When fencing, focus on quality construction
Jul 20, 2020
Are you trying to keep your livestock in? Do you need a barrier to keep predators out? With the spring rush behind us, it’s time to get started on that new fence. Fencing is difficult enough as it is, so your best bet is to use quality products the first time and make it last.
To help you compare products, let’s begin with a little fencing history lesson. Starting in the 1940s and continuing into the 1960s, 121⁄2-gauge, low-carbon barbed wire was the product of choice for farmers and ranchers throughout the South. In the 1970s, 151⁄2-gauge, high-tensile barbed wire became available and slowly emerged as the preferred wire.
The most recent advancement in barbed wire technology has been the 14-gauge, high-strength wire, which provides long-lasting durability by combining the strength of high carbon and the flexibility of 121⁄2-gauge, low-carbon wire. And it is 30 percent stronger than either.
If you’re comparing prices, the cost of 14-gauge barbed wire is about $10-$15 per roll higher than 151⁄2-gauge products, which amounts to less than 2 cents per foot more. The benefit you get from those 2 cents is a substantially stronger product with a breaking strength of approximately 1,400 pounds, compared to the 151⁄2-gauge breaking strength of about 950 pounds. Our Herdsman line now includes Max 14 Barbed Wire, which could very well be the new wire of choice for Co-op customers.
Now that you’ve chosen your wire, it’s time to choose your posts. Do you need wood, steel, or both? Wood posts are available with CCA or creosote treatments and come in a variety of lengths and diameters. All wood post suppliers for your Co-op are certified by the American Wood Preservers Association and adhere to strict guidelines governing treatment and safety of these products.
Your Co-op’s steel posts are made in the USA from recycled rail steel. They are available in green with a white top or red with a white reflective top and in 1.25 or 1.33 weights, refer- ring to the weight per foot of post. The red posts, exclusive to the Co-ops in Tennessee, are made from the highest-quality rail steel available and manufactured using the latest primer-in-paint technology to ensure a long-lasting coating. They’re a product you can be proud to have on your farm for many years to come.
Fence with best-quality Co-op products for a durable, long-lasting project.
Advances in technology may bring us more new fencing products, but one thing will never change: You will never go wrong using the best-quality products available.