[graham-j]

Hi,I have just gone to buy some stock fencing to put a new fence around my field,only to find there are different sizes available.What size do I require there is L8  100 15 and L8 80 15 light or medium.I intend to keep pigs and sheep.

Thanks Graham.

[Pedwardine]

If it's to contain both sheep AND pigs I'd go for the heavier duty. They'll give it a bigger bashing than sheep.

[graham-j]

Hi,yes I will defiantly be going for the heavy duty stuff.But do I want the L8 80 15 or the L8 100 15.I think the first one has smaller holes at the bottom but is lower over all height,the second one has bigger holes at the bottom but higher over all height.

Graham.

[artscott]

The 80 should be OK for both lamb and pigs.  I just put 80 up for my pigs but with a strand of electric round the bottom to stop them digging under.  It is working very well so far, I brought heavy duty because it's what they had in stock, but it was really heavy to put up. 
What kind of sheep are you keeping, some are know for jumping fences, you may need to go higher or put additional wire round the top.

[Nickie]

We tend to use the shorter wire for on top of the walls & the taller stuff at ground level, with a strand of barbed wire top & bottom.


I'd be worried that sheep will jump over the shorter wire, but I guess that depends on what breeds you have, Shetlands & Welsh Mountain are quite athletic!

[OhLaLa]

Get the heavier duty, tension with wire across bottom, middle and top. Don't use barbed wire, nasty stuff.
In my experience pigs will do their best to chew through it, and often manage it.

[graham-j]

Hi,Ive gone for the larger wire in the end will run two stands of barbed wire along the top.My big fat lazzy Texel hoggets can still clear 4 foot for a bucket  of nuts

Thanks Graham.

[graham-j]

Hi,thanks yes I have got the heavy stuff,barbed wire along the top should be OK?
There are places the existing wire has been set high so I was going to run a single wire along the bottom.Ive got to say I was going to use barbed wire for this.I take it better to use plain single strand,any Ideas where I can buy that.

Thanks Graham.

[OhLaLa]

No no no to barbed wire.
Sheep (and pigs etc) will poke their heads through fencing, put their feet up fencing, and sometimes try to get over (or under, in particularly the pigs in our case) fencing.
Barbed wire will rip their skin to pieces. And yours too if you should ever need to rescue any from it.
Any land I've owned I've always removed and got rid of all barbed wire as one of the first jobs.
You should be able to buy rolls of plain strand wire from your fencing supplier.
 

[lachlanandmarcus]

I agree, all the refencing we have done here has been with stock mesh (very small mesh where horses and lambs are to be) and plain wire. No need for barbed wire, no benefit to it with sheep or pigs, pigs would be much better with an inexpensive electric line at bottom and plain wire at top.

[graham-j]

Hi,plain wire it is what diameter is the best size to use.

Thanks Graham.

[Rosemary]

Hard to get past barb when you have cattle 

[SallyintNorth]

Hard to get past barb when you have cattle 

this.  And ditto half-tonne Fell Ponies who love to lean.

I have found a bottom strand of barbed to be a good deterrent to pigs who are just rootling and happen to arrive at the fence line.  If they get to the point where they're determined to escape, having eaten everything where they are, then maybe it isn't so good.  

The bottom strand of electric only works if you can go round and check it all daily, removing the heaped up earth that pigs make - it is exactly that, an earth, and will render the electrified strand just a plain strand - not much of a deterrent.   Similarly, if the grass - or weeds - grows up and over the wire, then the current is reduced and so is the deterrent effect.