O/T 3-Rail White Fence

Was thinking about fencing off about 10 acres around the house and barn with 3-rail white fencing untill I price it. $110.00 per 16 foot selection. My first question is, will this hold in horses and cattle and second what is the price of this fence in your area?

Good grief, that's a good bit of money. Wood? Composite? I'd think that you should be able to do it with wood for less than half that. How long of a run between posts? If you go too far the span will sag and it will never hold cattle or horses. You know how much they love to lean on a fence. The only way I can see a fence like that with a large span holding a critter is to run a hot wire on the inside at the same height as the top rail. I'd probably do that anyway, as it will help you fence stay sturdy and straight A LOT longer.

Of course, this all hinges on whether you are doing it or hiring it done. I would likely be voted out of a family of tightwads if I hired someone to build fence.

3 rail will hold horses, even a couple mini's which I run with the big horses as baby sitters. On occasion a foal will lie down by 3 rail and roll under it when they get up...so most broodmare operations use 4 board.

Rail fences are a challenge with cattle since they push on the boards more than horses. Boards must be inside the posts and most cattle ops run an electric wire inside the fence.

High quality 3 rail fence is about $60/per panel (16 ft). use Oak not poplar planks which horses eat like candy. Poplar is staighter but becomes the incredible disappearing fence. That price is for driven posts. If you have rock to drill it is $25 per hole.

We all paint our fences black because they look better much longer. White fences show wear in a year. One local farm has tan fences and another has dark green. They look good too.

If you are looking at the hollow vinyl fence, I know nothing about it personally, but have not heard good reports. Some people say it will not hold horses. (You do not want a lawsuit from a horse or cow that walked thru the fence and into the path of a vehicle).

If you are really set on plastic fence check out Centaur Poly. It is great stuff but expensive and hard to install. But lasts forever.

Wood fences are expensive to put up and to maintain. But, here's an idea for you; it's MUCH cheaper and still actually looks good. There is a hi-tensile fence that you can put up, and it looks very similiar to a board fence. Call Kencove fencing at 1-800-KENCOVE and they'll mail you their catalogue. I'm not sure wat they call it, but it's a 3 or 4" wide ribbon, is a firstcousin to hi-tensile and is put up in a similiar way. It's made for horses and, from a few that I've seen, actually looks very nice.

I've got a 3 rail white vinyl fence and have had good luck with it for 11 years now. You need to run an electric rope or wire between the rails or the horses and maybe cattle will stick their heads through to eat the grass on the other side.

Here is one that was put up here on Clinton Camp Farm, about 15 years ago. It is built with treated 4x4's and 2x6's. It is a real PIA to maintain, especially when we have a lot of snow, as the town plows burry it in the winter. It needs painting every 3 years, and that is no fun at all. Also have to trim the whole thing with a weedeater many times during the summer. No problem containing the heifers though.
Loren, the Acg

That stuff when the hot weather hits it in about three years sags to the ground around here. Nothing looks worse.

I agree with everything Larry said. I have about 2,000 ft. of four rail vinyl fence on my place and it is holding up well. It's about ten years old now, survived hurricane Ike without blemish and is not sagging at all in the Texas heat. I am near Galveston, Texas. Don't know what it cost as the previous owner installed it (himself) but it dresses up the place and has yet to show signs of fading. I do however hose it all down once a year with water / bleach mixture as the humidity will grow algae on it. If someone tells you it will sag over time they either bought a cheap product or spaced the rails too far apart. Mine are on eight foot centers. Good luck.

That's the reason for the tighteners. It's adjusted occasionally for any stretching....

I built my three board black fence for 12 dollars 16 ft for boards, and 10 dollars for two wood posts. About 1.40 dollars a foot. 2006 prices. Buy pine dimensional lumbar, let it dry two weeks, build fence, let it dry another two and paint. I put a 1000 watt Kubota genset in the basket of the ATV and precision cut each board to fit with Skilsaw. Lapped 16 footers and 8 footers. Don't use screws unless you use the round head. Don't penetrate the boards. Use large head galvanized nails. Labor and paint to make it black. Suggest you look at black. That is what the new millionaire horse farms in FL are doing. Asphalt based paint keeps the horses from cribbing on it. Looks more natural and "understated". White looks like some rural wannabe Hollywood farm.

I've got several thousand feet of 4 board white wood fence...what an absolute chore to erect and maintain. I started with untreated, painted (full) 1" x 6" x 12' boards and 4 x 4 posts on 6' centers. I have been gradually replacing the original boards with 5/4 treated boards. I figure the lumber cost (treated boards and posts) to be about $3.00 per lineal foot...labor and paint extra.

My 4 board fence keeps ny horses in with no problems. An electric wire along the top saves damage from cribbers.

If you go with painted fence, a sprayer is a must.

Were I to start over, I would use half round fence posts in stead of 4 X 4's.

I've done all my fencing myself which cuts costs but when you're fencing, your other chores keep piling up.

Indianabuckman, Good Grief, Who's Exhaust have you been Breathing? I have run more horse behind an Electric fence, Barbed Wire fence, Net and Barbed wire fence and just about any combo but what you described will be only way less of the price you quoted us! Thunder 16 ft Cattle panels and T-post are cheaper! three rail will not hold gentle milk cows! Much less Waspy Snaky beef cattle Wrong kind of fence for cattle!
I haven't seen a rail fence made out of 1x8 that was worth a S#it! A neighbor down then road from me put up a 4 rail 1x8 Creosoted lumber. 6/8 yrs ago it looked nice for about 1 month. Hot weather hit and that fence went to crawling and warping, twisting and has looked like crap ever sense, Every summer it moves a bunch.... Not worth what it cost, new and the retreating of Creosote every year. the fresh treatment of Creosote hides a multitude of sins but the integrity is about gone it will need to be replaced in a couple more yrs.
a good net wire and Barbed wire fence will never need this kind of maintence!
You should be in the <than $10/foot if you Had it built or about half that if you do it your self.
16ft cattle panels=2 T-post are in the $2.50/ft range in my opinion. Less if you use the existing post of another fence.
Hope this helps!
Later,
John A.

I'm sorry, I'm talking about vinyl fence.

if your talking about the white plastic 3 rail fence ,that stuff wont hold a poodle, one of the houses in a subdivision i do mantenence for put that stuff up for decrative purposes, now granted this is a city dude ahd he doesnt know how to build fence, he put it up right out of the box, never fastened any of it togeather, 16 foot spans, when the wind blows over 40 mph, which is often it scatters that fencing over the whole neighborhood, i always thought if it was put up by somebody who knows how to build fence it would be ok, untill i picked some of it up, theres nothing to it, its so lightweight its only good for looks, you would have to attach each "board" at the post to make it stay in place its pretty flimsey , i sure wouldnt want to trust it to hold any kind of livestock

What kind of stock is your fence holding? Cows and calves? Brood mares? Riding horses?

I have three rail wood fencing around my barnyard. It holds in my beefers and the wifes horse. I also use it for a weaning fence (cows on one side, calves on the other)
I use rough cut larch - 6"x6"x8' posts every 8', and three rails of 5/4"x6". I treat it with used motor oil, and it holds up very well.
I get the larch for $.70 / board foot.
Pete

Should elaborate, my fence is 90% wood. Oak boards on 5 or 6 inch posts. Have some 10 year old Centaur poly on the perimeters.