Types of Fences for Livestock
Fences have proved to be effective a means through which to keep animals within an area. Historically, wood fences that paint the archetypal picture of a farmland were used to restrict the movement of animals. Also, stone fences were used seeing as these were the only readily available materials in which to restrict movement of animals best electric fence Canada.
In recent years however, wire has been the most popular material used in farmland fencing especially for livestock. This is particularly the case seeing as wire is much cheaper, is much easier to install and wire is comparably much stronger and durable than wood, which is prone to wood rot and destruction by termites.
Categorized by type, fences come in four main types: wire, electric fence, synthetic fence and wood.
- Wire
Wire is the most commonly used material for fencing. As such, many styles have been designed from wire in order to keep livestock well restricted within the required area. Some among these include:
- Barbed Wire: first introduced during the industrial revolution in the mid-1800s barbed wire is a strand of three wires twisted together into a strong cord with sharp barbs at regular intervals. Barbed wire is effective in confining animals by having them pricked, after which they learn not to come near it.
- High Tensile Wire: this kind is springy and has much more tension that allows for wider spacing of posts. The fact that it can not be stretched easily by animals makes it a wonderful alternative in the wire fences for livestock.
- Mesh Wire: as barbed wire cannot effectively contain poultry and animals such as pigs, the mesh wire comes in handy. Mesh wire is a knot of smooth wire woven into vertical and horizontal stays. The dimensions of the spaces within the weavings can vary depending on the size of some poultry such as chicks.
- Chain Link: built by galvanized steel wires, chain links are used to confine some livestock. However, they are expensive to install, and seeing as they are easily destructible by large animals, they pose the burden of high maintenance costs.
- Electric Fence
Few things are as brilliant an innovation in agriculture as the invention of the electric fence. The electric fence was most popular as a means for keeping livestock confined in the mid-20th century. The electric fence has fence chargers which places an electric pulse on throughout the fence. Whenever the animal gets in contact with the electric fence, they experience an electrical shock which is uncomfortable yet harmless.
- Synthetic Fences
With many other industrial uses, vinyl has quite the use in farmland fencing. They are obtained from coating wire with vinyl. Synthetic fences can electric and non-electric, with the latter being the most common. Electric vinyl fences are fitted with graphite to transmit an electric pulse which discourages animals from getting close.
- Wood Fences
Wood is the oldest material used for fences. Wood is rigid and when put high enough, is an effective means of confining and restricting undesired movements of animals.
While these are the main types of fences commonly used for livestock fencing, improvisations of pipe and metal are used to fence farmlands in an effort to keep livestock confined. These make use of the scrap pipe and welded metal to restrict the livestock especially horses and sheep.
