Fence Types

Part of Animal Husbandry

Without manufactured wire or electric fencing, you must build enclosures from whatever the landscape provides. Post-and-rail, wattle, stone, and living hedges each have their strengths — the right choice depends on available materials, terrain, and which animals you’re containing.

Choosing Your Fence Type

The best fence is the one you can build with what’s around you. There is no universal answer. A wooded region calls for split-rail. A rocky hillside demands stone walls. A riverbank with willow provides wattle material. Evaluate your environment before committing to a design.

Fence Type	Best Materials	Best For	Lifespan	Labor Intensity
Post-and-rail	Straight hardwood timber	Cattle, horses	10-25 years	High initial, low maintenance
Wattle	Flexible saplings, willow, hazel	Sheep, goats, gardens	3-8 years	Moderate initial, periodic rebuild
Stone wall	Field stone, flat rock	All species	50+ years	Very high initial, very low maintenance
Living hedge	Thorny species (hawthorn, osage orange)	All species once mature	Indefinite	Low initial, ongoing pruning
Brush fence	Deadfall, branches, thorny brush	Temporary or emergency	1-3 years	Low

Post-and-Rail Fencing

The classic agricultural fence. Strong, visible to animals, and repairable. The backbone of any serious livestock operation.

Materials

• Posts: 6-8 inch (15-20 cm) diameter logs, 7-8 feet (2.1-2.4 m) long (3 feet in the ground, 4-5 above). Use the most rot-resistant species available:

Wood Species	Rot Resistance	Availability
Black locust	Exceptional (25+ years)	Eastern North America
Osage orange	Exceptional (25+ years)	Central North America
Red cedar	Very good (15-20 years)	Widespread
White oak	Good (10-15 years)	Widespread temperate
Pine (charred)	Moderate (8-12 years)	Nearly universal

• Rails: 10-12 feet (3-3.6 m) split timbers, 3-4 inches (8-10 cm) thick. Split from straight-grained logs using wedges.

Construction

1. Set corner posts first — these take the most stress. Dig holes 3 feet deep, tamp soil around the post in 6-inch layers, wetting each layer. Corner posts benefit from diagonal bracing: a rail running from the top of the corner post to the base of the next post.

2. String a line between corners to align intermediate posts. Space posts 8-10 feet (2.4-3 m) apart.

3. Mortise or notch joints — the strongest method. Cut a rectangular hole through each post at the height where the rail will sit. Slide the rail through. This prevents rails from being pushed out by animals leaning on them.

4. Overlapping rails — if you can’t mortise, rest rail ends on top of each other at each post and lash them with rope, rawhide, or wooden pegs. Less strong but much faster to build.

Number of rails by species:

Species Contained	Rails Needed	Spacing
Cattle	3-4 rails	Bottom rail 12 in. above ground, then every 12-16 in.
Horses	3-4 rails	Same as cattle
Goats	5-6 rails or add vertical pickets	No gap wider than 6 in.
Pigs	3 rails + buried bottom board	Bottom rail at ground level or below
Sheep	4-5 rails	Bottom rail 6 in. above ground, tight spacing

Goats and Horizontal Rails

Goats use horizontal rails as ladders. If you must use post-and-rail for goats, add vertical pickets between rails spaced no more than 4-6 inches apart, or weave brush/branches between the rails to fill gaps.

Extending Post Life

Even rot-prone wood can last a decade underground with treatment:

• Charring: Burn the buried portion to a 1/4-inch char layer. Carbon resists decay and insects.
• Oil soaking: Soak post bases in rendered animal fat or pine tar for 24-48 hours before setting.
• Stone footings: Place a flat stone at the bottom of each post hole. This prevents the post end grain from sitting in pooled water.

Wattle Fencing

Wattle is woven fencing — flexible branches interlaced between upright stakes. Fast to build, uses small-diameter wood that’s abundant in most environments, and surprisingly strong when done well.

Best Materials

• Stakes (uprights): 2-3 inch (5-8 cm) diameter poles, sharpened at the base, 5-6 feet (1.5-1.8 m) long. Hardwood preferred.
• Weavers (horizontals): Long, flexible rods 1/2-1 inch (1-2.5 cm) diameter. Best species:
  • Willow — the gold standard, extremely flexible
  • Hazel — strong and pliable
  • Young birch or alder — adequate
  • Any long, straight sapling that bends without snapping

Construction

1. Drive stakes into the ground 12-18 inches (30-45 cm) deep, spaced 12-18 inches apart
2. Starting at the bottom, weave a rod horizontally: pass it in front of one stake, behind the next, in front of the next, and so on
3. The next rod reverses the pattern — behind where the previous went in front
4. Pack each row down firmly against the one below — use a mallet or heavy stick
5. When a weaver rod runs out, overlap the new one by 2-3 stakes and continue
6. Build to the desired height (4-5 feet for livestock)

Tips for strength:

• Twist two thin rods together for added strength
• Every 4-5 rows, weave a thicker rod for structural rigidity
• Pound the stakes in at a slight angle alternating left and right — this locks the weave tighter

Limitations

Wattle fencing will not hold cattle or large pigs. It’s excellent for sheep, goats (with adequate height), poultry runs, and garden protection. Expect to repair or rebuild sections every 3-5 years as weavers rot or break.

