Last Updated on November 17, 2020
If you have a farm and you are looking for fencing options, this guide is for you. We will show you exactly which farm fences you’ll need for all of your farm animals including horses, cows, chickens, goats, pigs, and more.
Which Horse Fence Do I Need for My Farm?
I’m a big fan of electric fence on my farm. Not only is it extremely versatile, it’s way cheaper than wood or woven wire fence and it does an awesome job keeping animals in.
With horses, the best type of electric fence wire you can get is polytape because it’s more visual than other types. It also has a larger surface area which is more likely to give the horses a shock if they touch it. Check out our article on the Best Electric Fence Tapes & Polytapes to see which ones I recommend.
The cheapest way to build a horse fence with polytape is to use it with step-in posts. If you want to do this then check out this article on the Best Electric Fence Posts to help you determine which ones I recommend.
It is also possible to use polytape with an existing fence with wood posts or t-posts. If you want to add it to an existing fence then check out this article on the Best Electric Fence Insulators.
Which Cow Fence Do I Need for My Farm?
Based on how you plan on pasturing your cattle, there are a few different fence options. For a permanent non-electric fence I would recommend woven wire along with wood posts or t-posts.
However, if you want a much cheaper option, I recommend setting up an electric fence. If you go this route you have several options depending on what you need.
If you want a more permanent electric fence option that’s cheap, you can go with t-posts and high-tensile steel wire. If you want a more temporary electric fence option then I recommend polywire with step-in posts.
And if you are planning on rotational grazing your cattle then I recommend polywire with fiberglass posts and insulators.
To see exactly which wire and posts I recommend, check out our article on the Best Electric Fence Wires and the Best Electric Fence Posts. And if you need insulators for your posts, check out this article on the Best Electric Fence Insulators.
Which Chicken Fence Do I Need for My Farm?
Because chickens can (somewhat) fly or squeeze through standard fences, you need a specific type of fence just for them.
If you want non-electric permanent fencing for them, I recommend a chicken wire fence with t-posts. Check out our article on Best Chicken Wire Fences to see which non-electric fence is best for your chickens.
On my farm, I use electric poultry netting for my chickens. Electric poultry netting can primarily serve three purposes. It keeps the chickens in, it keeps the predators out, and it’s portable if you ever need to move it.
I rotate my chickens around my farm with a mobile coop so it works great for me. But even if you aren’t going to do that with your chickens, it is still a great option.
If you are considering poultry netting for your chickens, check out our article on the Best Poultry Netting to find out which type is best for your chickens.
Which Goat Fence Do I Need for My Farm?
With goats, you mainly have three options as far as fence goes. You can use portable electric fence, standard electric fence, or woven wire fence.
On my farm, I primarily use polywire with step in posts for them. For this to work well, your goats need to be trained to electric, otherwise, they may try to squeeze through it. Since my goats are trained to electric, this isn’t a problem for me.
If your goats aren’t trained to electric or if you plan on rotational grazing your goats, you should go with a portable electric fence. Because they can’t squeeze through it, they’ll learn real quick what an electric fence is.
And finally, if you want a more permanent, non-electric fence option for your goats, use woven wire fence with either t-posts or wood posts.
To learn more about all three of these options, check out our article on the Best Goat Fences & Electric Fence for Goats to see what will work great for your goats.
Which Pig Fence Do I Need for My Farm?
Pigs are my favorite farm animal. And as long as you aren’t confining them in a small space, they are relatively easy to keep in with electric fence.
On my farm, I’ve created a rotational grazing system that allows me to move my pigs form one paddock to another once they’ve exhausted the previous one. In order to do this, I use polywire electric fence wire with step-in posts.
Since pigs are shorter than other farm animals, I run two strands of polywire. I run one close to the ground so their nose will hit it while they are grazing or rooting and then I run the other one about eye level.
This alone has been enough to keep my pigs in. I’ve never had an issue with them escaping.
Some farmers who rotational graze their pigs use portable pig fence instead. It be easily set up and taken down all around your farm wherever you want your pigs to graze.
If you want a more permanent pig fence then I recommend woven wire with wood posts or t-posts.
Check out my article on the Best Pig Fences to learn more about each of these options.
Which Electric Fence Charger Do I Need for My Farm?
If you are going to use electric fences on your farm then you need a good electric fence charger.
Electric fence chargers are typically rated by how many miles of fence they can keep charged however, in my experience, this is only true under the perfect scenario. Unfortunately, that’s never the case on a farm.
Fences short out from grass, tree branches, or sometimes even the posts. Because of this, I always recommend getting a stronger charger than you think you’ll ever need.
Electric fence chargers can either be powered by an AC outlet, a battery, or a solar panel / battery combo. If you can plug yours into a power outlet then I recommend getting that type since they are the most reliable. Check out this article on the Best Electric Fence Chargers for more on those.
If your fence will be far away from a power source and you don’t feel like swapping out batteries, get a solar powered charger. Check out this article on the Best Solar Electric Fence Chargers for the ones that are completely solar powered.
Which Electric Fence Tools Do I Need for My Farm?
If you are planning on using electric fence on your farm then there are a few tools that you should consider buying to make your life easier.
The first thing you need is an a electric fence tester. A good one will not only show you the current voltage of the fence but will also show you which direction you should go when your fence is experiencing problems like shorting out.
Check out this article on the Best Electric Fence Testers to help you find a good one.
Another great tool to have is an electric fence light. These allow you to quickly tell if your fence is on or off without having to use your tester. They are also great to have if your fence is far away from the house so you can visually see if it’s working or not.
Check out this article on the Best Electric Fence Lights to help you determine quickly if your fence is on or off.
