Barbed wire fence

theboman · Oct 12, 2004

Okay, I think I'm gonna take on a fall/winter/spring project of fencing the hillside, its been 30+ years so they ain't much left.
In the old days it was posthole diggers and locust posts and a 4 strand barbed wire fence.... I'm looking to go the steel post, occasional locust post or tree and a 4 strand barbed wire fence so I can turn some calfs on the hill to eat it down then sell them off and do it all again minus the fence.

Okay. I've little experience on barbed wire and steel posts so how do you fasten the wire with those U clips and keep it tight?

RICHARDG · Oct 13, 2004

The way I have done it is,you steeple it to a post or tree,and stretch it between that and next post ,two solid objects,then you put you tee posts in the ground,along and up close to wire,than hook it to wire with those wire clips that come with posts,,the solid objects keep wire tight,the tee posts,support it. Now if you really don't care if its real tight and straight,just enough to keep stuff in,you can lightly stretch it between metal posts.. Woven wire,the heavy kind,[sheep wire],is maybe easier for tee posts,at least it looks better,its kinda one piece and self supporting to a certain degree,than maybe a strand of barbed wire at top. thingy

Gatorboy · Oct 13, 2004

Have you thought about high-tensile fencing? It's faster to install, and you can have wider post spacing than barbed wire requires.

theboman · Oct 13, 2004

I'm not familar with it at all.... Will it keep the cattle in?

Gatorboy · Oct 13, 2004

Will it keep the cattle in? 

Sure it will. Although not necessary, you can even electrify this fence using solar power if you don't have electric near the fence location.

Here is a PDF document that shows how to install this type of fencing.

:: High Tensile Installation Guide

theboman · Oct 13, 2004

Very interesting. I'll do some price snooping today. From what I've gathered it'll take 5-6 HT or 4 strand barbed wire for some calfs.
This goes around the hillside with lots of trees and things, I am concerned about how HT breaks vs barbed wire, that BW stuff it pretty tough.

TBAR · Oct 13, 2004

( Okay, I think I'm gonna take on a fall/winter/spring project of fencing the hillside, its been 30+ years so they ain't much left.
In the old days it was posthole diggers and locust posts and a 4 strand barbed wire fence.... I'm looking to go the steel post, occasional locust post or tree and a 4 strand barbed wire fence so I can turn some calfs on the hill to eat it down then sell them off and do it all again minus the fence.

Okay. I've little experience on barbed wire and steel posts so how do you fasten the wire with those U clips and keep it tight? )

A Five Wire Fence would be better but you might be ok with a 4 wire.

TBAR

Gatorboy · Oct 13, 2004

I am concerned about how HT breaks 

The guy behind me boards about 80 horses, and he says that in all the years he has used HT wire, he has yet to have it break on him.

A 4000' foot roll of HT wire costs about $65-$75.

I used recently put up a 6' 8-wire HT fence to keep deer OUT. So far it has worked.

Bird · Oct 13, 2004

Five strand barbed wire is by far the most common type of fence in my area. And I don't know anyone who tries to stretch the wire on the t-posts. You just, every 50' to 100' set "H" posts of wood or steel pipe and do all the stretching from those. The t-posts just hold up the wire and maintain the spacing between the "H" posts.

GareyD · Oct 13, 2004

I've found that High Tensile doesn't break, it stretches...that's why you need to install the spring tensioners in the middle of long runs....mine will droop in the hottest part of the summer, and get banjo string tight during colder weather...takes about and hour a year to reset the tensions....

Had a tree fall across the fence during the last Hurricane...cut it in half with the saw and lifted the pieces off the fence...the fence went back to normal as soon as I lifted the second half /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

GareyD