Types of Farm Fencing: Non-Tension Fences
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Build different types of farm fencing and learn how to make fences out of pipe, cattle panels, and wood for livestock.
by Don Lewis
Fences have been around since there were places to defend and animals to contain (or keep out). The earliest depictions of fences can be found in Neolithic cave painting in France. In the early days, fences were most often made with whatever materials were around. Before the creation of wire, fences were made of brush, logs, branches, living plants, or stone.
Types of Farm Fencing: Tension vs Non-Tension
Today, thanks to the creation of cost-effective wire, most fences can be divided into two tension-related categories: Where tension is correctly applied to the fence by the installer or where the tension already exists due to the nature or construction of the materials used. For example, most wire fences work based on applied tension. In contrast, wood, stone, concrete, or even newer materials like nylon rail or heavy wire fences like cattle or hog panels can’t be effectively tensioned by the installer. Each of these materials is pre-tensioned either by nature or by the manufacturing process.
This article is an overview of the most commonly constructed non-tensioned fences.
Rail Fences
If I could afford it, every fence at my place would be a wood-rail fence, and for good reasons. Wood-rail fences require no brace posts. They don’t need tensioning because tension is an integral part of the wood. They are sturdy, strong, and easy to maintain and repair. And they’re substantial enough to be a visual and physical deterrent for most livestock abuse. Plus, they look great.
The rule of thumb for fence posts is to have half (or more) the length of the above-ground post buried in the ground. If your above-ground fence posts are 4’ high, then you need at least 2’ in the ground, meaning you’d start with 6’ posts. If you want a 6’ high fence, you’ll need three feet in the ground, so you’ll start with 9’ posts.
The posts are set evenly anywhere from 6 to 12’ apart, depending on the type of livestock you wish to contain. The shorter the span between posts, the stronger the fence.
Rails are made of dimensional lumber. My standard go-to is an 8’x2” x6” rail, which means my posts are set 8’ apart. If the fence is meant to be more decorative than functional, you can use one-inch-thick rails instead. The height of the fence and the spacing between the rails is livestock-dependent, but on average, 8 to 12” between rails is recommended. Because we keep cattle, my above-ground posts are typically made from 8’ 4x4s set 3’ in the ground, leaving 5’ above. Rails should be bolted to the post with at least two hex bolts, washers, nuts, or lag bolts.
Unfortunately, at around $6 a running foot for a four-rail fence, I have to limit my wood-rail fences to areas like feed lots, corrals, and home yard-to-pasture interfaces. But for those locations, there’s nothing better.
Rail fences don’t have to be made of dimensional lumber or even wood. Modern vinyl fences are quite popular and certainly attractive, but they’re also more expensive at $11 to $18 per linear foot. Additionally, vinyl fences are not as tough as wood fences. We’ve seen our neighbor’s romping horses explode sections of vinyl fence. Other types of popular rail fences are split-rail fences, steel-board fences, or cable-rail fences.
Wire-Panel Fences
Depending on their use, these heavy-duty welded-wire panels are called horse, cattle, or hog panels. They are typically 16’ long and fit well against wood posts set 8’ apart. The difference between the panel designations is based on the size of the openings created by the welded wire. Typically, horse panel openings are smaller to keep hooves from getting caught.
I use a lot of cattle panels around my place, particularly at the field/house yard interface. They look nice and make a great barrier to keep the livestock out and the dog in. Truthfully, I’d love to have all the barb-wire and field fences on my property replaced, but at $30 per panel, I have to keep them only for specific purposes.
Chain Link
It’s kind of odd that chain-link fences aren’t normally considered to be farm and homestead fences. Sure, you usually see them around schoolyards and industrial lots, but chain-link fencing provides a lot of benefits to rural applications. It’s fairly easy to install, and — unlike field fences and rail fences — it’s really hard to climb (a true benefit when enclosing goats and sheep, two species that are notorious escape artists).
Chain link fences are durable and low maintenance, hard to damage, and far less likely to injure livestock when compared to other fencing options.
The only drawback to a chain link fence is the cost: A linear foot of chain link fence can cost as much as $30 (materials and installation), so chain link fences are usually limited to smaller areas like pens.
Pipe Fences
I suppose pipe fences could be classified as a type of rail fence, though the construction methods are different. Pipe fences are so sturdy and resistant to damage that they deserve special note. Because they consist of galvanized or black-steel pipe, they can have longer spans than wood or vinyl-rail fences. They can be made by welding the horizontal pipes to vertical steel stanchions or drilling spaced holes in pressure-treated wood posts and then threading pipes through the holes. The pipes can then be welded together or connected by threaded fittings.
The cost of steel can make these kinds of fences expensive. But we discovered a source for free or inexpensive decent-quality galvanized 1-1/4” pipes: well drillers. When replacing old well pumps, well drillers will end up with hundreds of feet of pipe that is no longer suitable for reuse in a well but is perfectly suitable for fence rails. Our local well driller was delighted to let us take all he had in his yard because it cost him money to dispose of the 22’ pipes. Because those pipes came with connection fittings, I was able to make a number of truly great fences for just the cost of a few railroad ties and some 4×4 pressure-treated posts.
Corral Panels
Corral panels typically come in lengths from 4 to 16’ and heights from 4 to 6’. Made from welded steel tubes or tube and steel mesh combinations, corral panels are extremely tough and make great fences for corrals, livestock chutes, and arenas. They typically come with some kind of interlocking system and, over short distances, can be self-supporting. If you need the panels to extend to more than 3 or 4 panels in a row, a simple driven T-post will provide support. The only downside to using corral panels is the cost. Lightweight corral panels can cost $10 per linear foot, and high-end panels can go for $30 a foot or more. But if you really need to keep the livestock where you put them, there’s nothing better.
Choosing the Right Types of Farm Fencing
If there’s one thing we’ve learned over decades of keeping livestock, it’s to make your fences stronger (and tighter and higher) than you think you’ll need. Once upon a time, we naively thought we could contain a bull with three strands of barbed wire. Nowadays, we use railroad ties sunk in concrete with 2 “x6” rails bolted to the ties. The lesson learned: Always do your fences correctly the first time, and it will save you years of exasperation and repairs.
Don Lewis lives on a small homestead in North Idaho. He’s a husband, father, writer, and all-around handyman. He has practiced and written about rural subjects for over 20 years. He has experience in animal husbandry, carpentry, construction, science, and theology. He and his wife have been married since 1990 and have two homeschooled daughters, both now adults.
Originally published in the March/April 2025 issue of Countryside and Small Stock Journal and regularly vetted for accuracy.
