Barbed Wire. Why?

[nepia]

I thought that barb for cattle was for them to scratch themselves on. If there's something the other side of it they want it certainly doesn't stop them. But then again every herd seems to have an individual or two that apply the same attitude to electric fence.

So yes, I wonder at the use of barb for cattle.

[Graham]

There used to be really good fences about at one time. Called them hedges and if well maintained they kept anything in/out.

[treequip]

Cows will lean over a fence to reach grass or other vegetation, if its plain wire they just keep leaning until the fence is broken or flat.

 

Barbed wire prevents this, I've lived next to a dairy form for over 20 years and have never seen a cow injured by barb wire.

This week I have released two sheep, one had its head stuck in standard stock fencing, the other had got some pain wire tangled round its leg.

 

Well I would ask how often you inspected the herd. I have seen barb numerous injuries to cows.

 

 

I am told high end leather comes from cows on farms without barb so they can get large pieces without scars.

[Luke Quenby]

There used to be really good fences about at one time. Called them hedges and if well maintained they kept anything in/out.

 

Like that!

Personally, I don't like barbed wire. I've worked on farms, put up many miles of it, horrible stuff to work with and a bit pointless. If cattle are that hungry, they will walk through it to get to what ever is on the other side. I have known this to happen. Barbed wire doesn't keep it's strength like other wires, all relying on the actual barbed bit.

 

Go to countrys like New Zealand, they will use plain ht wire. The old saying that the country is built with number 8 wire is not far wrong. These guys know a thing or 2 about fencing and livestock.

 

I think because barbed looks effective and nasty people just keep on using it. I won't use it, and if can convince anyone else not to, I will. The strength of the fence is in the posts, the spacing and how tight the wire is, not how many strands of barbed wire can be strung up and made to look effective and aggressive.

[bobh]

As far as I'm concerned the only use for barb is to give cattle something to scratch their necks on. Good quality TIGHT high tensile plain wire is just as good on top of a netting fence.

Only problem with this advise is animal rights may come along and say you are depriving cows of their scratching post. :biggrin:

As from sheep getting stuck in netting, easy, just use 8/80/30 instead of the more common 8/80/15, end of problem.

 

Bob (worked on sheep/cattle farms for 20 years, contract fencer for 7)

[volvo]

There must be something wrong with the fencing if cows are getting a lot of injuries.

What length posts do you use?

We've put up barbed wire for sheep instead of stock fencing(some farmers dont like stock) but you need 8/10 strands of HT wire to be any good and it works.

What stereo is suggesting if im correct is deer fencing style using chicken wire or small mesh stock (because of sheep).,but i dont know any farmer that would pay for that!

Oh and things are always greener on the other side or so i'v been told.

Edited January 10, 2012 by volvo

[blazer]

It's sponsored by the firms that make chainsaw trousers

 

Not found any undercarriage protection for barbed wire on my saw trousers, maybe I missed it - what's the CE symbol:001_tt2:.

 

I often think farmers when setting up fences - measure the tallest lad in the village standing on tip-toes - then add 2":lol:

 

Me to on farms all my life, now helping out on an estate shoot with what seams like miles of new fencing for part of the 'upper level' system but it's only for grasing part of the year, and it's a pain for the rest of the year.

 

My moan, is why not make it law to remove all old barbed wire, & not dump it in the hedge for dogs and walkers/beaters to injury themselves.

 

Can I include 'living fence posts' nails in trees?

Maybe it's about change? 'but we have always used it'

[hazzygawa]

It's good for ripping horse rugs as my wife's horse always comes in to itts stable with more and more rips. Money argh!

 

I once saw a big fox dangling by it's back leg on a strand of bw. Told farmer, he went out and shot it.

[volvo]

Dont they use electric tape approx 200mm away from the barb ?

Im with Blazer why do they staple to bushes apart from being cheapskates

[muldonach]

We put barb as the top strand to stop cattle from rubbing on it, any unprotected post particularly strainers is rapidly adopted as a scratching post and will not last long under such treatment.

 

I claim no vast experience but wire injuries around here result from slack wire or occasionally some half daft beast jumping (normally within 10 yards of an open gate!). It does wind me up when people leave old fences in and discard rolls and lengths of wire in hedge bottoms etc.

 

Hedges - sorry but useless in terms of stockproofing and nowadays of decorative / wildlife value only. There is no hedge in the shire that does not have a fence or drystone dyke to back it up that I am aware of. I am not disputing that they can be made stockproof but they cannot be maintained stockproof on a sensible timescale without regular hand maintenance, sheep in particular will happily eat the bottom out of them. We have rejuvenated old hedges as part of RSS in the past and it a condition that they are fitted with a stockproof fence on both sides.

 

Our standard fence consists of 800mm mesh with the large mesh at the bottom so the pheasants etc can get through but charlie cannot and two strands of barb, one stapled at the top of the mesh and one 6 inches higher. We dont put any gap between the mesh and the first barb so that any animal jumping and putting a foot through does not twist the hoof between the two strands and hang the beast by the back leg - normally a roe.

 

It costs £6.60 per metre to supply and erect a good tight fence in these parts, and we have not had a wire injury caused by a tight wire in the last 10 years so it would take a bit of persuasion to convince me that we are doing much wrong!

 

Cheers

mac