How to build a barbed wire fence

Standard barbed wire fences (Figure 4) usually have posts spaced 10 to 12 feet apart and use three to five strands of wire.

Tension. “You want it tight and straight between posts, with no droops, but not so tight that it vibrates when you hit it, like when sinking staples into the brace posts,” he says. If you’re playing a tune with your hammer, the fence is tight enough that it might break.

Most fence posts can be spaced 8 to 12 feet apart. While this is a general criteria, it doesn’t cover all scenarios. For instance, high tensile fence can have larger spacing, requiring line posts every 15 to 20 feet for field fence styles, and as much as 20-30 feet for high tensile barbed and smooth wire.

For cattle this could be as few as three strands. For sheep or goats four or five strands should suffice. North/South fences and most of the perimeter fence in this example can be either a combination of woven wire and barbed wire or more closely spaced barbed wire as in Figure 2.

12.5 Gauge High Tensile

This is found in our various deer, cattle, hog, sheep and goat field fences. The 12.5 gauge high tensile wire stretches 1.5-2%, but breaks at 15-1600 lbs., making it 3x stronger than the 12.5 gauge low carbon wire.

Barbed wire is not a good choice for any animal except large livestock. Wild hogs and other damaging predators can easily pass through a traditional 5-strand barbed wire fence.

The Bottom Line:

Barbed wire is an inexpensive fencing option when you want to fence in a large pasture for cattle. What is this? It is strong, long lasting and easy to repair. With barbed wire you can also place your fence posts much farther apart, reducing the overall cost of the fence even more.

A fence that houses both cattle and calves requires an electric wire as the nose level of each the adults and young. Keep in mind that a standard electric fence alone should never be used as a perimeter fence, however, a high tensile electric fence makes for a great perimeter fence option (provides a physical barrier).

Steel wire is heavy, durable, and considered to be one of the best investments you can make in fencing. Though it typically costs more at the onset than other types of wire, stainless steel wire is naturally resistant to corrosion. It is even suitable for saltwater applications.

Guidelines for T-Post Spacing

The writers from Civiconcepts provide an overview of T-posts and fencing in general, in which they determine that 8 to 12 feet apart between corner posts is okay.

Never electrify barbed wire. And, if you have a desire to electrify woven wire – you might consider installing a stand-off hot wire over it to keep the animals off of it.

barbed wire fence in British English

(bɑːbd ˈwaɪə fɛns) a fence constructed from strong wire that has sharply pointed barbs at close intervals along its length.

Find the right voltage range.

That said, most sources recommend a minimum of 4,000 volts for hard-to-control species, and a minimum of 2,000 volts for more docile animals. Anything greater than 8,000 volts is considered more than necessary (some sources say 6,000), and more likely to cause injury.