![]() ![]() One of the size options available now for woven wire fence is 4”x4” and is called sheep and goat fence. That fence was originally designed to keep in goats and also worked well when we had a milk cow. Moving those animals out sooner is what should have happened. A strand or two of barbed wire along the top or a strand of electrified wire, which we didn’t have, might have helped with those oxen. Otherwise, it would be fine and shows no sign of rust. Just now some of it needs to be replaced, not because the wire is failing, but because our son pastured oxen in there for awhile when the pasture was inadequate and they leaned over the fence to get that greener grass on the other side. We installed a Class 3 woven wire fence 27 years ago. You are going to be putting in the same amount of labor to install it and you don’t want to do it again anytime soon– by that I mean anytime in the next 25 years or more. You might find woven wire fencing designated as Class 1, but keep looking until you find Class 3 galvanized. It usually has 6”圆” spaces, but there are more size options available now. For that, you need woven wire fencing, which I’ve always referred to as field fencing. Welded wire, like the livestock panels, can’t be stretched and doesn’t conform to changes in elevation. If you planted your cover crops at the right time and thought they were off to a good start, only to find they never got any bigger or even disappeared, it could be that the wildlife had considered your garden their personal salad bar during the fall and winter. Besides keeping the critters out of your garden during the growing and harvesting season, a good fence will also keep them from grazing your cover crops. They can climb over it, but if the top edge bends out with their weight, it might discourage them. When attaching it to the posts, if you leave the top foot unattached, it might help to keep raccoons out. Welded wire fencing with 2”x4” spaces and 6’ high is a good choice for chicken pens. If they are a problem for you, maybe a border of something prickly on the outside of the fence would help. Raccoons can climb over a 4’ high fence, and even a 6’ high wire fence. Rocks along the edge of the fence will help to keep animals from digging in. If you have trouble with groundhogs you might want to bury it deeper. When installing the fence, dig a trench along the fenceline so the bottom few inches can be buried. If you have a dog or cat that takes care of the baby rabbits, that might not be a problem for you. For that reason, I’ve gone to using 1”x2” welded wire fencing for my garden. The spaces in that fence will keep most things out, but not baby rabbits. I won’t address dealing with deer in this post. I like a 4’ high fence around a garden, unless you have problems with deer. It is readily available at building supply stores. Welded wire fencing with 2”x4” spaces is probably the most popular option for a garden and for fencing a backyard to keep your dog or children in. However, that means that they don’t conform to the landscape well, making it look not so good if your ground is not level. One of the great things they have going for them is that they are rigid. ![]() You can read more about livestock panels in my blog post In Praise of Livestock Panels. In All Flesh Is Grass Gene Logsdon suggests using livestock panels as a perimeter fence. Livestock panels might be your choice to keep livestock in. It will not keep rabbits, chickens, and other small critters out. They are easy to install and to take with you if you should move. ![]() If it is the neighbor’s (or your) dog, livestock panels will do to keep large dogs out. If it is to keep predators out, which predators would that be? That’s the general aim of a garden fence. It is important to consider which of those functions you want to accomplish. Wherever you live, fencing is necessary to keep predators out and children, pets, and livestock in. ![]()
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