Livestock fence

The first consideration in deciding on what fence to use is its purpose. Fencing is most commonly used for livestock confinement, but species, age, breed and production system must be taken into account.

Types of fences

Barbed wire fence

Barbed wire fences are made of two or more strands of smooth, galvanized-coated, steel wire twisted together with two or four barbs spaced every four to five inches and generally classified as either a standard or suspension barbed wire fence.

Woven wire fence

Woven wire fences consist of a number of horizontal lines of smooth wire held apart by vertical wires called stays. The height of most woven wire ranges from 26 to 48 inches and depends on the jumping ability of the livestock species.

Mesh wire fence

Mesh wire fences are strong and provide livestock safety. They are replacing board fencing in many areas, but are more expensive than woven wire. Because of the cost, they are used primarily for confinement fencing around corrals, feed lots, or small crop acreage areas. They also work well for horses.