Stone Walls — The Permanent Solution

Where stone is plentiful, nothing beats a dry-stack stone wall. Properly built, they stand for centuries without mortar.

Dry-Stack Technique

No mortar is needed or desirable — mortar cracks with freeze-thaw cycles, but a dry-stack wall flexes and settles.

1. Foundation trench: Dig a shallow trench 4-6 inches deep and slightly wider than the planned wall base
2. Base stones (footings): Largest, flattest stones go on the bottom. The wall base should be 24-30 inches (60-75 cm) wide for a 4-foot wall
3. Two-face construction: Build two parallel faces leaning slightly inward (battered), filling the gap between with smaller rubble. Each face stone should overlap the joint below it (like brickwork).
4. Through-stones (tie stones): Every 2-3 feet of height and every 3-4 feet of length, place a long stone that spans the full width of the wall, tying both faces together. These prevent the wall from splitting apart.
5. Batter (taper): The wall narrows as it rises. A 30-inch base should taper to an 18-inch top. This inward lean makes the wall self-stabilizing.
6. Cap stones: Heavy, flat stones placed on top. These lock the upper courses in place and shed water.

Dimensions for Livestock

Purpose	Height	Base Width	Top Width
Sheep containment	3.5-4 ft (1-1.2 m)	24-28 in. (60-70 cm)	16-18 in. (40-45 cm)
Cattle containment	4.5-5 ft (1.4-1.5 m)	28-32 in. (70-80 cm)	18-20 in. (45-50 cm)
Goat containment	5+ ft (1.5+ m)	28-32 in. (70-80 cm)	18-20 in. (45-50 cm)

Stone Walls and Goats

Goats can climb rough stone walls if the stones protrude unevenly. Keep the inner face as smooth and vertical as possible. A slight inward overhang at the top (a row of protruding cap stones) defeats climbers.

The Effort Reality

Stone walls are enormously labor-intensive. An experienced waller can build about 3-4 feet of 4-foot-high wall per day. A 100-yard enclosure takes months of sustained work. This is a long-term investment — start with post-and-rail or wattle for immediate needs, and build stone walls over time to replace them.

Living Hedges — The Self-Renewing Fence

A hedge is a fence that grows. Planted from thorny species and maintained by periodic cutting (laying), a mature hedge is stock-proof, self-repairing, and provides wildlife habitat, windbreak, and even food.

Best Species

Species	Thorns	Growth Rate	Notes
Hawthorn	Yes, sharp	Fast	The classic hedge plant
Osage orange	Yes, formidable	Fast	Nearly impenetrable when mature
Blackthorn (sloe)	Yes, vicious	Moderate	Dense, good fruit for preserves
Holly	Spiny leaves	Slow	Evergreen, excellent shelter
Wild rose	Yes	Fast	Good gap-filler, but needs other species for base density

Establishment

1. Plant a double row of thorny seedlings or cuttings, 6-9 inches (15-23 cm) apart within rows, rows 12 inches apart
2. Protect with a temporary fence (wattle or post-and-rail) until the hedge is 4-5 feet tall — livestock will destroy young plants
3. After 3-5 years of growth, lay the hedge: partially cut through each stem near the base (but not severing it), bend it to a 30-degree angle, and weave it between upright stakes. This triggers dense lateral growth from the partially cut stems.
4. Trim annually to maintain density — a neglected hedge becomes a line of trees with gaps at the base

Timeline to Effectiveness

A living hedge takes 4-7 years to become stock-proof. This is not a solution for immediate needs. Plant hedges alongside your temporary fencing so that by the time the wattle or post-and-rail rots, the hedge has matured to replace it.

Quick Decision Guide

Ask yourself these questions in order:

1. Do you need a fence right now? If yes, build wattle (fast, minimal tools) or post-and-rail (stronger, more labor).
2. Is stone abundant? Start building stone walls for permanent enclosures while using temporary fencing.
3. Are thorny plants available? Plant living hedges now alongside temporary fencing — they’ll be self-maintaining in 5-7 years.
4. What species are you containing? This determines height, spacing, and bottom treatment more than any other factor.

Key Takeaways

• Post-and-rail is the strongest wooden fence — use mortise joints and rot-resistant species (locust, cedar, osage orange) for 15-25 year lifespan
• Wattle fencing is fast to build from flexible saplings — ideal for sheep, goats, and garden protection, but needs rebuilding every 3-5 years
• Dry-stack stone walls last generations but require enormous labor — build them incrementally as permanent replacements for temporary fencing
• Living hedges are the long game — plant thorny species now, protect with temporary fencing, and in 5-7 years you have a self-renewing, stock-proof barrier
• Match fence design to your most challenging animal — goats defeat horizontal rails, pigs root under gaps, cattle lean through weak posts
• Extend post life with charring, oil soaking, and stone footings — treated softwood can last as long as untreated hardwood