October 28th, 2020Should barbed wire fences be used for animals?

Barbed-wire fences are well-known for keeping intruders out and keeping your property secure. When people see the little barbs placed on a fence, it instantly deters them from attempting to enter an area.

The barbed wire fences don’t always have the same effect on animals though as they may not recognize that the barbs can lead to injuries. When using agricultural fencing, people often wonder if including barbed wires is appropriate or excessive when used for animals.

The type of fence used often depends on the particular purpose of the fence. When fences are used for animals, it could either be used to keep animals, such as livestock, enclosed within a certain area or keep animals, such as wild animals, out of an area. Let’s take a look at if barbed wire fences are appropriate to use for enclosing your animals

If you have animals, the safety of your animals should be paramount. With your animals in mind, many alternatives to barbed wire should be considered first, such as high tensile woven wire fences, which won’t hurt your animals. For animals that are a bit more forceful, you have the option to add electrified wire through woven wire fences

Of course, it depends on the type of livestock that you have. Barbed wire fencing is generally used for larger animals or more aggressive animals, such as goats. When using barbed wire fences for sheep and certain types of goats though, the fleece of these animals often get caught in the barbs.

Barbed wire fences are most commonly used for cattle. Though cattle may not recognize the barbs on the fence at first, after being pricked a few times, they often learn to stay away from the fences.

When using barbed wire fences for cattle fencing, barbs do not need to be included on every wire strand of the fence. Having the barbed wire in the strands between the top and bottom strands is usually enough to keep the cattle in while minimizing hurting any other animals.

Even though they are large animals, barbed wire should never be used for horses as they tend to rub themselves against fences. A horse fence, which is a special type of welded wire fence, should be used instead for horses.

Overall, if your animals are smaller and not particularly aggressive, you probably don’t need risk injuring your animals with barbed wires for your fencing. If you have cattle, this type of fence could certainly be taken into consideration. 

Barbed wire fences are popular because they are cost effective, which is an important consideration when you need to enclose a large area. Barbed wire fences are also flexible, allowing you to choose between different wire thicknesses and the space between barbs.

The wire thickness and placement of the barbs depends on the animals you would like to enclose. Need more advice on your agricultural fencing in the Fraser Valley? To select the appropriate barbed wire fence for your animals or to consider other types of agricultural fencing, contact A&G Fencing to see how we can help.