Fence Height

[Jogeephus]

I was mending some barbed wire today and I got to wondering about the most efficient height of barbed wire. As I ride around I see some folks with the bottom wire six inches off the ground and others with it two foot or higher off the ground. What are your thoughts?

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

We start barbed wire about 6" off ground, then every 9" or so up from that.

Two feet off ground would, in all probability, not keep calves in that wanted to graze on other side of fence.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I was mending some barbed wire today and I got to wondering about the most efficient height of barbed wire. As I ride around I see some folks with the bottom wire six inches off the ground and others with it two foot or higher off the ground. What are your thoughts?

Depends if your running Angus and need goat proof fenceing.

 

[Texan]

Depends if your running Angus and need goat proof fenceing.

Or depends on if you want to give yourself plenty of room to crawl under the fence when an Oklahoma Angus breeder comes after you. :lol:

 

[rkm]

Seen a day I could slide under that 6 inch strand now days the bottom strand better be 6 feet for me to get away.

 

[Beefy]

Depends if your running Angus and need goat proof fenceing.

Or depends on if you want to give yourself plenty of room to crawl under the fence when an Oklahoma Angus breeder comes after you. :lol:

i dont think a measley little barbed wire fence would stop an irate angus breeder from any state.

 

[Angus Guy]

Now CB be nice us good old angus boys haven't given you to much grief lately

 

[msscamp]

Depends if your running Angus and need goat proof fenceing.

Or depends on if you want to give yourself plenty of room to crawl under the fence when an Oklahoma Angus breeder comes after you. :lol:

Given the proper motivation, it's truly amazing how high one can jump! ;-) :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Herefordcross]

This is very true. I can jump pretty high when a mama gets upset. Electic and all, I'll go through, over or under. What ever it takes to get out of reach.

 

[HOSS]

I put my first strand 9" off the ground. The 2nd strand goes 9.5 inches above that and the third goes 10.5 above the 2nd and the 4th is 11' above the 3rd and the 5th (top) is also 11 above the 4th. The top strand is usually around 52" high. That sounded more confusing than it it :lol:

 

[Herefordcross]

In all seriousness I have never measured a wire in inches in my life. Only used the old wooden handled hammer and when I pick up a different hammer there is different wire spacing, I guess

 

[HOSS]

I guess I should have clarified my reasons for the way I space the wires. I like my wires closer together at the lower part of the fence to mostly keep curious calves from squirting out between the strands. So far I haven't had a problem so I tell myself that it must be working :cboy:

 

[backhoeboogie]

9" off the ground seems awfully low. Do you keep that wire tight?

 

[cypressfarms]

In all seriousness I have never measured a wire in inches in my life. Only used the old wooden handled hammer and when I pick up a different hammer there is different wire spacing, I guess

I love it :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I have an old favorite hammer, and almost every fence on the place has been calibrated by that hammer. Some things just work!

 

[Caustic Burno]

9" off the ground seems awfully low. Do you keep that wire tight?

He for sure doesn't have a hog problem, if he had them like around here that bottom strand would be strectched for sure.

 

[Jogeephus]

I put my first strand 9" off the ground. The 2nd strand goes 9.5 inches above that and the third goes 10.5 above the 2nd and the 4th is 11' above the 3rd and the 5th (top) is also 11 above the 4th. The top strand is usually around 52" high. That sounded more confusing than it it :lol:

This is similar to what I have concluded but my bottom wire is a bit higher. It seems to me - with a cow calf operation - I have more trouble with the calves. So I tighten up the spacing where their little heads are going to be probing. It seems to work on fenceline weaning as well. Knock on wood. I just wondered if there were others out there that thought about this in this manner. I had an old guy criticize my fence once - he said "your not trying to keep the rabbits out are you?" I think he had a point. I've never seen a calf crawl on his knees under a fence.

 

[HOSS]

9" off the ground seems awfully low. Do you keep that wire tight?

He for sure doesn't have a hog problem, if he had them like around here that bottom strand would be strectched for sure.

I have had no problem with keeping it tight. We have no hogs yet.....just a matter of time though.