building barb wire fence

[GMN]

What are some good tips for building a sturdy, long lasting barb wire fence? How many feet apart is is good to put the poles? Any tips would be appreciated.

Thanks

Gail

 

[mtncows]

It would depend on where the fence is (division or line) and what needs to be kept in.For bulls,hogs or sheep you would be much better off with woven wire.That said,I would not go over 12' apart for posts and put in good corners and ends with braces.Plans can be found at some ag schools' web sites such as Va.Tech.I like to see strainers in the fence like in high tensile as wire will stretch and sag.

 

[Caustic Burno]

For cows no less than 4 strand high tensile, if it is a cross fence I put the post 15 feet apart, a boundary 10 feet. Corners are H braces out of cross ties or telephone poles with a big post every hundred yards in the run. Rememner the corners are the strength of the fence the other post are just holding wire apart.

 

[hrbelgians]

I always double brace in the corners and went with 13' post spacing with 5 barbs, works fairly well for me.
Good luck.

 

[Crowderfarms]

Dont forget that your Corners and Braces post need to be about as deep in the ground as you can possibly get them.

 

[Jogeephus]

Dont forget that your Corners and Braces post need to be about as deep in the ground as you can possibly get them.

Most definitely! Deeper the better. I also put concrete in the corners and let them sit for at least two weeks. Also put a brace wire on a 45 degree angle with the high point on the post that is in the direction you are pulling and the low on the post you are pulling from. I also use 5 strands of wire with the first starting 18 inches off the ground - you are not raising rabbits - this puts a higher density of strands where the cows heads will be trying to stick through. Also, someone gave me this tip on the board but I can't remember who to credit but its good advice. Once you have pulled the wire to your desired tension, staple it to the inside post (the one with the brace wire at its highest) then let off the pressure just a notch or two before stapling it to the last one. This puts pressure on the outside post where the brace wire can do its job the best. Its a lot easier to take your time and do it right the first time than to have to fix or adjust things later. I learned this the hard way.

 

[Horticattleman]

I am liking this post because we are getting ready to convert alot of elec. fence to barbed wire. I have alot of 3" drill pipe. Is that good to make corner posts and braces with sunk about 4' deep with concrete and weld the braces.

 

[dun]

Dont forget that your Corners and Braces post need to be about as deep in the ground as you can possibly get them.

18 inches can be enough if you can;t get any deeper.

 

[BTRANCH]

I am liking this post because we are getting ready to convert alot of elec. fence to barbed wire. I have alot of 3" drill pipe. Is that good to make corner posts and braces with sunk about 4' deep with concrete and weld the braces.

4' would be good, we set ours 3' with good results. One more tip a friend told us was to set the end posts for the run you are wanting to make. Run one strand on the bottom and then use that as your straight line to set your line posts. It does not move like a string does and you already have one strand done.

I wish someone would have told us not to space our wires so far apart at the bottom (if you have calves). Our first bull calf laid down next to the fence and when he went to get up, he fell through to the other side. Took us bloody forever to get him back to his momma. She was a first calf heifer and did not understand the concept we were "helping" her baby and would try to charge us through the fence. :lol2: We wound up going back and splitting the distance on the bottom 2 strands and adding 2 more rows. Just when I thought I was done being the field hand! LOL

Invest in a good pair of gloves and wear your oldest jeans. You will rip both to pieces.

 

[Darhawk]

You're getting excellent advice here, especially on the corner bracing. Also remember that on those H-braces to which a gate is attached, use two brace wires, X-fashion top to bottom, between your posts because the gate weight will also put pressure on the H-post to which it is attached.

I string five wire, with the bottom wire 12-inches above the ground, with remaining four wires 10-inches apart (handle length of your fencing tool). This puts you top wire at 52 inches, with my 6 1/2 ft t-posts driven down to 55 inches, leaving 3-inches from top wire to top of t-post. All corner and H-posts are 6-inch treated, set 3-ft in the ground, 12-inch post hole, in quikcrete. Every 20 t-posts I drill and set a 4-inch wood post in quikcrete (have sandy to sandy-red clay soil mix here). I too string the bottom wire corner post to corner post as my gui-wire to run a straight post line. One time hired a guy to build fence and he used a string line. That particular fence line looks like it was run by a drunken sailor.

