electric. When the pasture got short this fall though I did have 1 calf get out twice through a small section of fence that isn't hot.


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## urednecku

I'm not sure about Ohio, but here in central Florida most everybody uses barbwire, 5 or 6 strands. (I like Gaucho brand) I don't exactly remember the spacings, I have a pole with 5 staples on 1 side and 6 on another that my Great Uncle made up so he didn't have to measure each strand on each post. There is some around my place that has been here long as I can remember, but any will have to be checked occasionally.


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## ForemanTX

_I like field fence(48/49") with 2top(0ne that runs with top of field fence and the other close to top of t-post) and bottum run of barbed wirer(runs right at ground level with the field fence)keeps cows from sticking heads under or over and bending over the field fence between post,and use 6 1/2ft t-post. Thats what im going to now days and getting away from the 5strand barbed wirer,so I dont have to worry about the dang calves getting out. Maybe you can see some behind shredder when i was putting it up._


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## Fowllife

Thanks for the input guys. I would like to do field fencing, but running the numbers it just doesn't seem to be very cost effective. I'm leaning towards a electric/barb combo.

What do you space your post at?


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## ForemanTX

Most the time going to be around 12ft,usually just step it out may have to adjust alittle one way or the other so it comes out even.


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## gradyjohn

Just remember a fence is only as strong as its corner post.


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## wheatridgefarmMD

Your 6 wire hi-tensile is a good choice, I would move your spacing in to at least 25 if not 20 foot. Even if the wire shorts out for some reason its more difficult for the cows to split the wires and walk out if your posts are closer. I have built some at 50 40 and 20 and i really like the overall look of the 20 and peace of mind that its more stable.

Ben


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## swmnhay

6' high cement wall.


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## mlappin

wheatridgefarmMD said:


> Your 6 wire hi-tensile is a good choice, I would move your spacing in to at least 25 if not 20 foot. Even if the wire shorts out for some reason its more difficult for the cows to split the wires and walk out if your posts are closer. I have built some at 50 40 and 20 and i really like the overall look of the 20 and peace of mind that its more stable.
> 
> Ben


Have three wires around the perimeter of the pasture, hot-ground-hot, posts where needed to keep the wires from sagging. Get a GOOD fence charger, keep the fence working, if its a good enough charger you can't drive a cow across where it _used to be_.


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## vhaby

Preferred fencing, as most everyone knows, is determined by need. I like field fence, as shown by FOREMANTX, for special situations even though it initially is more expensive. One special situation where it is good for here is that it _should_ keep feral hogs out of a special meadow. So far, there has been extensive hog rooting damage in the hay meadow just outside the field fence with some rooting up to the fence, but none inside the field fenced 8 acres. Used 6.5 ft T-posts spaced 10-ft apart between 4-in diameter treated wood posts spaced 60-ft apart. Have run a single strand of barb-wire at the top of the 48-in field fence, and will wait and see if a strand of barb wire is needed at ground level on the tightly stretched field fence.


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## mlappin

vhaby said:


> Preferred fencing, as most everyone knows, is determined by need. I like field fence, as shown by FOREMANTX, for special situations even though it initially is more expensive. One special situation where it is good for here is that it _should_ keep feral hogs out of a special meadow. So far, there has been extensive hog rooting damage in the hay meadow just outside the field fence with some rooting up to the fence, but none inside the field fenced 8 acres. Used 6.5 ft T-posts spaced 10-ft apart between 4-in diameter treated wood posts spaced 60-ft apart. Have run a single strand of barb-wire at the top of the 48-in field fence, and will wait and see if a strand of barb wire is needed at ground level on the tightly stretched field fence.


I've thought about woven wire along our east property line that butts up to a dirt road that nobody lives on, might keep people from backing in and dumping their junk. Also have thought I'd be mighty upset after spending all the time and money on it if they just backed up and threw the trash over the fence, then I'd _have_ to pick it up instead of shoving it in the road for the county to get.


