Spring Cleaning and the Great Fence Debate
Over the last month and a half, Beth and I have been tackling one massive project: clearing the overgrowth along our five-acre fence line. This specific area is primarily used for finishing out our lambs.
The current setup is "woven wire" with a doubled electrified top strand to prevent predators, like coyotes, from jumping over. While it works, the maintenance has become a significant burden, and there is a bit of history behind why we chose this specific fence.
The EQIP Backstory
Toward the end of the Obama administration, additional EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program) grants were made available to specific counties in the Appalachian region of Ohio. Since we had a plan on file, we received funding to fence this five-acre pasture. At the time, the NRCS representative advised us to go with woven wire because the pasture has road frontage.
We followed that advice, but in 2020, I fell ill and we had to pause our regular maintenance. Within just two years, the growth was phenomenal—saplings, vines, and multiflora rose became completely intertwined with the wire.
The Maintenance Reality
Every year since, clearing this has been a major spring chore. This year, we are hitting it hard, clearing back five feet from the fence line so I can access it more easily with a weed whacker or, in some spots, the tractor.
As a farm that chooses "not" to use herbicides, we rely on manual labor: weed whackers, pruning shears, and a "dragon" (a propane torch) to burn off the line once or twice a year. If you are planning your own fencing, I highly recommend thinking through your long-term cleaning strategy before you dig the first post hole.
My Recommendation: High-Tensile vs. Woven Wire
If you have the choice, I strongly suggest considering **high-tensile wire** over woven wire for several reasons:
Self-Cleaning: When high-tensile wire is electrified in multiple locations, it can actually "burn off" some of the tender growth that touches the wire.
Easier Access: If you set your first wire approximately 6 inches off the ground, it is much easier to get a weed whacker underneath to keep the line clean.
A Note on Goats
Many NRCS agents recommend woven wire for goats, but I tend to disagree. For goats, I’d recommend using approximately **eight strands of high-tensile wire** with closer post spacing to keep the tension tight. If five of those eight wires are electrified, you essentially have a rigid, "hot" panel that is far easier to maintain than woven wire.
Beth and I are heading back out to the line now, but I wanted to share these thoughts while they were fresh. I apologize for the layout of the photos below—Google’s blogging platform can be a bit finicky with uploads—but they should give you a good idea of what we’re up against.
Have you had better luck with one type of fencing over another? Feel free to leave your questions or comments below!
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