High fence vs barbed wire for game and livestock

The short answer

Barbed wire holds cattle. It doesn't hold deer, and it was never built to. High fence, usually around 8 feet of woven wire, holds deer and exotics in or out, and it holds cattle too. So the real question isn't which fence is better. It's what you're trying to hold. If you run cattle and want a sound perimeter, barbed wire and field fence gets it done on a fraction of the material. If you're managing deer or keeping exotics, you're looking at high fence and game fence, and the corners, gates, and creek crossings become the hard part.

What barbed wire is for

Barbed wire is cattle fence. A tight 4 or 5 strand fence on good corners keeps cows where they belong, and it's the perimeter fence you'll see across Texas cattle country.

The NRCS Texas fence specification sets a minimum of 4 strands with the top wire at 44 inches for cattle (NRCS spec). That's a cost-share floor, not a target. Plenty of places run 5 strands, or woven field fence with barbed wire on top where calves or goats are in the mix.

What barbed wire won't do:

• Hold deer. A deer clears a 4 foot fence without trying.
• Hold horses safely. Barbed wire and horses are a bad mix. See pipe fence for horses vs cattle.
• Stop hogs. Hogs go under. Woven wire at the bottom works better.

One more point from the same NRCS spec: on fences under 48 inches, it calls for the top two wires to sit 10 inches apart, so jumping deer are less likely to get tangled.

What makes a barbed wire fence last

The wire is the cheap part. Corners and braces keep it tight. An H-brace at each corner, at gates, and at every change in direction holds the tension for the whole run. Post depth matters too. The current NRCS Texas standard (2021) calls for posts at least 3 feet in the ground (NRCS 382 TX 2021). Weak corners sag in a season no matter how good the wire is.

What high fence is for

High fence is about control. It keeps deer and exotics in, or keeps them off a place, and it holds cattle and most other livestock along the way.

A TPW Magazine column from Texas Parks and Wildlife answers the question landowners usually ask first: fence height on private land is the landowner's call, and no state agency sets a height limit on a private fence (TPW Magazine). The same column notes that native deer behind a high fence are still the public's wildlife, and it lists the usual reasons owners build one: letting bucks mature, controlling harvest, and improving habitat.

If you keep exotics or plan a deer program, check the rules for your plans with the agency that covers them. This post is about fence, not permits, and we make no claims about wildlife permits.

The common wire spec

The game fence wire you'll see quoted most is 2096-6. Bekaert's product sheet spells out what that means (Bekaert 2096-6):

• 20 horizontal wires.
• 96 inches tall, which is 8 feet.
• 6 inch spacing between the vertical stay wires.
• 12.5 gauge high-tensile wire with a fixed knot at each joint.

Fixed-knot wire holds its shape under tension and when an animal hits it, which is why it's the usual pick for game fence. It's a common spec, not the only one. Ask what wire a quote is figured on and compare like with like.

Corners, braces, and posts on high fence

Everything about high fence is bigger. Taller posts. Heavier wire, pulled tighter. Corners and braces carry far more load than on barbed wire, and a weak corner on an 8 foot fence is a hole in the whole place.

That's why we lay out high fence before a single post goes in: where the corners fall, where the line crosses draws, where the gates go, and what has to be cleared. A clean, cleared line is part of the job, done mechanically. See land clearing.

Gates and creek crossings

A high fence is only as tight as its gates and its low spots. Gates need to match the fence height and hang with no gap at the bottom. Every creek and draw the line crosses needs a plan for floodwater, or the first big rain opens the fence. We cover that in what a water gap is and when a draw needs one, and on our water gaps page.

Side by side

Here's how they stack up:

• Holds cattle: both.
• Holds deer and exotics: high fence only.
• Material and labor: barbed wire costs far less per foot. High fence takes taller posts, heavier wire, and much heavier corners.
• Clearing: both need a clean line. High fence needs a wider, cleaner one.
• Gates and water gaps: both need them. On high fence, they have to match the fence height and leave no gaps.

Mixing the two

Plenty of places use both. High fence around the outside, barbed wire cross fences inside to split pastures, and pipe around the house and pens. That puts the expensive fence only where it has to be.

Where we build these

Barbed wire, field fence, and high fence are all on our service list. We haven't listed high fence by town yet, so ask us about your place and see where we work. We walk the line with you, lay out the corners and gates, and price it on site.

Get a quote

Call or text 254-716-5760, or send acreage, the fence line, and photos with the form below. Tell us what you want to hold in or out, and we'll text or call back to set a site visit. See high fence and game fence and barbed wire and field fence for how we build each one.