What is the best fence for cattle?

1. Three basic fence types are best suited for cattle: traditional barbed wire, woven wire and high tensile smooth wire.

2. Fence height should be at least 48 inches high to prevent animals from climbing over the fence. Woven wire fence can be used with cattle provided there are several strands of barbed top wires used to prevent the cattle from rubbing the woven wire down.

3. Dig post hole so diameter of the hole is 3 times the width of the post (i.e., the hole for a 4” wood post should be about 12 inches wide). The depth of the hole should be 1/3-1/2 the post height above ground (i.e., a 6-foot tall fence would require a hole depth of at least 2 feet).

4. In general, at least 4 to 5 strands spaced approximately 10 inches apart are recommended for high-tensile fencing with a minimum fence height of 54 inches. Place the bottom wire at least 12 inches above the ground.