Selecting Wire Fencing Materials

Selecting Wire Fencing Materials
Joseph M. Zulovich
Department of Agricultural Engineering
There is an old adage that says "good fences make good neighbors." This is particularly true today in suburban areas ofMissouri where a neighbor's cow or horse is seldom welcome in nearby lawns or gardens. The most economical solution is a wire fence capable of containing your livestock.

The purpose of this publication is to assist you in selecting materials for your fence.

Fence posts
Posts used to support fencing are available in either wood or steel in a variety of sizes and shapes. Selection of a post type for your fence should be based on:

Availability and cost of the post
How long you expect the finished fence to last.
Wooden posts are plentiful throughout most of Missouri and are generally less expensive than steel posts. For permanent fencing, you should select either a decay-resistant variety such as Osage orange or posts that have been pressure-treated with a preservative material. Table 1 gives the life expectancy of wooden posts from different tree varieties...

Published by University of Missouri Extension
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