# High tensile fence question for cattle



## round_rock_ray (Feb 7, 2015)

Howdy y'all, I'm looking to build a 2900 ft, 3 strand electric to keep in cattle beginning in late February/ early March... would a 2-7/8 steel pipe corner brace 8x8 be sufficient or should I go bigger? 

Also I know the bigger the post the stronger but what size pressure treated line post would you recommend? 

Im looking to buy 3-4 Hereford calves 

Thanks y'all


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## raisinem (Jul 27, 2016)

corner post and bracing I use 8" posts most of the time. in an h frame with lag bolts in the center through the corners most of the time. Line posts could be a t posts cause you have to remember it is only to hold the wire up and not under any tension. All of the tension is loaded on the corners. I love H.T. in some places like through wooded pastures in woods so if a branch falls on it pick it up off it or a tree it goes back where it was. The springs and tensioners can be costly but its well worth it. I sink all my corner post and bracing 4 feet deep in concrete in 16 inch holes the concrete is usually 36" up the post then the rest is dirt.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

2900' in 1 run? Pretty small. Welded? Shorter run may be OK. Or make 3 post corner on long runs, double X braces or horizontal with 2 heavy X brace wires or cable, with a nice size concrete block around the posts. Line posts 4"x7'. Corners or braces 5"x8'+....James

http://extension.uga.edu/publications/files/html/C774/images/c774-13.jpg


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## round_rock_ray (Feb 7, 2015)

raisinem said:


> corner post and bracing I use 8" posts most of the time. in an h frame with lag bolts in the center through the corners most of the time. Line posts could be a t posts cause you have to remember it is only to hold the wire up and not under any tension. All of the tension is loaded on the corners. I love H.T. in some places like through wooded pastures in woods so if a branch falls on it pick it up off it or a tree it goes back where it was. The springs and tensioners can be costly but its well worth it. I sink all my corner post and bracing 4 feet deep in concrete in 16 inch holes the concrete is usually 36" up the post then the rest is dirt.


How far do you space your t post out?


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

Between you writing it and others reading it, a lot gets lost. I'm thinking you are running 3 strands, with 725 feet on each of the four sides. That means 4 corner posts and 8 brace posts and 8 horizontal brace posts. Diagonal wire from lower part of corner post, up to upper 2/3 of brace post. 
Where I live, cedar posts are cheaper than t posts, so I go 16 feet, with every other post cedar, t posts in between.
But I get lots of snow. But I don't fence Brahma.


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## round_rock_ray (Feb 7, 2015)

haypoint said:


> Between you writing it and others reading it, a lot gets lost. I'm thinking you are running 3 strands, with 725 feet on each of the four sides. That means 4 corner posts and 8 brace posts and 8 horizontal brace posts. Diagonal wire from lower part of corner post, up to upper 2/3 of brace post.
> Where I live, cedar posts are cheaper than t posts, so I go 16 feet, with every other post cedar, t posts in between.
> But I get lots of snow. But I don't fence Brahma.


It's a straight line 2900 feet. Im under the impression that since it's going to be electric fence that the line post can be spread out a bit father (50ft) cause the cattle will not lean or get to close to it after they've been trained or shocked...

I'm going off of zareba website. I just wanna know if 2-7/8 metal corner brace will work or do in need to use pressure treated wood post? 

http://www.zarebasystems.com/learning-center/installation-guide/fence-post-installation


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## Gravytrain (Mar 2, 2013)

I'm not following how you have 2900' in a straight line...are the other sides of the pasture already completed? Is the Hi-T going around the end post and anchoring to existing H braces or terminating on each 2 7/8 metal end post? If H braced on both sides I think you'd be ok...if not then I'd be concerned.

I've gone as far as 120' between line posts on flat ground, but I use droppers or battens in between. With only 3 strands and wide post spacing you had better keep it HOT.


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## raisinem (Jul 27, 2016)

round_rock_ray said:


> How far do you space your t post out?


50' usually


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

Over a half mile is quite a length. I might add another post and a second horizontal brace post. 
I have snow to contend with, so space a lot closer than 50 feet. Being able to see the fence is a concern, too. 800 pounds of high speed beef can slide through an electric fence before they notice it is electrified.

