I had a friend tell me, that you shouldn't stretch barb wire when the temperature is below 50 degrees F. Is there any truth to this? Something about the wire wouldn't stretch properly, and would loosen up after it was tight. I hadn't heard of it before, and I have some fence to build this fall/winter. Normally I build fence in the spring, and it is not a problem. Trying to get ahead of the game this year, but don't want to screw it up. Any thoughts?
Stretching barb wire
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dyates
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This is true for conventional fencing, not so much for high tensile. You can stretch 'er tight enough to play music on in the winter, but it will sag as the metal expands when temps rise the following year. High tensile doesn't have any "give" to begin with. When it's tight, it's tight.
novatech
Well-known member
I am not arguing with you on this because I don't know. I am getting ready to install some myself. But reading the instructions on this site; http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/bse/442-132/442-132.html#L6 They recommend installing permanent wire tightening devises and to restretch the high tensile twice per year.dyates":1u1tgbz7 said:
On another site this statement is made; "Do not drive staples all the way into the wood. Leave about 1/4 inch of clearance between the staple and wood to allow the wire to stay at uniform tension and to easily expand and contact with temperature changes."
Thaken from; http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/AE017
Jogeephus
Well-known member
I think there is some expansion and contraction with high tensile as it is made of metal but it is nothing like the regular wire which will droop considerably if done when it is cold. I think one of the coolest things I ever watched was a fence line I had burned across become droopy when I burned the woods and pasture off. At first I didn't know what to think. Fence looked in terrible shape and I figured I'd best put stretching it on my ever growing to-do list. Several minutes later I looked at it again and it didn't look so bad. Two hours later it was as tight as the day it was first put up. The bell in my head finally rung.
A lot also has to do with the quality (composition) of the metal in the fence. Years ago I got a real good buy on some barbed wire that was made in mexico. The metal apparantly had to much copper because you could stretch it tight and the next day it would be sagging. Retighten and the next day it was the same way, never could get it to stay tight. I then got another real good buy on some crap that was made in korea. It had the opposite problem, too much nickle. Just about the time it would get tight it would break. The copper/nickle was how it was explained to me and don;t know if it was right or not. I just know that it wasn;t worth spit. Went back to Red Brand and never had a problem since.
mtncows
Well-known member
[
I am not arguing with you on this because I don't know. I am getting ready to install some myself. But reading the instructions on this site; http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/bse/442-132/442-132.html#L6 They recommend installing permanent wire tightening devises and to restretch the high tensile twice per year.
On another site this statement is made; "Do not drive staples all the way into the wood. Leave about 1/4 inch of clearance between the staple and wood to allow the wire to stay at uniform tension and to easily expand and contact with temperature changes."
Thaken from; http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/AE017[/quote]
They are exactly right.
I am not arguing with you on this because I don't know. I am getting ready to install some myself. But reading the instructions on this site; http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/bse/442-132/442-132.html#L6 They recommend installing permanent wire tightening devises and to restretch the high tensile twice per year.
On another site this statement is made; "Do not drive staples all the way into the wood. Leave about 1/4 inch of clearance between the staple and wood to allow the wire to stay at uniform tension and to easily expand and contact with temperature changes."
Thaken from; http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/AE017[/quote]
They are exactly right.
backhoeboogie
Well-known member
High tensile wire is not really all that high of a tensile strength. It is pretty low in metalurgical terms. Try the grounding cable some time. Three strand about the same gauge with one wire being copper. You can't stretch it. All you can do is pull it tight.
Angus Cowman
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alot depends on the wire you use I used to be devoted to RED Brand but about 4yrs ago we went to using Oklahoma steel it stays tighter the red brand seems to relax after awhille
My son and I used to build alot of barb wire fence as part of our business but since he died I only do the steel corners and pipe fencing now contract the rest out but we built fence down to about 30 degrees after that we didn't want to be out there and it did seem we had to stretch it a little tighter when it was cold
My son and I used to build alot of barb wire fence as part of our business but since he died I only do the steel corners and pipe fencing now contract the rest out but we built fence down to about 30 degrees after that we didn't want to be out there and it did seem we had to stretch it a little tighter when it was cold
Last summer we used some of that Oklahoma steel wire, and it was great. I had a roll of Red Brand left over from another fencing job, and it did about the same as the Okla steel.