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## Vol

mlappin said:


> I've thought about woven wire along our east property line that butts up to a dirt road that nobody lives on, might keep people from backing in and dumping their junk. Also have thought I'd be mighty upset after spending all the time and money on it if they just backed up and threw the trash over the fence, then I'd _have_ to pick it up instead of shoving it in the road for the county to get.


I see you also have a "trash" problem too.....thought that might be a Southern thing. Trash dumping trash....like the old ditty goes......."There ain't no lower class than Tennessee Trash." All-time great anti-littering song put out by the Tennessee Dept. of Trans.

Regards, Mike


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## mlappin

Vol said:


> I see you also have a "trash" problem too.....thought that might be a Southern thing. Trash dumping trash....like the old ditty goes......."There ain't no lower class than Tennessee Trash." All-time great anti-littering song put out by the Tennessee Dept. of Trans.
> 
> Regards, Mike


Ain't no trash like white trash.


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## Fowllife

I sharpened the pencil last night just to see where everything fell price wise. I was a little supprised what I came up with. In terms of price per foot it actually came out cheaper for a 4' woven wire fence with 1 strand of barb then for the hi-tensile. Here is a rough breakdown. I excluded gates in the LF price.

Option #1
6 strand hi-tensile with 1 strand of barb (all 12 1/2 ga), RR ties for corner & brace post, 4" wood post @ 50-60', t-post @ 17-20', $300 allowance for solar charger = $0.72/LF

Option #2
48" woven wire (12 1/2 ga with 9 ga top & bottom) with 1 strand of barb on top, RR ties for corner & brace post, 4" wood post @ 50-60', t-post @ 10-13' = $0.75/LF

Granted tho the economy of scale would help the hi-tensile since I would size the charger to power more fence in the future. For the slight difference in price I feel better about the woven, especially after how many coyote tracks I've seen there lately.


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## Fowllife

Yeah, and option #3
6' high concrete wall, 2'x4' footer, 8" thich wall with #4's @ 12" each way. $30/LF + forming labor = ain't gonna happen.....


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## vhaby

Sorry this is so late, but how about this no wood posts, no T posts, no wire, and no concrete fence...


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## Fowllife

vhaby said:


> Sorry this is so late, but how about this no wood posts, no T posts, no wire, and no concrete fence...


I have always loved the look of the old stone fences, there are some in the area. There is a 100 acre pasture about 10 miles from here on a limestone knob that has a stone fence like that, nice herd of herefords running in it. I'm sure it would keep the cattle in, but the goats would have a hay day playing on that.

Fortunitly though, this piece of property has no rocks. It would cost me more to truck them in & longer to build it.


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## urednecku

vhaby said:


> Sorry this is so late, but how about this no wood posts, no T posts, no wire, and no concrete fence...


Like it. But it'd take more than a weekend to put it up!


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## mlappin

vhaby said:


> Sorry this is so late, but how about this no wood posts, no T posts, no wire, and no concrete fence...


I could see some dipshit kid running off the road hitting it, getting injured then their parents would sue the owner of the land for maintaining a hazard.


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## Tim/South

A bordering neighbor has a fence that has to be 75 years old. It seems to have begun as a barb wire fence. Privet hedges took it over many years ago. 
I imagine a hog could get through if he was dedicated.

I have field wire on all my fences. T Posts are 10 feet apart on road frontage and property lines. 12 feet on cross fences.
Any new cross fencing I do will be electric with step in posts.


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## Vol

I would hate to have to spray those sections.....and it looked like there was a good stand of little barley in the photo....that stuff is a nightmare.

Regards, Mike


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## eam77

Fencing--

Everybody needs some electric fencing just to keep your cows trained, but, here, SW Arkansas, nobody can keep their fencerows clean enough for electric fencing in the long term--- not if you have lots of quarters of fences.

