Ranch fence is not one thing. The right fence for cattle on two hundred acres is wrong for goats on five, and both are wrong for horses. Around Lake Livingston most properties need two or three types on the same place: a cheap, strong boundary around the pasture, something tighter near the barn and the house, and pens that take a beating. Here is the lineup.
| Fence | Best for | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbed wire | Cattle pasture, property lines | Lowest | Never for horses; not for small stock |
| Field fence | Goats, sheep, mixed stock, dogs | Low to moderate | Top strand for cattle; small bottom openings for goats |
| No-climb wire | Horses, dogs | Moderate | Two-by-four mesh; add a top board for visibility |
| Cattle panels | Pens, small pastures, yards | Moderate to high | Rigid; no bracing needed; easy to change |
| Hog panels | Pigs, hog exclusion, gardens | Moderate | Set at or below grade on close posts |
| Cross buck / board | Horses, driveways, frontage | High | Add wire behind for small animals |
| Pipe | Corrals, arenas, working pens | Highest | Lasts longest; takes the most abuse |
| Electric | Subdividing pasture, training | Lowest | Needs trained stock and a charger |
| Game fence | Deer, exotics, hunting land | High | Eight feet, high-tensile, heavy corners |
By animal
Cattle respect barbed wire and lean on everything else; four or five strands, or field fence with a top strand. Goats test every fence and go through anything with an opening bigger than four inches; goat-spaced field fence or panels. Sheep are easier than goats; standard field fence. Horses need smooth, visible fence with no hoof-sized openings and no barbs: no-climb with a top board, board, cross buck or pipe. Pigs go under; hog panel at or below grade. Dogs dig and climb; field fence or no-climb with the bottom tight. Deer jump; eight feet. Horse fencing and deer fence go deeper on the two that are easiest to get wrong.
By job
Perimeter: barbed wire or field fence on braced corners. Cross fences: the same, or electric to subdivide. Near the house and barn: panels, board or cross buck, with wire behind. Pens: pipe or panels, deep posts, close spacing. Driveway: board, cross buck or split rail with a tube or ornamental gate. Garden: hog panel or field fence with fine mesh low and height for deer.
What they all share
Braced corners on anything stretched, posts set to the soil, Class 3 galvanized wire, gates on their own heavy posts, and a cleared line. Farm and ranch fence covers how we build, and setting up paddocks for a small hobby farm covers laying it out.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest livestock fence?
Barbed wire on T-posts between braced wood corners. It holds cattle and marks a line for less per foot than anything else. It is the wrong fence for horses and small stock.
What fence holds the most kinds of animals?
Woven field fence topped with a strand of barbed or electric wire. It holds goats, sheep, dogs and cattle on one line. With no-climb spacing it is safe for horses too.
Is electric fence a real fence?
As a boundary with trained animals, yes, and it is the cheapest way to subdivide a pasture. As the only fence on a property line, most owners want something physical behind it.