T post spacing

[deineria]

How far apart would you have t posts with electric fence for a single heifer?

[stifflej]

Mine are 30-40 yards apart with plastic posts in between (usually 2), but really depends on terrain.

[copperhead46]

I put my t-post 16 feet apart for regular fenceing, I usually put the hot wire post about 10 feet apart.
P.J.

[wstevenl]

I would NOT use t-posts for electric fencing as they will be more likely to ground out your wire. Look at using wood for corners (with insulators) and fiberglass or composite (like powerflex posts) for line posts. You can also use step in posts (pigtail type or the ones with the clips down them) I would only use the step in posts from good companies like Obrien, Gallagher, etc. as the TSC brand will break FAST.

[ramiller5675]

In a perfect world, every electric fence would be built with Powerflex posts and high tensile wire like wstevenl describes, but in the real world with existing barbwire fences, neighbors, and limited cash flow, T-posts and/or rebar posts can be used to build a serviceable fence.

I have a high tensile wire running around the perimeter of the farm that is simply a barbwire fence with some high-quality offset insulators on about every third t-post (so the insulators are about 12 paces apart). As long as you have a good energizer, a good grounding system, your barb wire is tight, your end posts are solid, your insulators are the higher quality sort, and you keep the wire tensioned, the high-tensile will be fine and shouldn't be easily grounded regardless of the type of post.

I have also built semi-permanent/temporary fences using 14 gauge wire, T-posts, and rebar posts, with the posts 10-14 paces apart and putting 2-3 rebar posts between T-posts. Again, use solid end posts, good insulators, etc. The only time I have had the wire grounded is when deer run into the fence and either knock off the insulator or break the wire.

Make a habit of walking your fences to check their condition and grounding against the post shouldn't be a big problem.

After saying all that, I do plan to build some 'proper' high tensile fences in the near future using Powerflex posts, but still think there is a place for using T-posts with high-tensile and building temporary fences using rebar posts.