As far as stretching goes... No matter how tight I get the fence, it will only stay tight until my cows start sticking their heads through it to get to the "better grass" on the other side. :lol:
As far as stretching goes... No matter how tight I get the fence, it will only stay tight until my cows start sticking their heads through it to get to the "better grass" on the other side. :lol:
tytower
Well-known member
Well perhaps they sell tightening devices? Doing it twice a year makes a lot of work for you.
Last fence I did is still tight enough after 3 years but they will get slack when the cattle put their heads through. Tight wire stops that somewhat but the grass is always greener !
If you drive the staple as far as it will go you will damage the wire .It would be foolish to do that. Contact with the post will exacerbate the onset of rust.
Nesikep
Well-known member
we found the biggest problem is the anchoring... you'll never regret going overboard on your end-posts and anchors, once you got those down pat, it helps a lot
a fence tightened in the summer will be a fence that stays tight though, but you better have strong anchors or when spring breakup comes along and the ground is muddy, you'll find your posts leaning!... another thing that really helps is weaving small (striaght) branches into the fence.. it'll take a sloppy fence to a tight fence, and seems to work for a really long time..
a fence tightened in the summer will be a fence that stays tight though, but you better have strong anchors or when spring breakup comes along and the ground is muddy, you'll find your posts leaning!... another thing that really helps is weaving small (striaght) branches into the fence.. it'll take a sloppy fence to a tight fence, and seems to work for a really long time..
Angus Cowman
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4CT4CTophand":7n5vxpbb said:
I don,t know of any state that doesn't have fence laws and I 90 the other day I thought you mentioned being from the southeast last I new I 90 was in the north east
backhoeboogie
Well-known member
tytower":3j11btd4 said:
tytower":3j11btd4 said:
Sounds like you have it figured out if you can keep the cows from sticking their heads through.
If you put in a good double brace post, H, whatever you want to call it, about every 300 feet, pull the wire as tight as you can by hand with a golden rod, put a cheater pipe on the handle and go two more clicks, the wire is plenty tight for years and years.
My first wire is 12 inches off the ground. There are then 5 more wires 8 inches apart above that. The finished fence is 52 inches and 6 strands. Cows don't stick their heads through and if they jump it, they are going to the sale barn.
My problem has never been keeping my cows in but rather keeping other cows out. Namely the angus bull north of me. He will get out, go down the road, circle through a couple of neighbors, and come in on the south west corner. He will jump all of the oil field cattle cattle guards and he will jump those cheesy galvanized gates.
I was told that bull now has some bullets in him as of this weekend. I have never done that personally but it crossed my mind many times with the previous bull this neighbor had.
Reading this forum I have to wonder how many of the folks posting here deal with cattle on adjoining properties. I wind up with a lot of nickels tied up in my hay crops. If my neighbors cattle could get in there and eat my grass, I'd be up a creek. Hungry cattle will bust any electric fence you run.
We live in cow country, surrounded by "big money" ranchers. We have the same problem. They'll turn in a hundred yearling steers and don't look at 'em till next fall. They don't look the fence over first, just turn em loose. Our cows stay in, the neighbors cows are always running on us. If I don't want their animals on our place, I have to do the fencing. My fencing duties typically start in March or April, and end around June.....every year. Snow, water, neighbors cows, and especially antelope, tear the heck out of our fences here. Another good trick one of my neighbors pulls,....put all his open cows and heifers next to the pasture where our bulls are. The only way to keep them in is to put them in the corral and leave them there till turn out. Wire won't hold 'em, electric or otherwise.backhoeboogie":33b8z72a said:
backhoeboogie
Well-known member
grubbie":2kmpw4tz said:
That is the biggest problem I have with that angus bull. If my bulls are hauled here to the house and let back in with the cows mid-May, they'll all be bred by an angus bull in April.
So I either have to pen that bull every day when he busts onto the place, or else leave my bull with the cows. My '09 calf crop started two weeks ago. Luckily all the heifer calves have plenty of ear novatech
Well-known member
My brother had a Brangus that would jump the fence every time the neighbors had a cow in heat. The neighbor would pen up my brothers bull and my brother would have to trailer him back. As this when on for way to long, one day my brother got a phone call that his bull had been tr5ansported to the local sale barn. The check would be issued in my brothers name . My brother finally got the message and let the bull sell.backhoeboogie":lods7p9y said:grubbie":lods7p9y said:
That is the biggest problem I have with that angus bull. If my bulls are hauled here to the house and let back in with the cows mid-May, they'll all be bred by an angus bull in April.
End of problem.
