7 common cattle fencing mistakes- Corner posts are undersized, or not deep enough

Here are seven of the most common errors in livestock fencing, and how to avoid them. Whether you’re an experienced man or just learning the basic knowledges of wood, wire and tape, there's always something more to learn when it comes to livestock fencing. Tianze company is going to share seven most common cattle fencing mistakes. Today, there is the first one: Corner posts are undersized, or not deep enough.

This ranks as the top mistake in fencing, be it barbed, high-tensile wire or woven wire. The main problems are undersized posts and corner posts not set deeply enough, especially in sandy or soft soils. Tianze, who has clients in 43 states, says, “the depth in the ground should be equal to, or greater than, the height of the top wire.” The diameter of the post depends on the strength of the fences. The lightest fence, such as a 1or 2 wire, high tensile pasture subdivision fence, requires only a 4- to 5-inch-diameter post. A 5-strand barbed wire fence, or 5- or 6-strand high-tensile wire fencing, requires a 6- to 7-inch-diameter post. For net wire fences, we recommend an 8-inch-diameter post.

How to fix it: Keeping corner posts in the ground is chief concern. Tianze says a 10-foot brace is the ultimate, and he favors a “floating diagonal” bracing system, in which the angle brace is a 4-inch by 10-foot post notched a half-inch into the main corner post. The other end is located on top of the ground opposite the corner post. And Tianze cautions against using drill stem – the metal pipe byproduct of oil wells – for corner bracing an electric fence. Unlike wood, it can conduct electricity and lessen the efficiency of the fence.