How to Use Fencing for Dogs & Livestock

Types of Fence

• Establish what kind of fence you actually need. With many varieties of livestock-suitable fencing material available from any large tractor supply or home-improvement company, a store associate can answer specific questions. In general, however, for animals dog-size and larger, you'll want "field fencing," a flexible grid comprised of rectangles approximately 2 inches wide and 4 inches tall, although size can vary. Field fencing is available with a vinyl coating, galvanized or with no coating at all. While the vinyl coating looks nice and protects the metal from the elements, it adds to the cost, and over time the vinyl will crack and fall off.

  For smaller animals and lighter fencing, the rule of thumb is, you get what you pay for. So-called plastic "poultry netting" is suitable for patching a fence or preventing poultry from sticking their heads through, but predators can chew through it, so don't use it for primary protection. Hexagonal chicken wire is relatively inexpensive but is not as sturdy or aesthetically pleasing as hardware cloth, which features a ½-inch-by-½-inch grid and holds its shape. Hexagonal chicken wire is more expensive.

The Perfect Post

• Just as there are many kinds of fencing materials, there are also many styles of posts, from sturdy and attractive wood posts to utilitarian metal posts. When determining the kind of post to use, consider factors such as animal size, fence size, price and the area in which you'll install the fence. Wooden posts are ideal for areas visible from the road or your porch. You can attach fencing materials easily to wooden posts, plus wooden posts are sturdy and more appealing to the eye than metal fence posts.

  Dig your holes at least 2 feet deep; 3 feet is better. Don't try to use a shovel. Posthole diggers, while awkward for the first-time user, make for a cleaner hole and work better than a shovel when you are digging deeper holes. Use your legs and arms to sharply throw the posthole digger into the ground several times, breaking up lots of soil with the blades, and then retrieve it.

  Add a bag of instant concrete, such as Quikcrete, to the bottom of each hole for extra sturdy posts that will bear up to the forces placed on them by animal strain and tight fencing. Instant concrete requires a greater initial investment but pays off in reduced fence maintenance.

  Metal fence posts are cheaper than wooden posts and easier to install, especially in areas that are difficult to access. Use the right tools. A post driver (sometimes call a post "hammer," although it doesn't look like one!) is essential, helping you avoid sledgehammer-induced backaches and crooked posts. The post driver is a large metal tube open at one end and weighted at the other, with handles on either side. Place the open end over the top of the post and slam it down on the top until the anchor spade (the wide part of the post, near the bottom) is several inches under ground.

  When attaching fencing to a wooden post, you will be using fencing staples. Using a hammer, you drive the staple into the post much like you would a nail. Try not to drive staples in too far, or the staple can weaken or even break the fencing wire. It should be snug, but not "countersunk" into the wood. With the metal posts, simply hook the fencing wire under the hooks in the post.

  According to Victor Mann, a fourth generation farmer from Kentucky, old hands know that fencing material should go from post to post in a straight line; whenever the fence changes direction, wrap the fencing once around the post and then begin a new section. This will allow you keep the sections tight.