Replacing Pasture Fence?

Question

I have a 26 acre pasture for 20 head of cattle and their calves which are calving throughout the spring and summer. This fence has some age and is made up with various materials: hedge posts, metal T-posts, 5" round posts; woven wire and barb wires.

I would like to start replacing this fence. What do some of you folks work with on your farms and what would you suggest when starting a project like this.

Also, I wish to divide this pasture into about 4-6 paddocks so that I can rotate the cattle onto fresh grass on a set schedule. What type of fencing would you use for dividing the various paddocks.

Answer 1

We are in the process of still updating the fencing on our pastures.  We have 40 acres, we are fencing and cross fencing.

You have cattle.  You could get away with 5 strands properly stretched barb wire.  I don't recomend it.

The cattle you own will not eat all the weeds that are going to appear.  I highly recomend reducing the number of cattle, and stocking a few meat goats.  The goats will consume the weeds your cattle will leave behind.  This in turn will leave more pasture for the cattle.  You will not have the cost and frustration of battling weeds in your pasture, as your goats will do it for you.  You will also then have meat goats to sell.  Not only will weed control not cost you anything, but it will net you some money!

For your outside fence, around your property buy the best quality, tallest range fence you can afford.  The higher the copper content in the wire, the better quality the fence it is.  Your outside fence is by far your most important fence.  It keeps your stock in place, and keeps coyotes, and neighbor dogs OUT!  

For your inside fences (patures/paddocks) you can go with inexpensive, and quick to install electric fencing.  I also HIGHLY recomend you put up electric on your outside fencing.  

Cattle will be respectful of just a single strand of working electric fence.  So to start with, it can be very fast and inexpensive to add the fencing to divide areas into paddocks.

Solar fence chargers work very well nowdays.  We have two and are very pleased with them.  

For your posts, I would spend the extra money and purchase heavy duty 7 foot T-posts.  On the corners, and where you need to hang gates, spend the money and get good wood, like rail road ties, or pressure treated wood.  If you cannot afford those, then buy a wood local to your area, car the ends in a burn barrel, to above the hight you will burry them, and use that.

Carcoal does not rot.  That's why charring the ends of the wood work so well.  You want it charred to about 6 inches above where it sticks out of the ground.  You use local wood, because it is more resistant to your local insects, fungus, rot, ect.  

People that take cedar from the Pacific Northwest and build with it in Florida have rot problems almost immediately.  People who take cypress from Florida and build with it in the Pacific Northwest have rot problems almost immediately.  Use the wood from your local area...it will last the longest (barring rail road ties, or pressure treated).

If you are clipping off any old barbed wire that is still stretched tight, be VERY, VERY CAREFUL!  It can spring and coil around a person, causing horrible injuries.

~Garnet

Permaculture homesteading/farming over 20 years

Answer 2

id just a strand of electric wire, unless you plan on keeping it up forever, then you could use barbed wire, but thats a lot of monkey work

Answer 3

I'm in the process of installing high tensile wire. I highly recommend it. There's less post to buy and drive, and it stays taught. I have seen a tree fall across it, and when the tree is cut it usually springs back up with only a few clicks of the tensioner.

Answer 4

There is no exact answer for this question since as you can tell it is a matter of opinion. You have a good idea on conserving grass. You still may run a little short on grass unless you have good pasture and most cows are young and a lower weight.

To answer the question I would only break it up into 3-4 at the most. I would not use an elctric fence between them unless you are only going to do this as a trial or to conserve money. Electric fences do not stop all cows.

I live in central part of the country and a hedge post is the equivalent of concrete. If you use large hedge posts on the corners and build braces which are needed with any stretched fence. Then place a smaller 6-8" diameter hedge post about every 5th post in your fence. I would not recomend the goats unless you got money. Goats like to get out and climb. On your truck, your house, your neighbors stuff they dont care. They are a pain to keep in unless you have an expensive woven wire fence and then it is hard to keep the small brush out of the fence lines. If you use a normal 5 wire 2 point barb wire you will be save. Since you are running a lot of cows on few acres if they start to reach through the fence you can put a hot wire up about half way on the inside to deter them from pushing on the fence.

I dont recomend 4 pint wire due to it being a pain in the but to mess with.

Answer 5

My fiance's family employs rotational grazing, and it is WONDERFUL. This year they have had to bring more cattle onto the pasture in order to keep up with the grass!

For your outside fence, a 4-5 wire will do just fine. It sounds like you have a smaller operation, and with rotational grazing the cows in a larger herd are more mellow due to being expose to people every few days. The way we do it is with 1 R.R. Tie or 5" post every 30 feet or so, with 2 t-posts in between. Also, just wire fence clips for the T-Posts, nails for the wooden posts to attach the wire.

For the rotational grazing divisions, it does not take much. Just one hot wire, with a special type of "post" that rolls as you move the section, made by Gallagher. It is like 6 poles coming out of the middle and rolls along with you, making switching it up VERY easy.

Answer 6

you have too many animals for your pasture. the rule of thumb is an acre and a half for a cow and a calf. i would use concrete posts set in concrete for the corner and gate posts and use 8 foot metal t-posts for the rest with 24 gauge barbed wire for all the rest.

Answer 7

Barb wire works well for me and I have 80 cattle on 300 acres. I use railroad cross ties around gates and as corner post. You should try contacting your local USDA office an see what they recommend for your cattle-to-land ratio. Where I live it is 2 cows or 1 cow and 2 calves per 3 acres. They even can sometimes can give you good tips on fencing and care of your cows.