# Fence?



## abbygibson1212 (Oct 5, 2015)

In the next 6 months or so I will be moving to some land (about 20 acres) and none of it has any fencing on it. I plan on moving my two horses from my grandmas house to my land once I get it fenced, and possibly getting another horse, and some beef cows. What I want to know is what kind of layout I need to have going on, should I fence in all of it except for where my house and yard will be? And if I'm going to be putting up that much fence, what's the cheapest way to go (other than barbed wire or electric)?


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

Pipe is expensive. You can go with wood post and field fence or no climb horse fence for the horse pasture. cattle are really strong and can get out of just about anything. I would never used barbed wire for horses. You could use the barbed wire for cattle which is common around here the wire and t-post. you could also use t-post with the field fence and a strand of electric tape to keep the horses off the fence. 
the least expensive is electrical tape and t-post. 
then t post and barbed wire for the cattle,
then t post and the field fence,
wood post and field fence.
Horse fence is more expensive than field fence. 
there is poly vinyl fence and pipe fence which are the most expensive types of fence.
you need to cross fence the pastures. cattle need two pastures, horses need two pastures so that you can rotate the pastures so when one is grazed down it has time to rest and regrow.


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## abbygibson1212 (Oct 5, 2015)

Thanks! I'm not sure what all of those are, so I'll have to look them up, but that is very helpful! Will I need to use most all of the acerage?


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

abbygibson1212 said:


> Thanks! I'm not sure what all of those are, so I'll have to look them up, but that is very helpful! Will I need to use most all of the acerage?


 Yes indeedy, you will need to use all of the acreage if you plan on getting "some beef cows", plus add a third horse.

When talking beefers, 20 acres is not much pasture, even if it is good pasture. 

You would be best served by talking to your County Ag person. He/she can tell you how much acreage per head of beef and horses you will need, so you won't trash your land in a year's time.

My Ag person has an office at our local university extension. Call your Co-op, the local feed store that has been in business forever, your large animal vet or look in your local phone book.

Fencing for cattle needs to be considered first and foremost. Beef cattle can push thru any of those pretty fencing systems that are advertised for horses.

Our 23 acres already had all the perimeter fencing as this is part of an old farm that had cattle. It is woven wire and has been here a bazillion years. The only maintenance we have ever done is to take a chainsaw to the trees that fell on the fence during a storm.

No cows here - I had my fill of keeping cattle on my parents dairy farm.


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## abbygibson1212 (Oct 5, 2015)

My grandpa has cattle, and I believe he told me one time it's an acre per head, but I'll have to ask again. I don't plan on getting many cows. Just a few so I can butcher calves every year for my family to eat. I was thinking maybe just two heifers and a bull. Maybe a milk cow too. I'm wanting to have sort of a hobby farm, not looking to make money off of cows.


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## Joel Reiter (Feb 9, 2015)

abbygibson1212 said:


> And if I'm going to be putting up that much fence, what's the cheapest way to go


There is no cheap way to build a fence that will hold cattle or horses without electricity or barbed wire. Take those away and you are relying on a purely physical barrier. The fence has to be stronger than the animals pushing against it. That means stronger posts, posts closer together, stronger wire, wires closer together, and wires pulled very tight, which means heavily braced corners. Or something completely different like pipe fence, which as Stevenson says, is expensive.

The very cheapest fence that will hold cattle and horses is built with used t-posts ($2 each at farm auctions or Craigslist) and three smooth metal electric wires. Put big round insulators on the top of the t-posts and run the top wire through them, then space the other two wires evenly. Wire the top and bottom wires to the hot feed of the energizer and hook the center wire to your ground. That way even in deep snow or very dry conditions, an animal touching the center wire and either top or bottom wire at the same time will get shocked.

Once your animals have experienced the unpleasantness of touching the fence, they will leave it alone. It is amazing how flimsy an electric fence can be and still contain animals. It is equally amazing how strong a fence needs to be to contain animals without electricity.

I think you want an electric fence.


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## dawnandduke2002 (Sep 28, 2015)

*Fencing*

I recommend using pipe fence, yes it may be a bit more expensive, but unless you want to spend your days out chasing cattle/horses, fixing fence, doctoring hurt cattle/horses I recommend it. It'll be good for the long run. My ranch has all pipe fencing. I have a small paddock connected to the barn, a little larger paddock that has trees along the fence for protection, I have a very large pasture for, well, just for daily use, and then I have a corn field that is barbed wire fencing. Now, we plant it and then harvest, so in the winter cattle/horses can go out there. We always check the fence before we let them in and after. We also check it at least once a week. 

Yours Truly,

DawnAndDuke2002


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## mkmurphy81 (May 8, 2015)

Check out this option: We Recycle Tires - Home

I've never seen it in person, but it looks like a good idea. I'm considering using it myself when I fence my land in about a year. They say the 2 in strips are good for cows, too.

If you use it, let me know how well it works.


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## Joel Reiter (Feb 9, 2015)

mkmurphy81 said:


> We Recycle Tires - Home
> 
> They say the 2 in strips are good for cows, too.


Interesting. I'd like to see one of these fences up close. The two biggest negatives I see from the web site are the need to seal the edges with a propane torch and the "estimated" life of 20+ years.

Electrobraid is about the same price as the 1" strips, allows fewer posts, would be a lot easier to install, and is guaranteed for 25 years. But those tire strips would make a very unique looking fence.


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## Suzanne316 (May 24, 2014)

Joel Reiter said:


> There is no cheap way to build a fence that will hold cattle or horses without electricity or barbed wire.


Sorry, but I could not agree less. I am a vet tech and have seen some horrific damage done to horses by barbed wire fencing. Please, please, please do NOT use barbed wire for your horses. They can suffer so much from those abominations.

I do believe in using hot wire to keep horses off wood fences though. It is a great deterrent, but don't think it is 100% safe. A spooked horse is not always a thinking horse. But it is a much better, safer way to keep horses when paired with wood fencing.


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