Choosing the Right Fence for Your Farm or Ranch

Fences may seem like simple apparatuses when it comes to your normal house backyard. However, when you add livestock and other commercial uses for land to the mix, the discussion about fencing gets a little bit more complicated.

Fences are not only decorative, but they help to contain livestock and other animals on the property, they assist in defining property boundaries, and they discourage others from entering your property. There are a number of different fence types and below you will find detailed explanations of a few types you can choose from depending on your specific needs.

Chain Link Fences

Being one of the most budget-friendly fencing types, it is only appropriate to talk about chain link fences. Chain links have stood the test of time and are favorites among some because of their sturdy construction and the difficulty involved in jumping over them, depending on the fence height. Oftentimes, farmers or ranchers use this type of fence when demarcating boundary lines on the property or delineating a space where people or livestock should not venture. The only downside to chain link fences is their aesthetic appeal.

Wooden Fences

Wooden fences are ideal for ensuring privacy and durability. With wooden fences, you can choose from picket, shadowbox, and cedar-split plank fencing. For a property where you want to enclose a large number of large livestock, the cedar-split variety is likely the best option.

If you are considering a wooden fence for its aesthetics, but you would like to fortify the wood a bit more, then you might consider using a combination of wood and iron to strengthen the fence’s structure. This will work both to keep your animals enclosed on your property and keep animals that should not be within the boundaries of your property out.

Barbed Wire/Security Fences

With security fences, you are likely trying to keep other animals and intruders out of your property. With barbed wire fencing, there are all sorts of different barb styles to choose from depending on the intended purpose and use. These fences are usually classified into two types: standard barbed wire fences and suspension barbed wire fences.

Suspension barbed wire fences usually have more wires – usually between 4-6. This suspension barbed wire adds a little more fortification and protection to the fence’s structure.

Electric Fences

Electric fences on a farm or ranch can be built for permanent or temporary use. Even if you add just one strand of electric fencing to one of the types of fencing mentioned above, it will improve the fence’s effectiveness indefinitely. Depending on the type of livestock, it may be dangerous to have these fences in close proximity where the livestock may not notice the fence and injure themselves.

Whether you are trying to build a fence around your property yourself or are hiring a company to do it for you, choosing the right type of fence for your needs is an important decision. If you would like more elaboration and explanation on the type of fence you should choose for your unique situation, please do not hesitate to ask me.