I build fences this way- (1) Pipe is way better than crossties, or treated (new) wood for corners, gates, curves, up-and-down. 2-7/8" used oilfield pipe is the best deal-- you must inspect carefully and reject flakey rust, salt well pipe, etc. though. Use 7 feet cuts and install in the ground 30" in a 12" hole. Brace off all end-offs, gate posts, and right angles, using 1" sucker rod (cheapest) or any available sound pipe 1-1/4 in. or bigger. The brace should be 3/4 up on the post, welded to post, then down at a 45o angle. Brace torch-bent (sucker rod, if pipe-miter cut and weld) at 45o in to a 9" post hole about 20" deep. Weld clips on to the post to get a clean tie-off for the wire. The angle brace should be slightly out-of-line to not intefere with the wire path. All steel posts concreted in- I use low quality, low cost, river gravel + river sand + portland. Wire- use 5 strands mostly (4 is sometimes enough) RED BRAND barb wire spaced from the ground 12-10-10-10-10 inches. Use in-line pipe posts in concrete only where there are curves in the fence or up-and-down. Use 1.33#/ft T-posts on about 13 feet centers, and then install fence "stays" (double spiral wire) between posts. (A note about T-posts--hand drive them-easy, easy, if you will arrange to put them in Jan-April). I have streched up to 1/2 mile on a single pull.

I can tell you about a lot of other styles I have tried that worked less well.


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## ontario hay man

6 barb wires is what I would do if electric does not work. Also why do you guys use t posts. Round here you can get a 8'x6" cedar post for $7 which is the same as what it costs for the 7' 'heavy duty' t posts a tsc.


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## Fowllife

I use t post for a couple reasons. The main reason is they are easier to install. I don't have a post driver to drive wood post, so I have to auger a hole, then set the post & tamp it in. It probably takes me 10 minutes or more to set a wood post, I can drive a t post in less then a minute.

"Here" we can't get cedar post. A 4"x8' treated pine post is the same price as a t post. The quality of the wood post sucks, & they don't last as long as the t post do.


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## eam77

Follow-up. I buy 1.33#/ft T-posts for about $5 each- buying a pallet at a time. I have a good bit of standing cedar, but I have never had cedar posts last very long. Round wood posts now last no longer than cedar-- last good ones were creosote.

I rarely have trouble with 5-barb fences--- except for dead trees falling......and, I have had a tornado this year and two years ago. I do use hot fences----- sometimes for temporary, sometimes a single wire hot to supplement a barb wire fence. Really, for my cows, I could put up a one wire barb fence with a few yellow insulators- not even bother to hook up to the charger-- and they will not cross it. Use a good charger and your cows will get trained quick. I use "Patriot" chargers out of Cherokee, OK. They claim 11,000 Volts.


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## ontario hay man

Man that would be some jolt I grabbed mine one day when checking it and dad forgot to unplug it. It was testing at 7000 volts did it ever lift me. Lol


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## mlappin

ontario hay man said:


> Man that would be some jolt I grabbed mine one day when checking it and dad forgot to unplug it. It was testing at 7000 volts did it ever lift me. Lol


Have a little over 9000 volts on ours at 16 joules.


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## hahasarah69

Fowllife said:


> What type of fencing do you guys prefer?
> 
> I'm going to be installing some more fence in the spring away froim the home farm and I want something I don't have to worry about, but is still cost effective. I have a 6 wire hi tensile at the home farm that it seems like shorts out somewhere every other week. It will be used mainly for cow/calf pairs, but i may put a buck goat in it on occation. I would like to make sure a small calf can't crawl out if the charger doesn't work for some reason. I was thinking of the following options
> 
> Option 1 - 6 wire hi tensile electric with 1 or 2 strands of barbwire. Wood post at 50' o.c. with steel tee post at 17' o.c. Top of fence would be at 48". Would you just use the barb wire in place of hi tensile, or use 8 wires total?
> 
> Option 2 - 39" high woven wire cattle fence with i run of barb wire at 48" high. Would the post spacing above work with this? Would I still want 1 or 2 hot wires on the inside?
> 
> Option 3 - Better idea ????
> 
> My cattle are not fence pushers and do well with electric. When the pasture got short this fall though I did have 1 calf get out twice through a small section of fence that isn't hot.


Barbed wire is tough to beat for cattle (cost/install/etc), horsey peeps seem to sometimes have a problem with it, personally for horses it's not the barb that I worry about so much, it's the uncapped T posts that a horse could impale itself on. Regardless, livestock always think it's greener on the other side of the fence in my experience.


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