How do I build a Wire Fence?
When it comes to laying out the perfect (safe) field for your livestock or animals, there is an easy way (eyeball it and guess) and there is better way.
In this article we will give you the tools you need to make an informed buying decision when looking to set up a wire fence around your property.
Let's start with unit of measurements when it comes to "talking fence," when you go into your local farm and ranch store.
What is a "Rod" Measurement in Fencing?
On the American prairie where fences were constructed of posts and wire, farmers would place fence posts a "rod" (16.5 feet) apart.
In addition to being about the right distance to support a wire fence, this helped early farmers and ranchers quickly estimate the number of posts needed (80 rods is a quarter mile).
Using a "rod" layout and unit of measurement was also useful when plowing a field.
By spacing posts a rod apart, the farmer had permanent markers to use when setting up lands. Farmers took great pride in being able to plow a straight furrow.
A quicker/easier method of fencing a property could involve electric fencing. Find out more here.
If the field was level, the farmer could use the post on the far side of the field to site to when breaking out a new land.
Fence posts are still commonly spaced a rod apart and barbed wire still comes in "80 rod spools" (this is important for later on when we are estimating cost)--so when you go into to talk about your fence, now you will understand what they are talking about and what you can expect to pay based on the total "rods" in your field.
Use this diagram to calculate the number of rods of fence to enclose fields of different sizes.
1 rod = 16.5 ft.
10 rods = 165 ft.
20 rods = 330 ft.
1/4 mile = 1,320 ft. or 80 rods
1/2 mile = 2,640 ft. or 160 rods
1 mile = 5,280 ft. or 320 rods
The 'perfect acre' is a rectangular area of 43,560 square feet, bounded by sides 660 feet by 66 feet long (660 ft long × 66 ft wide), or 220 yards by 22 yards long (220 yd/ long × 22 yd wide), or 40 rods by 4 rods long.
So we know roughly the total rods in our fence line, now how many t-posts/wire rolls will we need?
How Many Fence T-Posts do you Need?
When it comes to running fence in the Northwest, there are a group of veteran ranchers and farmers who will have all the answers- and they will have been doing it the same way for decades if not longer.
And the real answer to this question is, "It depends." It depends on what animals you are fencing, what wire you are running... the list goes on. Below we give you an indication of how many t-posts you'll need for setting up a traditional wire fence like you see up here in the Northwest.
For those of us not yet indoctrinated into the realms of t-posts, corner bracing and wire strainers- there are some basic questions we have such as which T-post should I use for my specific application- running fence for horses is going to be different than running fence for cattle.
So let's get into one of the basic components of fencing.
What is T-post Strength?
We got a question in on #AskNorth40 that went like this: What weight T-post would be good for running a barbed wire fence?
Jesse gives us a lot of information in this clip. He gives us 1.25 T-posts, which are a t-post with 1.25 pounds of steel weight per linear foot- by multiplying the entire length of the post (6') by that poundage, we arrive at 7.5 lbs- cool.
Now what? What's that knowledge good for? It means this: the more steel you have (i.e. the heavier your post is) the more strength you will have in your post.
Animals and T-Post Strength
When selecting your T-posts for your fencing application you need to consider a couple things. What animals are going to be fenced in? Elk need a different fence than cattle or horses. Buffalo need a different fence than Black Angus cattle.
If you have questions about what type of animals need what type of fencing, come in to the store, or reach out to us using the form below so we can get you an answer (within 24-hours).
Here is our selection of t-posts to give you an idea of cost.
This article is a basic overview for fencing applications up here in the Northwest, so we are going to be talking about cattle/horses and the appropriate selection of t-post for those animals.
Now that we have our animals designated, the next thing you need to consider is WHERE are those animals going to be- why does it matter where they are? Because a good fence needs to be able to bear the pressure generated on it be the livestock you are trying to protect/contain.
For example: If you are building a fence for loading or branding cattle- a barb wire fence isn't going to cut it. When you have that many animals in a confined space, and you are pushing them in certain directions or cutting them from the heard over and over in order to vaccinate/separate them- there is going to be much, much more pressure on the fence you are running than if those animals were untouched, out on a pasture somewhere.
When the pressure on the fence is lower, you can run the traditional 4-wire set up with 1.25 t-posts because the animal is less likely to test a fence in that setting. With more pressure on the fence you might want to consider going with panels depending on how the size of the area.
How much Wire do you Need to Get your Fence Setup?
If you know the "rods" in the area you are fencing, and you know roughly how much pressure is going to be on the fence you are making, then selecting your wire, and getting a good idea of the initial cost is pretty straight forward.
Rolls of wire normally come in 80 rod lengths, so judge how many lines of wire you want to hang, factor in how many rods your field is, and you are pretty close to where you aught to be price-wise.
Still have questions or wondering about more complex fencing issues? Use the form below to ask us, or reach out to us on Facebook and we will work hard to get you an answer within 24 hours.