Different Fencing used with Cattle

Keeping cattle in a safe pen is crucial to farms that live near busy roads or don’t have the ability to let their livestock free range. There are different types of fencing people use to keep livestock contained. “If you've experienced the frustration of chasing down a runaway cow, you know that good cattle fencing is essential to keeping cattle, whether you have one or 100. Good cattle fencing contains two vital characteristics: a physical barrier and visual barrier, Edwards says” (Heather Loveridge).

Electric fencing seems to be the most common here in Wisconsin. Cattle are very sensitive animals, especially when it comes to an electric shock. Materials as in white tape, which is plastic and wire woven together, are a very easy material to work with. Wire on its own is also very easy to work seeing that both materials are able to be pulled tight. With the help of an electric fencer, wire and tape fencing are able to give out a very strong shock contained.

Wooden fences are also common, but most times an electric hot wire is added to the inside of the wooden boards in order to make sure the livestock do not push on the boards. Unlike some electric fence materials, wooden fencing is very visible.

PC: Jaksen Curtin

In areas where cattle must be pushed in tight together or might be put through high stress, many farms will use large metal panels as fencing. These panels are hardy and thick. They link together and, depending on the size and weight, many are able to be easily moved into round pens, lanes, or any shape that fits the farm’s needs.

Barbed wire is still a common use of fencing material used on ranches out west or in places where hundreds of acres must be fenced in. It is durable and can withstand harsh conditions. Many of today’s farms have moved away from using barbed wire, due to new materials, yet barbwire is still used. “Barbed wire, the most commonly used cattle fence, has a built-in physical barrier. Five strands of barbed wire is recommended, but that can vary. A Wyoming rancher running one cow per 100 acres might be satisfied with three strands, while a Florida rancher with 10 cows per 10 acres needs five strands.” (Heather Loveridge)

Other fencing options include woven wire fencing. This is a cheaper material that is commonly partnered with some kind of electric hot wire. These materials come in rolls of several hundred feet with an assortment of height options available. Keeping animals safe is a farm’s number one priority. There are many different types of fencing used to keep livestock safe and sound. Whether it’s electric, wood, metal panels, or barbed wire, a good fence must withstand any condition, keep harm out, and keep the farm’s livestock safe.

-Jaksen

Resources:

Good Fencing Is Essential To Keeping Cattle | Tractor Supply Co. (n.d.). Retrieved October 11, 2017, from https://www.tractorsupply.com/know-how_farm-ranch_fencing_good-fencing-is-essential-to-keeping-cattle