Barbwire Fence Stapling

[jcummins]

I take it we are talking about an all wood post fence, not one with t-post in it? The t-post clip pulls the wire tight on the t-post, so leaving slack in a wood post which is every 5-6 t-post doesn’t really do anything. OR am I installing the t-post clips wrong?

[Brute 23]

I have seen fences done with steeples that they don't drive all the way in. Instead of the wire breaking or stretching between two posts and holding... it makes the whole fence look like crap. Plus, if you have t-posts,,, because the wire is tight to them it will pull them sideways.

We put the steeples in to hold the wire tight, we also pull the wire and get the "stretch" out of it.

[stocky]

We drive the steeples all the way tight into the post. We drive the steeples at the spots where the two wires are side by side, not one on top of the other, to keep from cutting the wire. If you dont drive them tight and a wire breaks, it will turn that wire loose all the way from corner post to corner post. That can be really tough to fix in our hills, valleys, ups and downs and corners, where only line fences are straight.

[novatech]

We drive the steeples all the way tight into the post. We drive the steeples at the spots where the two wires are side by side, not one on top of the other, to keep from cutting the wire. If you dont drive them tight and a wire breaks, it will turn that wire loose all the way from corner post to corner post. That can be really tough to fix in our hills, valleys, ups and downs and corners, where only line fences are straight.

But you might find out your wire doesn't break as often if it is allowed to give a little.

I have been wondering if old trampoline springs installed in line would help where deer like to go through.

[Brute 23]

We drive the steeples all the way tight into the post. We drive the steeples at the spots where the two wires are side by side, not one on top of the other, to keep from cutting the wire. If you dont drive them tight and a wire breaks, it will turn that wire loose all the way from corner post to corner post. That can be really tough to fix in our hills, valleys, ups and downs and corners, where only line fences are straight.

But you might find out your wire doesn't break as often if it is allowed to give a little.

I have been wondering if old trampoline springs installed in line would help where deer like to go through.

I would rather it break and repair it than it give all the time and look like crap.

[novatech]

I would rather it break and repair it than it give all the time and look like crap.

Mine has give and stays tight. Deer go over and through on a regular basis through out the day. I cannot remember the last time I had to repair fence.
When you drive a staple tight you crush the wire under the staple causing a weak point. A piece of wire 10 foot long has less elasticity than a piece 500 foot long. Cheap wire has less elasticity than quality wire. Over streched wire looses it's elasticity. A fence with sags in it was built wrong.
For many years I never really paid much attention to exactly how a good fence was built. A few years ago I was hired to remove all the fencing at a ranch that was being converted from a cattle ranch to a horse farm. The fence I took down was built in the mid 60's. I was highly impressed with the way it held up for so many years. I took the time to study how it was built. I salvaged all the material and have been using it in the same maner as the original. This old dog has no problem with learning new tricks.
What ever works for you I have no problem with.

[stocky]

A big problem we have is if there is any give to the wire, a cow will stick her head through the wire and just keep pushing to eat outside the fence. If the steeples are not tight into each post, there will be give from quite a distance and once a cow gets her head through once, she will keep up until she stretches it enough to eventually crawl through and continually loosen the fence. We put our posts 9 feet apart and 5 strands of good american made 4 point barbed wire and steeple tight to the post and the cow never gets any stretch to get her head through. If we use woven wire, we put a barb wire 6 inches above the top of the woven wire and another barb wire about an inch below the top of the woven wire and steeple tight into the post. This keeps the cow from putting her head between the woven wire and the barb wire and riding down the woven wire.

[novatech]

A big problem we have is if there is any give to the wire, a cow will stick her head through the wire and just keep pushing to eat outside the fence. If the steeples are not tight into each post, there will be give from quite a distance and once a cow gets her head through once, she will keep up until she stretches it enough to eventually crawl through and continually loosen the fence. We put our posts 9 feet apart and 5 strands of good american made 4 point barbed wire and steeple tight to the post and the cow never gets any stretch to get her head through. If we use woven wire, we put a barb wire 6 inches above the top of the woven wire and another barb wire about an inch below the top of the woven wire and steeple tight into the post. This keeps the cow from putting her head between the woven wire and the barb wire and riding down the woven wire.

I have had the same problem especially in the drought but only where I have a section of 4 wire. I use 5 wires on replacement fences and 6 wire to keep bull or calves separated. I am using 2 5/8" steel posts with 3 t-posts in between. There were a lot of people around here have a problem keeping cows in. Also the 4 point gaucho seems to work much better.
I would not change anything that works for me and would not expect any one else to change what works for them.

[Brute 23]

We don't build fence planning for it to give or let animals thru. Nothing has less than 5 wires, most has 6, some has 8 to keep hogs out. We leave a pretty good gap on bottom for deer and hogs to travel on regular fences.

That is just how we do it, I could understand where that may not work for every one.