fence question

Dave

Just string a hot wire on the old fence.

I have 50 year old 48" woven wire with a barb on top that still turns the cattle.

You could not give a high tensile fence to me.

I know of 8 or 10 of them less tan 20 years old that are junk.

The only ones left are hot wired. So like I said why bother with the new fence.

Gary

In two adjoing counties here (I farm in both) custom is very different. In one 5 inch wood posts on 14 foot centers with a steel post between them would be the minimum any jury would approve. 48 inch woven wire, all #9, on 12 inch stay. with a single barb on top is the standard. In the other a 4 inch wood post 20 foot center with 2-3 steel T posts and a barb on top with 48 inch 9/11 on 12 inch stay is the standard.

Use hog rings to fasten the woven wire to the barbed wire at the top.

You might even consider putting a strand of barbed wire at the bottom for added strength.

Nancy and I will be “putting up” a barbed wire fence this weekend.

We set 8’x6” treated end posts last weekend. These should last my lifetime.

Planning on either 4 or 5 strands of wire with T post every 8-10 feet depending on overall length of fence.

Will use a Bois de Arc ( bo dark ) post at the “high point” of the fence. These tree posts are hard as concrete and will withstand centuries of global warming.

No livestock to keep in; just trying to keep the two-legged lower primates from driving on our property.

When I was young you could go out in anyones field and count the fence posts to know how long or wide a field was.

What has happened? I am only 70 years old and so much that was as solid as a rock has been forgotten

So I put up horse wire (smooth 2 strand like barbed 12 1/2 ga, but no barbs) and just like you said the cows (for me) had it pushed over in no time.

Put up one strand of hot, right at the key height (just like you did for your horses) and no more problems.

The really nice thing is I can get around it without bleeding to death or having to go to the emergency room and get a hole in my arm sewn up.

Mark

Greater spacing now means less mat'ls & quicker installation, but more maintenance as the cattle work on the fence.

Given the option I'd use nothing smaller than 5" diameter, treated posts. And spaced at ~8' - 10'

BUT...I'd also run a hot wire on the inside of the fence to keep the cattle from reaching through the fence, wallowing down the woven wire, and rubbing on the fence and the posts.

A couple years ago, I removed a woven wire fence for a neighbor - the fence was 10 or 15 years old, but the wire was very straight. The neighbor had an electrified strand of barbed wire 30" off the ground and another strand 10" above the top of the 48" woven wire.

Bottom line - the woven wire is the visual barrier, but the electrified wire keeps the critters in.

Nathaniel