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Cattle Fencing With Barbed Wire
Electric Fencing for Cattle
Spacing Wire
Bison Fencing

Just as there are different types of fences for different livestock, so there are different types of farm fencing for different types of cattle. Typically cattle are fenced with barbed wire, electified wire (or tape), or a combination of both types of farm fences.

Cattle Fencing With Barbed Wire

Cattle fencing with barbed wire is usually made with either three to five rows of barbed wire, or non-barbed woven wire on the lower stands and a single strand of barbed wire at the the top to keep the cattle from pushing the fence down as they reach over to graze.

Barbed wire is made by twisting or two more strands of galvanized wire together, intersperced with sharp barbs spaced every 4 to 5 inches. Typically, barbed wire fences three to five strands stretched between posts that are twelve to twenty feet apart. Most cattle ranchers erect their cattle fences to be 51 or 54 inches tall.

There are also suspension barbed wire fences that have four to six strands of 12 1/2-gauge barbed wire. This wire is stretched very taut to prevent the wire from sagging more than 12 inches between between posts. The strands of stretched wire are further spaced apart by twisted wire stays that are then spaced 16 feet apart. Line posts for this type of fencing are typically erected 80 to 120 feet apart.

Never put an electric charge on a barbed wire because cattle, especially curious calves, may get caught and entangled in the barbs. This would cause either a persistent, and possibly fatal, shock of electricity.

The are three main scenarios for using electic fences for cattle.

• Dairy cows are typically very docile because they are used to human contact every day. Dairy cows can be fenced with three strands of smooth, galvanized wire, where the top strand is an electrified poly wire or 12mm poly tape. powered.You'll want this top wire to be energized with 0.25 Joules or less, provided there is 2,000 - 3000 volts on the wire.
• Beef Cattle - Beef cattle are not handled daily and "wilder" and more aggressive than dairy cattle. Beef cattle fencing typically require an energiser that has a minimum of 2,000 - 3,000 volts. In addition, voltage levels may be altered by vegetation on the line, length of the fence, and guage and quality of the wire.
• Bulls - Bulls that are separated from cows may try to escape their pasture to breed cows that are in estrus and ready to breed.. To keep bulls fenced separately, use four or five strands of wire. Keep the wire energized with a minimum of 1.5 Joules and 3,000 - 4,000 volts. If one or more bulls are super-aggressive, you can put a stronger shock on the with more joules to prevent them from approaching.

Spacing Wires

The wire spacing for both electric and barbed wire can vary, depending on the cattle breed. But typically you'll want at least three strands that are place at the cows' upper chest height, lower chest height, and knee. For cows with nursing calves, you'll need a strand of electrified wire at the nose level of both.

Buffalo Bison Fencing

Many former cattle ranchers have added or added buffalo bisons to their operations to produce bison meat. Strong, reliable fencing is a critical factor if you have a bison ranch. You may think that strong cattle fences is adequate, but you really need to install very tall, super strong USDA cattle fencing. Your perimeter fencing should be at least 6 feet tall. Electric fencing works great with bison, provided they are trained to recognize and respect electric fencing. Barbed wire should never be used as the wire strands for electric fence because bison (and people) may get caught in it electrocuted. Bison fencing should have 6 to 8 high-tensile wires, and many bison producers like to electrify 2 to 4 strands as a safety precaution. A good, reliable energizer is necessary, and I recommend that you install a 12 volt solar electric fence controller. A 12 volt solar charger ensures that adequate electricity is delivered to fencing in even remote areas.

However, even the strongest fences may not keep bison contained in if they get spooked. If you’re bison producer, you need to use best quality materials, and build your fencing very strong. Once bison escape a perimeter fence, it's not so easy to drive them back into a pasture.