Should Barbed Wire Be Used for Animals?

Barbed wire is known for keeping intruders out and securing your property. When people see a small barb on a fence it immediately stops them from trying to enter an area.

Barbed wire does not always have the same effect on animals as they may not realize that the barbs can cause injury. When using agricultural fencing, people often wonder if it is appropriate or excessive to include barbed wire when used with animals. The type of fence used usually depends on the particular use of the fence. When fencing is used for animals, it can be used either to keep animals (such as livestock) within an area or to keep animals (such as wildlife) outside of an area. Let's see if wire fencing is suitable for enclosing your animals.

If you have animals, the safety of your animals should be of paramount importance. With your animals in mind, many alternatives to barbed wire should be considered first, such as a high-strength woven wire that will not harm your animals. For stronger animals, you may choose to add wire through woven wire fencing.

 Barbed Wire

Of course, this depends on the type of livestock you have. Wire fencing is often used for larger animals or more aggressive animals, such as goats. However, when a barbed wire is used with sheep and certain types of goats, the wool of these animals often gets tangled in the barbs.

Barbed wire fencing is most commonly used for cattle. Although cattle may not recognize the barbs on the fence at first, after being barbed a few times they often learn to stay away from the fence. When fencing with barbed wire fencing, it is not necessary to include barbs on every wire of the fence. Placing barbed wire in the strands between the top and bottom strands is usually sufficient to keep cattle inside while minimizing damage to any other animals.

Barbed wire should not be used for horses, even if they are large animals, as they tend to rub against the fence. Horse fencing is a special type of welded wire fencing that should be used in place of horses. Overall, if your animals are small and not particularly aggressive, you may not need to risk hurting them with barbed wire. If you have cattle, this type of fencing is certainly something to consider. Barbed wire fences are popular because they are cost-effective, which is an important consideration when you need to enclose large areas. Barbed wire is also flexible, allowing you to choose between different thicknesses of wire and space between barbs.

The thickness of the wire and the position of the barbs depend on the animals you want to enclose. Need more advice on your agricultural fencing? To choose the right wire fence for your animals or to consider other types of agricultural fencing, please contact us to find out how we can help.