If you have livestock to contain or acreage out toward the rolling hills near Highway 321, you already know that a standard suburban fence will not cut it. Farm Fencing is a completely different beast. Western Fencing spends a lot of time out on local properties across Loudon County, and the secret to a Farm Fence that actually holds cattle or horses comes down to respecting the land we are working on.
Dealing with Lenoir's Clay and Slopes
Anyone who has tried to dig post holes around here knows we deal with heavy clay soils and plenty of uneven terrain. If you do not drive your corner posts deep enough or anchor them properly against the pull of stretched high-tensile wire, that Farm Fencing line is going to start leaning after the first heavy spring thaw. Western Fencing has seen plenty of DIY Farm Fencing wash out on slopes because the installation did not account for how water moves across our local pastures. You have to build with the contours of the land, not against them, making sure your gates swing true even when the ground drops away.
Choosing the Right Material for Your Livestock
Not all Farm Fencing wire is created equal. Depending on whether you are running cow-calf pairs, keeping horses, or trying to deter predators from a small hobby farm, your material choice is very important. Woven wire and high-tensile wire are staples around East Tennessee for a reason; they give you the strength and flexibility needed to withstand pressure from livestock without buckling; and they will not fail easily under pressure. Board fencing is still a favorite for visible paddock areas near the barn because it looks sharp and horses can easily see it, but it requires upkeep that plain wire does not.
Western Fencing always tells property owners to look at the big picture before buying rolls of Farm Fencing off a big-box store shelf. Saving money on lighter-gauge wire usually means you will be out there splicing lines and resetting posts in three years. When you build it heavy and deep the first time, you save yourself hours of labor down the road when a steer leans against a corner or a tree limb comes down across the Farm Fence line during a summer storm.