 

[GMN]

Thanks to everyone for the helpful tips. This fence is a straight stretch, maybe a lil under a 1/2 mile long, with a bridge inbetween. We set metal corner posts at the corners, and inbetween at certain spots. Thats all we have done now, need to get the wire up soon, so all these tips will help out. There is one spot, where they built a new bridge, where we will have to either run the wire down the bank on both sides, across the creek or just end it somehow by the bridge, and close the gap underneathe with cattle panels, etc.. I can't wait to get it done. (the neighbors cattle like to cross over) I put up electric fence along the entire length until we get the wire up, to mainly keep her animals out, so its really important that we build a good sturdy fence, don't want to have to do it twice.

Thanks again.

Gail

 

[TREY-L]

When crossing a creek, I just end my fence at the bank with an H brace, double wire braced. I then attach a cable around the top of the last post and pull it across the creek and attach it to the last post on my H brace on the other side, pull tight by hand, and install cable clamps. From this cable I hang pieces of old tin with boards screwed lengthwise top and bottom, when the creek is down it just hangs straight down, but when the water is up and flowing the tin is pushed up by the current and any debris can float under it. I tried cattle panels, but debris kept getting caught up in them.

Trey

 

[Wewild]

Dont forget that your Corners and Braces post need to be about as deep in the ground as you can possibly get them.

Once you have pulled the wire to your desired tension, staple it to the inside post (the one with the brace wire at its highest) then let off the pressure just a notch or two before stapling it to the last one. This puts pressure on the outside post where the brace wire can do its job the best.

If you do this, You just don't have to have alot of beef on the corner. We use 8' 6" posts in North West Ga on our corners with H bracing tensioned in that manner. The corner post is an anchor and not a pulling post.


edit for first sentence.

 

[GMN]

When crossing a creek, I just end my fence at the bank with an H brace, double wire braced. I then attach a cable around the top of the last post and pull it across the creek and attach it to the last post on my H brace on the other side, pull tight by hand, and install cable clamps. From this cable I hang pieces of old tin with boards screwed lengthwise top and bottom, when the creek is down it just hangs straight down, but when the water is up and flowing the tin is pushed up by the current and any debris can float under it. I tried cattle panels, but debris kept getting caught up in them.

Trey

Yep that is so true with the cattle panels, the county put cattle panels across when they did the job, last storm that went thru, well they are still there but not in a nice neat line like they use to be.
:shock:
Gail

 

[traks44]

Double wrap your wire around your H posts.

 

[Caustic Burno]

When crossing a creek, I just end my fence at the bank with an H brace, double wire braced. I then attach a cable around the top of the last post and pull it across the creek and attach it to the last post on my H brace on the other side, pull tight by hand, and install cable clamps. From this cable I hang pieces of old tin with boards screwed lengthwise top and bottom, when the creek is down it just hangs straight down, but when the water is up and flowing the tin is pushed up by the current and any debris can float under it. I tried cattle panels, but debris kept getting caught up in them.

Trey

Yep that is so true with the cattle panels, the county put cattle panels across when they did the job, last storm that went thru, well they are still there but not in a nice neat line like they use to be.
:shock:
Gail

I have the cable tied together with a cable clamps just snugged up. That way if a log comes down the creek the clamp gives letting the water gap blow out with out tearing the post out of the ground.
Just have to reclamp the cable no fence torn down.

 

[Caustic Burno]

When crossing a creek, I just end my fence at the bank with an H brace, double wire braced. I then attach a cable around the top of the last post and pull it across the creek and attach it to the last post on my H brace on the other side, pull tight by hand, and install cable clamps. From this cable I hang pieces of old tin with boards screwed lengthwise top and bottom, when the creek is down it just hangs straight down, but when the water is up and flowing the tin is pushed up by the current and any debris can float under it. I tried cattle panels, but debris kept getting caught up in them.

Trey

Yep that is so true with the cattle panels, the county put cattle panels across when they did the job, last storm that went thru, well they are still there but not in a nice neat line like they use to be.
:shock:
Gail

I have the cable tied together with a cable clamps just snugged up. That way if a log comes down the creek the clamp gives letting the water gap blow out with out tearing the post out of the ground.
Just have to reclamp the cable no fence torn down.

 

[Caustic Burno]

GMN if you need a tutoral I am currently offering free lessons and even furnish the gloves.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

CB is that tutoring at your place or theirs.

 

[Darhawk]

GMN if you need a tutoral I am currently offering free lessons and even furnish the gloves.

:nod: wished I'd thought of this...........

CB is that tutoring at your place or theirs.

I'd venture three guesses....first two don't count :cboy: