More fencing questions

Bubbas Boys · #1 01/13/15, 09:15 PM

So after getting lots of good info from all of you before. I am wanting to know, will 3 strains of wire be enough to keep in Dexters? If we use barbed wire would 3 strains of it be enough with no electric? We will be using good wood corners and t posts, how far apart can I go on t posts? Also, is a 320 ft run to long for only wood corners and t posts? Does it need wood post somewhere in between? Thanks!

jwal10 · #2 01/13/15, 09:40 PM

3 will work, if not real wild, 1st one a foot off the ground, 1' apart. I would use posts long enough for at least a 4' fence. You can add an electric wire later. I would move the 3rd up and put the hot wire on stand off insulators in place of the 3rd wire. Brace well and no 320' isn't to far apart unless ground gets real soft and livestock starts pushing posts over. You can always go back and add wood posts. Perfect fence would be 8" off ground and 8" apart so they wouldn't put heads through as bad and start pushing....James

rambler · #3 01/13/15, 09:50 PM

320 feet will be fine. Corners need to be braced, easier to brace wood posts.....

Always had a bit of Holstein in my cattle, so have always needed an electric wire. Much easier than trying to keep up on the dead wire. So I don't have a good answer, but - cattle get bored and push on the wires. Electric pushes back real quick, and they stay away from it. Without electric, they will always kinda push on the wires, try to put their head through. I don't think you can space 3 wires close enough to prevent them from pushing their head through? I have heard of 5 wires working. (Not with Holsteins...) for a while anyhow.

So, is this a pasture fence, or the main yard fence for the cattle?

Here, we have a pasture that gets used May through October when stuff is growing, and the cattle enjoy roaming the vast spaces and forage and don't need a real strong fence.

We also have a cattle yard, much smaller, and the cattle can reside there over winter, when it is muddy or snow covered and nothing available to eat from the pasture. Here they tend to get more pushy, more close together, more bored, need a much stronger fence.

A three strand would never, ever work as a cattle yard fence. I wouldn't use one as a pasture fence with my critters, but you have a chance of it working maybe with calm critters and plenty of grass.

Tee post spacing is likewise, a pasture or a yard fence? I've done 8 foot on yard fence, maybe 16 foot on pasture tho that's a bit much....

Paul

billinwv · #4 01/13/15, 10:12 PM

Go with woven wire. I have had 400lb calves walk thru 6 strand hi tensile with sparks flying for no good reason. A good barrier they can't get their head thru is the only way I will go from now on. Had a 4 hour old calf run thru 3 fences because of a severe thunder storm. It was three days before I found it. Woven fence keeps them in and keeps unwanted out. IMO

fordy · #5 01/13/15, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billinwv

Go with woven wire. I have had 400lb calves walk thru 6 strand hi tensile with sparks flying for no good reason. A good barrier they can't get their head thru is the only way I will go from now on. Had a 4 hour old calf run thru 3 fences because of a severe thunder storm. It was three days before I found it. Woven fence keeps them in and keeps unwanted out. IMO

...........Situate your hot wire 3 or 4 feet back from the regular fence such that the animals can't even come in contact with it . Make it wide enough so your mower can easily mow the gap in between the fence(s) . , fordy

idigbeets · #6 01/14/15, 05:00 AM

I'll disagree on the winter lot comments. I have 35 cows, 1 bull, and a bunch of soon to be weaned calves in their winter lot behind 2 strands of elec wire on push in fiber posts... none try to get out of that lot in the winter.. granted its plenty big, so there's no pushing around etc.. probably 5 acres.

As to the OP, yep you'll be fine @ those distances, although I wonder why you are going w/ barbed (I assume cheapest) over woven wire?

Bubbas Boys · #7 01/14/15, 07:50 AM

Yes, I would love to do field fence, but the price is just too high for us to do this spring. The HT is pretty cheap really. I want it to work though, so if I need to put more than 3 wires I will. Some day maybe we can go back and put good solid field fence up.

Well, it will really be the same fence, yard and pasture. Maybe we could use solid woven wire in a yard type area and wire on the rest.

Also, what is difference in high tensile solid fence and welded wire. I tried to see yesterday but the Rural King had no prices on anything and no one to ask questions to. I assume welded wire is high priced?

Bubbas Boys · #8 01/14/15, 07:57 AM

So..... If we could swing the field wire fence, can we stretch it the 320 ft and keep it tight? Can we down size on the amount of t posts we need? Thanks

Bubbas Boys · #9 01/14/15, 10:09 AM

There are so many options in field fence as well as numbers to describe them, I am confused. I found this one online and it would be something we could afford I think. It says, 939-6-14 1/2 39 inches tall 330' rolls. Would this work for Dexter cows? Thanks

fordy · #10 01/14/15, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bubbas Boys

There are so many options in field fence as well as numbers to describe them, I am confused. I found this one online and it would be something we could afford I think. It says, 939-6-14 1/2 39 inches tall 330' rolls. Would this work for Dexter cows? Thanks

..............Yes , but you should look at the Red Brand field fence , it's 47 inches tall and ALL rolls are 330 feet long . 14.5 is the lighter gauge of FF , the heavier , more desirable gauge is 12.5 .........about $270 a roll at tractor Supply .
...............One last point........build your T's , H-braces , etc . VERY strong from the getgo , even if you will stretch lighter gauge wire , and make it heavier , later on when money isn't so tight ! The Most expensive fence is a cheap fence that continually requires fixing . , fordy

Bubbas Boys · #11 01/14/15, 10:31 AM

Great, Thanks Fordy!

FarmboyBill · #12 01/14/15, 11:48 AM

When I set posts, I walk off from one therebouts 12ft, OR 4 long steps.

7thswan · #13 01/14/15, 12:45 PM

Run a strand of elec. wire right above that woven fence,or the cows will push it down while reaching grass on the other side.

rambler · #14 01/14/15, 01:53 PM

Any of the fences discussed will be better with an electric strand 6 inches above, or about hip high if your fence is taller, even with a fairly feeble solar charger.

Real good woven wire costs a lot. Real cheap stuff they crumple up as they nose at it trying to get that grass just outside. Take your pick, it all works a year or three, then you start regretting not spending more the first time as you start patching and straightening. But we are all on a budget, its easy to spend your money on the best fence out there - I understand!

If you are real poor one could put a tee post every 16 feet. Then in a year or two come back with posts in between, making a good fence with 8 foot spacing. Somewhere at 10 or 12 feet spacing would probably be a good one time shot, and be durable enough.

You ask about the length pretty often. Tee posts will hold up all of the fences real well, for miles, if in a straight line. Where trouble comes is if you have a corner, a rounded bend, or a hill up or down. When the wire just runs straight out, you can build forever with tee post. If you get into hills or curves, then closer spacing is needed. Or an occasional wood anchor post with straighter runs with tee post between. Or some such. I see at TSC and other paces little metal plates that lock tee post together, you can make angled braces using a tee post vertical, and a tee post at an angle. That stuff is kinda pricey tho, and it does not work for a real corner just for shallower curves, but it might be an option if you have a few curves....

For my yard fence, I put a wood post, two tee posts, a wood post, and two tee posts.... It builds a little cheaper and faster, still has some stronger wood holding it up. That is a consideration for curves or difficult areas or crowded areas.

I try to put my posts in combinations of 8 or 16 feet. That makes cattle panels easy to attach someday, as they come in 16 foot sections. Now a 12 foot spacing would work too, just have to wire the panel ends together, each panel would catch at least one post to hold it up well - but a weaker deal of course.

Just random ideas, pick what works for you or nod and smile and do a better job with what you have. If the critters stay in most of the time, you did it right no matter how you did it.

Paul

Yvonne's hubby · #15 01/14/15, 02:29 PM

All of my fences are woven wire (redbrand 47")with a strand of barbwire at the top. The only times my cattle ever get out is when some idiot leaves a gate open.

Bubbas Boys · #16 01/14/15, 03:35 PM

Great. Thanks guys.

Carol K · #17 01/15/15, 07:33 AM

Field fence is fine, but if you don't put a line of electric half way up they will rub on it and you will have a mess of a fence. My Dexters decided the new no climb sheep and goat fence that we put up was a wonderful grooming tool. Ha, one line of poly running along it cured that.
Listen, go with high tensile, spend money on a good charger, do four lines, and use 3, 8 foot grounding rods 10 feet apart all wired together.
Just make sure your animals are trained to electric fence before you turn them into the pasture, they could run right through it, then you'll have a rodeo.

Good luck,

Carol K

Bubbas Boys · #18 01/15/15, 02:27 PM

Carol K, you think that the HT wires would be better than the woven wire? I wanted to use just wire but am worried about them getting out and would love to not have to have power ran to it. I like woven with barbed above, but not sure if that is good enough. Thanks!

jwal10 · #19 01/15/15, 06:12 PM

IF you are light on funds, use a shorter woven wire. I like 6" stay 32" wire in high tensile. Put half the posts in now. I like 6', use the heavy (133) ones now and later add a light (101) in between. Put a high tensile strand of 2 barb, barbed wire half way between woven wire and where your top barb will be later, on extended insulators. Later add the heavy 4 barb wire on top. I like a 4 barb, barb wire on the bottom, 2" off the ground and 2" below woven to help keep dogs and coyotes out. This will let you get started and have a good fence in the end. 1 hot wire will keep animals off fence so lighter materials can be used. Adjust the height of hot wire depending on type of animals....James

blanket · #20 01/15/15, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bubbas Boys

Carol K, you think that the HT wires would be better than the woven wire? I wanted to use just wire but am worried about them getting out and would love to not have to have power ran to it. I like woven with barbed above, but not sure if that is good enough. Thanks!

I get the notion you should read up about the types of fence- High Tension is just that, strong posts and tight wire, electrified fence , and barbed wire. A woven wire fence with a barbed run or two above it will hold cattle, a five strand barbed alone will hold cattle. But don't think you can use steel T posts alone. Run a wood post set deep, a T post 10', another T post 10' Repeat. Solid wood corner post with braces. run either field fence plus barbed or 5 strand barbed. Add a hot wire spaced away from the barbed. Deer will break down a hot wire alone