we need to put up fencing real soon and can not afford "real" fencing, i do not like the regular electric does anyone use the high tensil with out electric? how is it put up and will it keep in large animale cows and horses? i was thinking about barbed wire but w/ small children i worry. any other ideas? i need to fence our property outline about 6 ac. thanks

-- renee oneill (oneillsr@home.com), July 15, 2000

Answers

I wouldn't worry about your children and a barbed wire fence. Marking the gates clearly so no one will accidentally run into it.

A quarter mile roll of 4 point costs about 30 - 35 dollars. Tee posts are a bit over $2 each. You need to run a minium of 4 strands to keep in pasture animals.

If you use fence stays (twisty thingies) you can increase the distance between posts to 20 feet (unless the soil is soft or wet a lot).

-- Dennis Virzi (den2007@swbell.net), July 15, 2000.

I use nothing but high tensile fencing w/electric on my farm. It is a joy to work with. It will work without electric on it, but you will need probably 5 or 6 strings, and your posts will have to be closer. Now that my cattle are trained to the electric fence, I can keep my bull away from cows in heat with one string of electric fence, it works that well. I would recommend you put electric on your fence, either solar, battery, or AC . The kids will also become "trained" to leave it alone. Another plus for the electric fence is that the cattle will not push on it to reach grass on the other side or scratch their backs on it as they will with barb wire. They can really tear a fence up quick with these bad habits. Rob Clarksburg, WV

-- Rob Shipe (RShipe1046@aol.com), July 15, 2000.

Horses and barbed wire are NOT A GOOD MIX. Horses are sufficiently high-strung :-> to start through a barbed-wire fence in a panic before they realise what it's doing to them, maybe THEN panic more when they DO realise what it's doing to them, and not tough enough to withstand it well.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), July 16, 2000.

Hi Renee,

I used 6 strand fence to keep in my horse and goat when I first put up a fence. The horse used to hook her foot on the bottom strands and pull. It would either break or get me out of the house yelling. The goat would just walk right through it.

I know you said you don't like eletric, but it does work the best and is the cheapest in the long run. There are also a number of solar chargers available. Haven't had a problem since I added two strands of eletric - one on top and one on bottom - on the inside of the fence. Keeps out the coyote and bears too.

My mare ripped out a chunk of meat on her leg from barbed wire. Wouldn't recommend it for horses, cows are okay, but not horses.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), July 17, 2000.

I've been thinking about electric fencing too, But I thought it would be better to run a strand outside my fence for the coyotes and stray dogs, wouldn't that work better than inside the fence?

-- Tina (clia88@newmexico.com), July 20, 2000.

It would work better for the dogs and coyotes but if you also have it inside, it will keep the livestock in. The dogs and coyotes have to reach or dig to get through and will be shocked, especially if they are touching a cold wire at the same time as the hot. The cold being the strung tensil. Believe me, I stratled the fence once chasing a chicken when I forgot the fence was on. That was the worse shock I got. The animals only need to be shocked once to get the idea, then they stay away from it. No knocked down fences.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), July 20, 2000.

MY QUESTION IS, CAN ELECTIC FENCE BE DANGEROUS? I HAVE HEARD THAT A WET FENCE WILL KILL A SMALL OR SICK ANIMAL?IS THIS A WIVES TAIL? ARE THERE ANY HAZARDS TO ELECTRIC?

-- amanda russell (saveacowgoveg@aol.com), January 20, 2002.