# Best Woven Wire To Use For Cattle



## CockrellHillFarms

I'm looking at putting in at least a mile of new road fence. I think we might go with woven wire. It has been a worry in the past with calves, etc. getting out on the road at night. We have been lucky (knock on wood) that only one has ever been hit. I'm curious what brands or types you guys have used in the past? And how its held up over time. Also what height are you using? Everything I have read suggest 48" with a barb wire strand across the top which is pretty typical around here. I have a bunch of hedge cut. Just need to buy wire, steel post, and find someone to do it. I'd like to do it myself but there's only so much time and I'm lacking on getting this done.


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## Tim/South

I have noticed a thinner gauge wire on the market now. I would go with the heavier gauge. I am not brand particular, maybe I should be. We once used Red Brand but found it rusted before the other brands did so we stay away from it now.

I would go with two strands of barb on top. Barb is cheap compared to woven and not much trouble to put up.


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## FarmerCline

I have never used it but I have heard that "stay tuff" brand of woven wire fence is supposed to be very good.


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## CockrellHillFarms

Tim/South said:


> I have noticed a thinner gauge wire on the market now. I would go with the heavier gauge. I am not brand particular, maybe I should be. We once used Red Brand but found it rusted before the other brands did so we stay away from it now.
> I would go with two strands of barb on top. Barb is cheap compared to woven and not much trouble to put up.


So you wouldnt go with Red Brand then? I figured that was the better stuff to buy. I know the wire and post we buy today arent as good as the past. We still have fence on our place from 100+ yrs ago that is still usable with alittle TLC. Its getting pretty bad but it still works. I want to build fence that last a lifetime! I only wanna do some of these things once and never again....will I be that lucky? Ha. This little project will just get me started. I prob have 5 more miles of fence to build after this.


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## Tim/South

Some people swear by Red Brand. We put up several rolls of it thinking "made in the USA" would be better. It was the first wire to show rust.

I am not sure what brand we used on the last fencing project. It was 27 rolls of net wire, 750 T posts back in '04. The fence still looks new.


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## Fowllife

Unfortunitly I don't think it matters much anymore what brand you use. I think everyones quality control has went to crap lately. It's just about being lucky & getting a good batch.

If this is the start of a bigger project you may want to try a few difference brands & knot types & see what works best for you.

We have hi tensil electric at the home farm & we just put up some woven wire out at a different property a few miles away. I feel a lot less stress about the calves staying in with the woven wire. The additional cost was marginal & well worth it. The woven wire was Red Brand, 9 ga. top & bottom wire with 12 ga centers, 12 ga verticals, horizontals @ 6" & verticals @ 9" i think, with 1 row of 12 ga 4 point barb on top. I'm happy with it so far, but time will tell how it hold up.


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## mlappin

Don't see a lot of woven wire around here anymore, especially along state highways. They salt the hell out of the roads all winter then every time a plow truck goes by the salt ends up on the fence.

We run multi strand hi tensile wire then tie yellow caution tape along the road so the calves can see it, between the tape and having over 9000 volts on the fence, they learn very quickly to stay away from it.


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## Chessiedog

Check out hi tensile woven wire . Put some up couple years ago . Same qualities that the single strand has .


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## cornshucker

We have used some StayTuff woven wire this year so far impressed with it. Really more economical than red brand. Comes in 660 foot rolls.


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## urednecku

The only woven on my place is the lane to the pens, & it's been there a long time. A friend of mine that's put up a lot of it says to stay away from the "Red Top", you'll get the top & bottom tight but the center will not tighten straight. It'll also rust out sooner. He says use "Goucho" brand.


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## Tim/South

urednecku said:


> The only woven on my place is the lane to the pens, & it's been there a long time. A friend of mine that's put up a lot of it says to stay away from the "Red Top", you'll get the top & bottom tight but the center will not tighten straight. It'll also rust out sooner. He says use "Goucho" brand.


We have also been disappointed with the red. Same conclusion, rusted faster then the other brands.

For barb wire, I agree with Gaucho. We have some run along the top of our net wire and it still looks new.


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## Bonfire

You couldn't give me a tractor trailer load of that high tensile gaucho barbed wire. I despise working with it. Let go of it and it coils up 20 feet away. I rented a farm with that stuff on it. I hated working on that fence. I could piss on spark plugs before I would finish. It wraps around and catches on everything. The only reason it would be in my pickup would be for a trip to the scrap yard.


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## prairie

Bonfire said:


> ...The only reason it would be in my pickup would be for a trip to the scrap yard.


That is the way I feel about *non* Hi-Tensile barbwire!


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## Vol

Gaucho type barb wire takes some getting used to and figuring out the proper way to handle it. It can be a witch to handle but I like the results. Turns livestock quite well and does not need re-tightening if properly installed. That's all I have used for the last 30 years.

Regards, Mike

http://www.agriculture.com/products-classifieds/product-news/livestock/fences-and-pens/kencove-releases-spiralat_401-ar34648


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## Bonfire

prairie said:


> That is the way I feel about *non* Hi-Tensile barbwire!


That's what I would expect from a Bekaert dealer.


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## prairie

I was sold on hi-tensile barb and smooth wire many years before I became a dealer.

I also sell the soft, saggy,and cheaply galvanized wire for those who insist on it, but don't recommend it.

Hi-tensile barb wire fence is slightly cheaper to build, requires less maintenance, and lasts longer.


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## urednecku

Vol said:


> Gaucho type barb wire takes some getting used to and figuring out the proper way to handle it. It can be a witch to handle but I like the results. Turns livestock quite well and does not need re-tightening if properly installed. That's all I have used for the last 30 years.
> 
> Regards, Mike
> 
> http://www.agriculture.com/products-classifieds/product-news/livestock/fences-and-pens/kencove-releases-spiralat_401-ar34648


Gaucho is probably by far the most popular around here. Dead on about learning to handle it...you kinda let it tell you how it wants to roll or un-roll. *DO NOT* get in a hurry with it, take your time & pay attention to what you are doing.


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## urednecku

I was reminded of a "better teacher" of patience putting up that Gaucho wire couple days ago....I had to patch a piece of the "3-inch" stuff....those needle-sharp barbs are 3 inches close instead of the normal 5. Makes the regular stuff easy as slick wire to work with.


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