Many cattle farmers prefer using wire for their fencing needs. Wire is more economical for cattle than  board fence. Wire for cattle can come in the form of barbed wire, woven wire, smooth high tensile or a combination. When using woven wire you have the choice to use a wire that starts at the bottom with small openings and as it goes up they become wider. Or you can choose woven wire having the same spacing from top to bottom.

High tensile fencing consists of using several strands of a smooth wire. The wire is manufactured from a high strength alloy. It is very hard and resists breakage. The wires are spaced about 6 inches apart and stapled to posts. Depending on the spacing of your post, spacers are used to maintain the spacing between the wires. The wires of high tensile are stretched very tightly. This makes it very difficult for cattle to penetrate the wires. You can also choose to make some of the wires electrified for increased reliability. High tensile fencing is less expensive than is woven wire and comes close in reliability.

Barbed wire can be used to contain cattle also. Many farmers use three strand of barbed wire stretched on wood post with metal t-posts between for stability and spacing. The barbs on the wire are the key to keeping cattle behind the wire. When cattle come in contact with the barbs they immediately back off. Barbed wire is the least expensive of cattle fencing options.

Woven wire has several uses. It is traditionally used to maintain cattle, but it can also be used for other livestock. Hogs, sheep and some exotic animals are kept well using woven wire. You can also use woven wire in a combination with barbed wire to make a very reliable barrier for cattle. A single strand of barbed wire is placed on top of the woven wire. This strand of barbed keeps the cattle from "riding down" the woven wire.

When used in conjunction with board fencing woven wire also works well for large pets. Large dogs stay in well when placed behind a combination of woven wire and treated poplar boards. This combination will also help in limiting the access of varmints into pasture areas.