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OT: barb wire spacing?

C

Casey in Ky

Member
So I'm starting to run new fence, starting with line fencing. I'm planning on 5 strands of 4 point barb wire, bottom, third, and top will be 12.5 gauge red brand, while 2nd and 4th strand will be 15.5 gauge goucho. Pricing worked out better this way. Any suggestions on wire spacing?
 
Depends on what you are trying to keep in (or out).

Mine are all evenly spaced. That works fine for cattle and horses.

But if you are trying to keep dogs away from livestock you will need to have the bottom wires closer together unless you run electric fence, which I did, to keep the dogs out. DOUG
 
I usually put the first wire about 12 inches off the ground. The rest go at 10 inch spacing. This makes a 50 inch high fence. Some people make the bottom even higher because it tends to build up anyway over time.

For ease of measure, I take a small board and paint stripes around it at the fence positions. Then when you are walking the fence putting staples and clips on, you don't have to guess.
 
Should have said the main purpose is to keep cattle in. I also plan on running electric as well, but that'll be down the road.
 
Trying to think right off the top of my head. I'm thinking on T-posts,I have my 5 wire every fourth knob on the post. I'm thinking the 4 wire cross fences are every fifth knob.
 
In the old days when we nailed it to the post, we always spaced the wire the distance from one end of the handle to the head of our hammer. About a foot.
 
In my opinion you should take that goucho wire and chuck it as far as you can, worst junk I"ve ever seen to work with and if an animinal gets hung up in it, it will really cut them up. I always space my wires about a hammer handle apart. Gene
 
I always use the same barb on the same fence, 4 pt. 12 - 1/12 gauge.I use 5 strands on border fence, Most of the time I use 4 strands on inside fence. You cannot always go by the knob on the post. The spacing are not always the same from all mfg.

I agree with TE. strands about 10 inch apart makes A good fence. That is for cattle.

Hammer Man
 
From the bottom, go 8 inches, then 12, 12, 12 and 12- 56 inches in all, and bottom is close enough to the ground that the calf can't lay down next to it and then roll under. And if anyone wants to jump a 56 inch fence, take note of her number, and have her on the next truck to the auction. Or look in the freezer to see how you're fixed for hamburger. . .
 
Here is my two cents worth.
A 6 barb wire fence, two point or four point. I prefer 4 point, 20 years from now you will not remember paying the $5.00 more per roll. Why 6 wires? If the cow cannot put her head through the fence, she cannot stretch or lean your fence. Bottom wire 13 inches off the ground and the next 2 wires above that 3 knobs on the tee post then to 4 knobs on the tee post. Good looking fence when you are done.
 
If you are going to run electric then don't run barbed wire, they do not mix.particularly if something gets caught in the barb and is receiving a constant shock.
Deaths have been recorded that's why it's not recommended by the Manf.Companies.
 
Skip the barb and go high tensile electric if you plan to electrify anyhow. Its a lot cheaper, safer, and I think more attractive. My old stand by was woven wire on the line and barb wire, 4 strand interior. All I ever used was the gaucho high tensile barbed wire. Its enough sharper and galvanized better that it lasts longer. Wires spaced 12-24-36-48.

But, that was before I went to Gallaghers fencing school. Good high tensile lasts as long, for less cost.
 
(quoted from post at 16:46:32 02/10/12) So I'm starting to run new fence, starting with line fencing. I'm planning on 5 strands of 4 point barb wire, bottom, third, and top will be 12.5 gauge red brand, while 2nd and 4th strand will be 15.5 gauge goucho. Pricing worked out better this way. Any suggestions on wire spacing?
Click to expand...

If that Gaucho wire is still the same as it was the last time I used it, you need to pay strict attention when unrolling it or it will snarl up into a ball that cannot be untangled. Don't ever plan on taking it back down and rolling it up either.
 
Yep. Wire is cheaper. Fewer post. Repairs are easier and once you get the knack for work'n with it the stuff goes up much easier.

Dave
 
My terrain does not allow me take advantage of some of high tensile's benefits. The ups and downs, ravines, creeks, rocks, trees, dips, and everything won't allow me to get very far between post. I don't know of anyone in the county who uses high tensile.
 
Well I'm coming in late. Read all the replies and have a couple of comments from running cows for 30 years:

Gaucho 15 1/2 high tensile, made in Arkansas is my wire of choice. 2 barb works for me as they are extremely sharp (get punched every time I get near it) and spaced about 6" apart. You have to get used to working it but you can pull it tight and it stays, the galvanized coating outlasts conventional coated wire (for me anyway), the roll weighs less, being that gauge rather than 12 1/2 and it costs less.

Cows don't need the lower strands, but as mentioned a calf that plops down adjacent to a fence and goes to sleep, sometimes comes up on the wrong side of the fence. I realize that if you have a sloppy fence and the calf gets out it can get back when it gets hungry enough. But one that gets up on the wrong side of a tight fence may not make it back.

Perception has been the thing for me. If your animals have the perception that they can't outdo the fence you win. Otherwise you get to chase your cows down the road.

If you live on a highly traveled roadway, 6 strands are the norm around here and the spacing is 8" on all giving you a 48" top strand which works for me.

Seems every time I do fence I do it differently so I have done the different spacings mentioned here.

