How to Design a Barb Wire Cow Fence
Barbed wire fences can help confine cattle and other large animals to a pasture and allow them to graze where you want them to in relative safety. To be effective, the fences need to be the right height, and to be cost effective, you need to use a minimum of materials and still have a strong fence. The method of building a barbed wire fence will vary depending on whether you use wooden or metal posts.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Fence Posts
- Post-Hole Driver or Digger (depending on the kind of posts you use)
- Barbed Wire
- Heavy-duty Wire Pliers
- Fencing Fasteners
Instructions
-
-
1
Measure the border of your pasture to determine how much barbed wire and how many posts you will need. Ideally, you will place posts no more than 10 feet apart. Keep in mind the geography of your land. Corner posts must be braced, but you can also use live trees as posts. Avoid short-lived or fast-growing species of trees, and always place a protective layer between the tree and the wire.
-
2
Select a fence post material. Wood or steel fence posts will work, or you may opt to use wooden posts on the corners and metal posts for the rest. Check the cost of each to help you decide.
-
-
3
Calculate how many fence posts you will need. They need to be placed no farther than 10 feet apart, but 6 to 8 feet is better to prevent cattle from pushing through. Corner posts should be at least 5 inches in diameter and should lean approximately 2 inches away from the direction of pull when installed.
-
4
Determine how much barbed wire you will need. You should have three strands---one at the top, one near the bottom, and one in between. Also take into account that you may need to add a foot or so of wire per post, as you may have to wrap the wire around the posts or otherwise fasten it. It is better to have extra to use for repairs than to not have enough.
-
5
Braces corner posts. A typical corner-brace design sets two wooden braces against the top of the corner post, leaning diagonally into the ground. The braces should be placed no less than 8 inches from the top of the post, at least 3 feet above the ground or between the middle and top wires (whichever is higher). The brace should be at least 6 feet long and sunk into a diagonal hole at least one foot deep.
-
6
Consider the placement of your gates. The gate should be wide enough to drive the cattle through comfortably and to allow entry for farm equipment. End posts on either side of the gate should be braced similar to corner posts.
-
7
Consider sectionalizing your pasture to allow for rotational grazing. The size of each section will depend on your herd size and your grazing schedule; however, cattle should be moved to another section when they have trimmed the grass close to the ground. That allows time for the grass to recover more quickly than if it is subjected to continuous grazing.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Barbed wire can be electrified, which requires a fence charger (solar and plug-in models are available), insulators at each post, and a large investment of time and energy to both set up and maintain. Electrification is usually unnecessary for a barbed-wire pasture fence unless your cattle repeatedly rub against the wire, which can break posts.
Do not use untreated metals as fasteners or for braces, as they will rust.
References
More Like This
Comments
-
interesting.....
