Cattle Fencing

[Hreeves]

Hi All, Im looking to learn what fencing you are using for your cattle livestock (feeder) farms. We are thinking about installing fencing that uses metal guardrails, but dont know enough about the other fencing types to know the pros/cons.

 

[Hippie Rancher]

I have pens made from oil well sucker rod, telephone poles, railroad ties, regular lumber, portable panels, old water pipe, welded wire, mesquite logs, horse net, scraps of steel, gas pipe...you name it, we have some length of fence made out of it. guardrail installed right is fantastic. use what you can get cheap or free, cows don't care if it looks great they just respect solid built structure.

 

[snoopdog]

I think most use barbed wire for perimeter fencing, really need a little more info about it. If your talking corral or working facilities, gaurd rail is the cats meow if you can get it cheap.

 

[Hippie Rancher]

I think most use barbed wire for perimeter fencing, really need a little more info about it. If your talking corral or working facilities, gaurd rail is the cats meow if you can get it cheap.

ha! I just assumed they meant corrals - guard rail perimeter fence would be OK for rhinos I suppose :lol2:

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Hi-tensile for perimeter.

 

[Dave]

Perimeter and cross fence is barb wire. The working pens / corral are rail road ties with lodge pole pine poles 7 high.

 

[Named'em Tamed'em]

New Zealand hot wire, 5 strands keeps 'em in. We have a mile of it, pretty low maintenance.
We have the 3 board white vinyl at the road for the pretty stuff, love it.

 

[WinterSpringsFarm]

6 wire High tensile, with 3 hot. I do not like barb wire

 

[farmerjan]

We use use stock fencing. 6" stays. Have some with 12" stays but the cattle will push their heads through it and stretch it out so there are big holes. The 6 " is alot better. Use 1 stand barbed wire on the top. We have had too many problems with high tensile with the coyotes running the cattle and them trying to go through it and have lost several calves that have gotten their feet caught up in it as they have tried to jump it and have basically gotten hung upside down and they died. See deer caught up in it that way frequently, too. It works for many people but just not what we prefer. You have to keep electric on it if you use it. The "springiness" of it that is a plus also allows cattle to push their heads and then their whole body through if it is not hot.
For catch pens we usually have some sort of wood/metal sides. 6 board wood at least. We use the portable panels at a couple of places we rent. Different places have different things. Guard rails are great if you can get them cheap.

 

[Hreeves]

Thanks everyone! It seems like electric fencing is the preferred method for perimeter, has anyone worked with mesh?

 

[Dsth]

mesh does not work well with cattle. once they start reaching over, they just keep pushing it down further unless you plan on building it 7 feet tall. it is also a pain in the **s to remove after it is in for several years.

 

[Hreeves]

mesh does not work well with cattle. once they start reaching over, they just keep pushing it down further unless you plan on building it 7 feet tall. it is also a pain in the **s to remove after it is in for several years.

Thank you for this! It may look cleaner, but I can see that it would not work well for what we had considered. I appreciate the insight on this.

 

[kenny thomas]

6 wire High tensile, with 3 hot. I do not like barb wire

Is this for sheep and goats? Why so many wires. I use 2 strand with both hot for cattle.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I use 3 hi-tensile wire for perimeter with usually just 1 hot. I use 1 strand for all interior fencing (Hot). Trees can fall on it - just cut up the tree & fence bounces back.

 

[Hardnosecattleco]

I run 5 strand hi tensile 3 hot. I gave up my barbed wire days a long time ago.

 

[kentuckyguy]

A few questions for all that are using high tensile.

Are you using all wood posts? Most I see around here are built that way.

Anyone using the 1”-1 1/2” fiberglass post between the wood posts?

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

If you hire a fencer, he will want to put wooden posts in about every 10'. Not necessary. You can go about 100' with droppers in between IF the land is level. Must have post at all high spots & low spots. Posts are pounded into the ground.

 

[kenny thomas]

A few questions for all that are using high tensile.

Are you using all wood posts? Most I see around here are built that way.

Anyone using the 1”-1 1/2” fiberglass post between the wood posts?

I use wood posts with either 3 t-posts or the new plastic ones in between. 1 wood 3 of either one. Just finished spending $22,000 on fences. Hope I never spend again

 

[5S Cattle]

I’ll bite. The only time I run electric fence is temporary. Everything else is 4-5 strand barn wire.

 

[cowrancher75]

3 strands HT.. 2 top hot.. single polywire for interior subdivision.