All about Cattle fencing

If you’re looking to set up an electric fence for cattle, we’ve put together everything you need to know to get your fence up and running yourself. The UK is home to all sorts of cattle from Herefords to Scottish Highlanders, but most breeds can be kept safely with a similar fencing setup. Cattle are generally calm, social animals that live in herds so they stick together. With no natural predators to worry about in the UK, the main job of your fence is simply to keep them where you want them. Below, we’ll look at both permanent and temporary fencing options and how to set them up.

Installing a Cattle Fence

For a permanent fence, we generally recommend around 10–15 m between posts. This gives you a good balance between keeping the fence secure and avoiding unnecessary posts. For mobile fencing, it’s better to keep the spacing closer, at around 3–5 m, as temporary posts usually can’t take as much tension as permanent ones.

Gates are easy to add to an electric fence, and there are several options depending on what works best for you. You can use a ready-made gate kit, retractable gate reels, or make your own using electric fence wire or bungee cord, gate handles, wire connectors and gate anchors. The gate handle clips onto the anchor on the opposite side, allowing you to open and close the fence while keeping the electric connection in place.

Temporary cattle fence 

If you’re regularly moving cattle between different areas, perhaps for rotational grazing, a mobile or temporary fence can be a great solution. You can quickly move the fence and change the layout as needed, without having to commit to a permanent setup. In more remote areas, a solar energiser is particularly handy. 

1. A solar energiser is a good choice when you need reliable power without access to mains electricity. Have a look at the table below to see which energisers are suitable for your setup, or visit the individual product pages for more information
2. connect the green connection cable with crocodile clip from the energiser to the earth stake. Install the required number of earth stakes according to the specifications of your chosen energiser (keep earth stakes at least 3 m apart). You can find this information on the energiser’s product page or in the table below
3. Keep the energiser off the ground with an Earth stake + mounting adapter or energiser stand
4. Red connection cable with crocodile clip connects the energiser to the fence wire
5. We often recommend using a sturdy starting post like wooden or metal posts. Metal posts such as the Gallagher Multi-Reel Post is great as it allows up to three reels to be attached. This can be especially useful for longer fences, although it isn’t essential
6. We recommend fencing reels with rope or wire as a reliable and easy-to-use option for your deer fence. They’re particularly handy if you need to move or adjust the fence from time to time. Use the reel brackets to attach the reels to the metal post. They’re easy to fit using the included nuts, bolts and wing nuts
7. Either one or two lines of electric wire would be sufficient for rotational grazing. Use a strong electric fence polywire or rope for the fence wires. For example, Vidoflex 9 TurboLine Polywire is a good option for a temporary cattle fence
8. Ring-top posts are a great choice for intermediate posts. Simply push the posts into the ground using the pin, then run the wire through the ring at the top. See our other metal post options for more choices
9. Polywire connectors can be used to create a small loop in the wire and attach it securely to the ring insulator. Simply make a loop in the wire, fit the connector and attach it to the ring insulator
10. The same metal posts from start can be used to end the fence. Use bolt-on ring insulators, as they can easily we bolt on through the holes in the metal posts 

Permanent cattle fence 

Cattle can be well suited to a permanent electric fence, especially as a herd usually needs plenty of space to graze. Once you’ve got a larger area to manage, having a fence that stays in place can make things much easier. A permanent fence takes a little more work to install initially, but with regular checks and maintenance, it can keep doing the job for many years.

1. A mains-powered energiser is a great choice for a permanent cattle fence if you have a power outlet nearby. It provides a steady supply of power and is ideal for fences that need to stay up and running all year round.
2. Connect a lead-out cable or crocodile-clip wire from the energiser to the earth stakes.
3. Install the required number of earth stakes according to the specifications of your chosen energiser (keep earth stakes at least 3 m apart). You can find this information on the energiser’s product page
4. Connect a lead-out cable or crocodile-clip wire from the energiser to the fence
5. Wooden posts provide a strong and durable base for a long-lasting permanent cattle fence. Make sure the posts are set deep enough into the ground to keep them firmly in place and prevent the fence from leaning or becoming loose over time.
6. Use a corner insulator at the start of each wire and at the end of each wire
7. use a short piece of wire with connector clips to connect each fence wire, ensuring the electrical pulse is carried across all the wires
8. A  tension spring can be used in-line or at the end of a long fence. It helps maintain even wire tension as temperatures change, with built-in over-stretch protection
9. Use galvanised metal wire (also called high tensile wire), as it is durable, highly conductive and well suited to cattle fencing
10. Screw ring insulators into the wooden posts and run the metal wire through them
11. These wire tensioners make it easy to tension metal wire to the desired level. Use a wire tensioning tool to tighten or loosen the wire as needed

What energisers are suitable  

We're here to help

We hope we’ve given you plenty of useful tips to get you started. If you’ve got any questions, feedback or just want to chat through the best fencing setup for your cows and bulls, we’re always happy to help. Drop us a line at [email protected], we’d love to hear from you!