Murfreesboro, Tennessee · Rutherford County
Rutherford County still has a lot of pasture beyond the subdivisions. Out there, a fence isn't decoration. It keeps cattle off the road, goats out of the neighbor's garden, and you out of an argument over who pays for the damage. We build livestock fence the way UT Extension's farm fencing guide describes it, starting with the corners.
Horizontal line wires are held apart by vertical stays. Line-wire spacing runs tighter at the bottom for small animals, and most woven wire is 26 to 48 inches tall. The tag tells you what you're buying. UT's guide explains that a design number like 1047-12-11 means 10 line wires, 47 inches tall, stays every 12 inches, and 11-gauge filler wire. Stays every 6 inches suit small animals and every 12 inches suit large ones. For goats and sheep, we'd pick woven wire.
Three to five strands of barbed wire is the classic, economical cattle fence. HomeGuide's national guide puts livestock barbed wire at $3 to $6 per linear foot installed, or about $2,000 to $2,200 for a 1-acre boundary.
Smooth 12½-gauge high-tensile wire is light, long-lived and quick to build over long runs. UT's guide says it can take more than 1,100 pounds of livestock pressure without losing its elasticity, should be tensioned to about 200 pounds per wire, and works best electrified. Line posts can be spread out, too. UT recommends 40 to 60 feet for high-tensile, against 14 to 16 feet for woven wire.
A tight fence pulls hard on its ends, and UT's guide notes that some farmers have literally pulled corner assemblies out of the ground while tightening wire because the posts weren't set deep enough. So we follow its numbers:
In our limestone country, rock can stop an auger short. Rutherford County's ordinance requires fence posts at least 2 feet deep, with alternatives for rock only after consulting the County. We bring rock bits rather than leave a corner shallow.
Tennessee law spells out what counts as a "sufficient" fence for livestock (T.C.A. § 44-8-102). It includes a 4-foot post-and-rail or post-and-plank fence. It also includes two planks topped by at least four strands of barbed wire, with the top wire at least 4½ feet up, and fences of synthetic materials installed to generally accepted standards. Land in cultivation has to be fenced close enough, for at least 2½ feet up, to stop hogs (T.C.A. § 44-8-101). In unincorporated Rutherford County, barbed wire and electric fence are both allowed for agricultural use.
Tube gates and bow gates are hung on posts set to carry them, with chain or latch hardware a cow can't nudge open. We place gates where you can move equipment without crossing the wettest ground. Corrals and working pens get close post spacing, and UT lists 6 feet for corrals.
For horses, see horse fence. For road frontage, see split rail fence. For storm or tree damage to an existing line, see fence repair.
Tell us the acreage or footage, the livestock, and whether you want wire, high-tensile or a mix. We'll walk the line and quote posts, braces, wire, gates and clearing separately. Call (629) 334-2020 anytime or use the quote form.
Rather talk it through? Call (629) 334-2020 anytime.
Back to Murfreesboro Fencing Company for every fence and gate we build.
