# Barbed Wire Fencing: Nuts n Bolts



## bubba1358 (Aug 2, 2013)

Hello all,

I was hoping those with experience could provide some recommendations on barbed wire fencing. Here's what I have:

3 Katahdin sheep
1 full-size donkey
1 Jersy milk cow - planned, do not own yet
several chickens

I have an rotational/electro-net setup right now which is working great, but adding the cow will make it too much. I can move it all once every two weeks, but I'd need a whole additional setup with a cow and that's gonna be too much. So, I'd like to move donkey in with cow and set up a cost-effective permanent fence. I do still want to keep the rotational thing going, so it would likely be 4 half-acre paddocks for cow and donkey to share.

Any suggestions on how many strands needed, heights, post spacing, etc. to make this work? Or _will_ this work? Thanks!


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## Azriel (Sep 21, 2013)

You would be OK with 4 strands for the donkey and the cow, but if/when you add the calf the cow will have to have to give milk, you will most likley need 5 strands, or 4 strands and 2 electric. Calves are very hard to keep in the fence. I put my posts about 15 feet apart. Bottom strand about a foot to 18" the rest of the strands spaced so the fence ends up being about 4' high. Instead of fencing 4 half acre paddocks, you would be better fencing in the full  2 acres as 1 fence and then doing your rotation with temp. electric fence. You should only need 2 strands of the cheep electric string flagged, and the step in posts, very easy to move. 
Depending on where you are,(rain fall and growth rate on the grass) I don't think you could have a cow and donkey in a half acre area for more than a few days to a week  before they would have it eaten down to dirt, so I think you will need to have hay for them pretty much year round, letting them out to graze for a few hours every day and feeding hay the rest of the time. If you over graze you will end up with all weeds.
Good luck, you can make any thing work if you want it bad enough.


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## bubba1358 (Sep 24, 2013)

Good ideas, thanks.

How do hair sheep fare in barbed wire? I'm thinking the foot-spaced, 4 strand will be a bad idea overall. I was leaning toward a progressively-spaced, 8-strand perimeter fence. Would sheep do OK in that? Would a calf?

I have about 3 "grazable" acres total, for what would end up being 3 breeding sheep (ram and 3 ewes), a milk cow (WTB a Jersey this spring), and a gelded donkey. I was assuming the sheep would occupy one in the elctronet, and donkey and cow would take the other 2. If donkey has to go, then I can do that - he would be the least productive of the group.

I do prefer a non-electrified permanent fence. JUST IN CASE, I don't want to have to rely on "the grid."


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## Azriel (Sep 29, 2013)

I think 8 strand is a little over kill, but it should keep anything in (except birds)and most things out. If thats the way you want to go, maybe check the difference in cost of woven wire/barb wire. You might be better off cost wise useing woven on the bottom with 2 strands of barb on top. Woven is a little harder to strech tight, and you do have to put the posts a little closer, but sure makes a nice fence. If you are worried about coyotes with the sheep, a strand of barb on the bottom should keep them out also, and keep the animals from sticking their heads under to graze.  If your useing the donkey as a guard animal for the sheep I wouldn't get rid of him. They do work great for keeping coyotes away.


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## goatboy1973 (Nov 26, 2013)

I would fence the whole 3 acres with woven wire and divide it into paddocks with the electro net. You want to make your perimeter fence as impenetrable as possible and consider the size of the smallest livestock you are wanting to keep fenced in and the size of the predator you are wanting to keep out. It's far easier and less expensive (in the long run), to do it right the first time than to have to re-fence after either livestock challenged the fence or a predator challenged the fence at the expense of your livestock. I would also put some offset strands of electric fence on the inside of the fence (at ground level, in the middle, and at the top.


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## bonbean01 (Nov 26, 2013)

I've stayed away completely with barbed wire for our hair sheep...can just see what kind of silly things they'd do and injure themselves....woven field fence here with three electric wires on the outside of the fence for predator's shocking delight.  Would be different for cows and a donkey though I think...my Dad had barbed wire fencing for cattle and yes, with calves, he went to 5 strands...little fence crawlers they were.


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## goatboy1973 (Nov 27, 2013)

bubba1358 said:


> Good ideas, thanks.
> 
> How do hair sheep fare in barbed wire? I'm thinking the foot-spaced, 4 strand will be a bad idea overall. I was leaning toward a progressively-spaced, 8-strand perimeter fence. Would sheep do OK in that? Would a calf?
> 
> ...


We use solar powered electric fence chargers and they have just as many joules of shocking power as the plug in type. Hurts just as bad to get shocked by solar charger as plug-in type.


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