I have seen steers run through a high tensile fence, 3 strands with two strands of barbed wire on top, 12 foot spacing on 6 inch top posts.

But I have seen cows kept inside a pasture with a poplar branch 2 feet tall with one strand of light weight electric wire.


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## Empire (Jan 7, 2016)

I put my line posts 25 feet apart. I have snow load and drifting, or I would space them out a bit more.


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## round_rock_ray (Feb 7, 2015)

Gravytrain said:


> I'm not following how you have 2900' in a straight line...are the other sides of the pasture already completed? Is the Hi-T going around the end post and anchoring to existing H braces or terminating on each 2 7/8 metal end post? If H braced on both sides I think you'd be ok...if not then I'd be concerned.
> 
> I've gone as far as 120' between line posts on flat ground, but I use droppers or battens in between. With only 3 strands and wide post spacing you had better keep it HOT.


I need 2900 ft to fence in my property on the north side the other 3 sides are complete with 5 stran barbwire from the previous owner. 

I don't plan on connecting to the pre existing fence.


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## raisinem (Jul 27, 2016)

haypoint said:


> Over a half mile is quite a length. I might add another post and a second horizontal brace post.
> I have snow to contend with, so space a lot closer than 50 feet. Being able to see the fence is a concern, too. 800 pounds of high speed beef can slide through an electric fence before they notice it is electrified.
> 
> I have seen steers run through a high tensile fence, 3 strands with two strands of barbed wire on top, 12 foot spacing on 6 inch top posts.
> ...


Neighbor has a single strand of the cheapest thinnest wire you can buy rusted almost in two in some places but his box is strong with a PERFECT ground system and his cattle even calves don't dare go near the fence. I cant remember what it tested at


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## Hiro (Feb 14, 2016)

I can't speak to snow load or icing since it is rarely a problem here or I suspect in TX. Given that, there is no hard and fast rule on line post spacing without those factors. I put in enough line posts to keep it from sagging or leaving a large gap. It is hilly around here, so there are areas that line posts are 10 ft apart and others where it is 150 ft apart. 

Put in a line posts 100 ft apart and after you string the wire, add what you need to keep it from grounding out or being too high off the ground, imho.


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## Windswept Hill (Nov 23, 2010)

I've got Dexters and three strands is only enough if you put the first one six inches off of the ground.

New calves will limbo under anything higher than that.

I like Gallagher products. You get what you pay for.


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## slingshot (Jun 25, 2014)

My line posts are 30 feet apart with no problems... 

Like others have said the corners are the strength, do them right the first time. Mine are pounded 8" posts 90Â° with a post used as a brace in between just like the pics posted already. I use a piece of wire and a ratchet to tension the corner. 

Make the ground perfect at what ever cost is needed, it will save you many headaches. 

For the life of me I will never understand why people use less than 5 wires, lots of guys around here loose calfs to coyotes every spring because they don't want to add some wire. Absolutely no reason for it. 

2 more strands is cheap insurance


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## round_rock_ray (Feb 7, 2015)

slingshot said:


> My line posts are 30 feet apart with no problems...
> 
> Like others have said the corners are the strength, do them right the first time. Mine are pounded 8" posts 90Â° with a post used as a brace in between just like the pics posted already. I use a piece of wire and a ratchet to tension the corner.
> 
> ...


That's good advice &#128077;


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## gjhinesjr (Jun 28, 2014)

I agree with most of what's been said.

I did 8 wire (all hot) HT around my 12 acres. It's rolling hills so some line posts are 60+ft others are 15. Just do what the land dictates to keep it from sagging and not have large gaps.

I used the bottoms of telephone posts as my corners. Most are in the 10" range.

Brace assemblies are New Zealand style floating braces. Using a 10ft diagonal. Looking back I might have used 12fters and tamped the posts in with a slight backward lean. It's not that the corner post moves, it seems that the HT stretches ever so much before it starts tensioning itself (it's designed to stretch of course), so on some of the corners, they've tilted in about an inch before stopping movement.

Outside of that I've been real happy with my fence. Never had anyone come close to escaping or a predator get in.

Wanted to add, I have a Par-mak Super Energizer powering the whole fence and been real happy with that too. It's got a KV readout on it and it's always above 10-12 unless there's a heavy snow load. And it'll light you up let me tell you.


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