We have Houston Black Clay here and it has a tremendous expansion/contraction rate. Tee posts will not support themselves as in the summer huge cracks develop and the posts fall down in the cracks. After several years, your 48" top strand is at 40" or less. This requires periodic support poles which I usually use treated wooden posts. I put the Tees either 8 or 10' apart and every 10 I put a support post.

Currently I use steel only on the corners and the mid line supports. 2 7/8 on long run fences and 2 3/8 on short. The latter can bow slightly if you put too much of a load on it stretching your wire....not a lot, but you can tell it. Over the years I have changed from wood to steel as the wood just will not last.....well seems Bois D'Arc survives, but the posts are ugly and too hard to drive a staple into so you have to tie your wire to them. I let the steel develop it's own natural oxide coating and that's that.

I have run what's called a swinging fence where I put a sturdy post every 30' and strung my wire coming back with stays every 6' and it works very well if you have rocky terrain. The whole fence works together as a unit and sorta like a basket. It wraps (somewhat) around whatever hits it and prevents the animal form getting through it.

Last, if I have a place, like a maternity pen, then that is 48" field fencing with the bottom either on the ground or just off it. That way I do not have to be bothered with the baby getting out. I also like the idea of a maternity pen as you can put the cow in there when she starts springing and you know where she is and there aren't any perils, like dogs, coyotes, dumping the calf off a pool bank and into the water, and things like that. Buttttt the Buzzards do have to be watched, especially the Black Buzzard which is said to have come up from Mexico, hence referred to as the Mexican Buzzard. They are attack critters and attack en mass. We lost a lot of them last summer when I had the algae fungus fish kill. Seems the poison was contained in the organs of the fish, the buzzards ate such and never came back....counted 50 one afternoon on their first day of feasting. They have since revived somewhat and will kill a calf if they can and really make a mess out of a calving cow and her calf if allowed to do it. So gotta watch for them. Being federally protected, you can't shoot them and that's too bad because they cause a lot of losses for the ag folks around here.

HTH,
Mark
 
(quoted from post at 12:01:14 02/12/12) Well I'm coming in late. Read all the replies and have a couple of comments from running cows for 30 years:

Gaucho 15 1/2 high tensile, made in Arkansas is my wire of choice. 2 barb works for me as they are extremely sharp (get punched every time I get near it) and spaced about 6" apart. You have to get used to working it but you can pull it tight and it stays, the galvanized coating outlasts conventional coated wire (for me anyway), the roll weighs less, being that gauge rather than 12 1/2 and it costs less.

Cows don't need the lower strands, but as mentioned a calf that plops down adjacent to a fence and goes to sleep, sometimes comes up on the wrong side of the fence. I realize that if you have a sloppy fence and the calf gets out it can get back when it gets hungry enough. But one that gets up on the wrong side of a tight fence may not make it back.

Perception has been the thing for me. If your animals have the perception that they can't outdo the fence you win. Otherwise you get to chase your cows down the road.

If you live on a highly traveled roadway, 6 strands are the norm around here and the spacing is 8" on all giving you a 48" top strand which works for me.

Seems every time I do fence I do it differently so I have done the different spacings mentioned here.

We have Houston Black Clay here and it has a tremendous expansion/contraction rate. Tee posts will not support themselves as in the summer huge cracks develop and the posts fall down in the cracks. After several years, your 48" top strand is at 40" or less. This requires periodic support poles which I usually use treated wooden posts. I put the Tees either 8 or 10' apart and every 10 I put a support post.

Currently I use steel only on the corners and the mid line supports. 2 7/8 on long run fences and 2 3/8 on short. The latter can bow slightly if you put too much of a load on it stretching your wire....not a lot, but you can tell it. Over the years I have changed from wood to steel as the wood just will not last.....well seems Bois D'Arc survives, but the posts are ugly and too hard to drive a staple into so you have to tie your wire to them. I let the steel develop it's own natural oxide coating and that's that.

I have run what's called a swinging fence where I put a sturdy post every 30' and strung my wire coming back with stays every 6' and it works very well if you have rocky terrain. The whole fence works together as a unit and sorta like a basket. It wraps (somewhat) around whatever hits it and prevents the animal form getting through it.

Last, if I have a place, like a maternity pen, then that is 48" field fencing with the bottom either on the ground or just off it. That way I do not have to be bothered with the baby getting out. I also like the idea of a maternity pen as you can put the cow in there when she starts springing and you know where she is and there aren't any perils, like dogs, coyotes, dumping the calf off a pool bank and into the water, and things like that. Buttttt the Buzzards do have to be watched, especially the Black Buzzard which is said to have come up from Mexico, hence referred to as the Mexican Buzzard. They are attack critters and attack en mass. We lost a lot of them last summer when I had the algae fungus fish kill. Seems the poison was contained in the organs of the fish, the buzzards ate such and never came back....counted 50 one afternoon on their first day of feasting. They have since revived somewhat and will kill a calf if they can and really make a mess out of a calving cow and her calf if allowed to do it. So gotta watch for them. Being federally protected, you can't shoot them and that's too bad because they cause a lot of losses for the ag folks around here.

HTH,
Mark
Click to expand...
rawing on that experience, Mark, do you have advice on keeping a fence in place between mine & neighbors bulls?
 
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