All animals invariably learn to respect sturdy fences. Cattle will, however, graze close to a fence even though they have been tamed before by the prick of a barb. Therefore fences need to be strong and sturdy when it comes to cattle.
Traditional livestock fencing materials have included barbed, woven, mesh, and electrified wire, and combinations of these materials. Board fences have also been popular. These conventional materials are still widely used and make excellent fences if properly constructed. However, new materials such as high tensile wire should also be considered when selecting fencing types.
The type of fencing needed for livestock confinement depends on several factors including animal species, age, breed, and production system. Beef cattle on a controlled grazing system have different fencing needs than horses on recreational pasture. Permanent boundary or division fences require different fencing materials than fences for temporary paddocks.
Factors for selecting fencing type include affordability, maintenance, durability, and effectiveness of containing livestock. Fencing types vary from physical barriers such as woven wire and board fences to psychological barriers such as electrified poly wire or tape. High tensile electric fences are a combination of both barrier types.
Once upon a time your old cattle yards were built using only timber posts & rail, & maybe sawn timber gates. Now however, there are so many different variations to choose from. Fencing type and material influence the cost, lifespan, and function of the fencing system.
Your typical rural fence was originally designed to keep the stock in, and the "pests" out of your paddocks, whilst defining the boundary between your land & the neighbours’. Not much has changed re the reason for needing a rural fence, however there is now a much larger range of products to choose from and the methods of erecting a fence have sure been refined over the years.
Fencing can be configured in many different ways using various types of fencing materials. The five main configurations are woven wire, barbed wire, high-tensile non-electric wire, high-tensile electrified wire, and electrified polywire.