It shouldn't be that hard if you have a good, well-built, solid fence, nor if your cattle know to respect the fence and not keep getting out. The main reasons cattle will get out of a fence, regardless type, include the following:
- Weak wiring (wires have been string too loosely, or they haven't been nailed to every post--or even some places are missing nails)
- Top rail, wire or board is too low (Minimum height for a perimeter cattle fence is 54 inches tall; handling facilities or stock yards is 60 inches)
- Weak posts (rotten at the bottom)
- Old fenceline that has rotten posts and/or rusted, weak wires that will snap if pressure (in the form of a cow or steer sticking its head through to eat the grass on the other side) is applied to it
- Space between wires, rails or boards is too wide
- Space between the bottom wire, rail or board is too wide allowing animals to crawl underneath
- Space between posts is too far apart, or wire spacing is too wide or there is no spacer in between widely-spaced posts.
- You may be At Fault for not maintaining regular fence maintenance and repair before and after your animals enter and leave the pasture, respectively, or keeping an eye out for areas which animals could or have gotten out and have been proactive about fixing these problem spots
- If you are using a temporary electric fence, the current you are suppling is too weak, allowing your animals to lose respect of the psychological barrier it should be providing and allowing them to get out. This is particularly true if you are using a horse/pony-friendly fence charger instead of one that is made for cattle that is of much higher voltage--and gives a much stronger shock of electrical current through your body when you touch the wires!!
- With a temporary electric fence, you must make sure to cut the plants that may be growing up amongst the wires because they will short out the circuit.
- With a temporary electric fence, make sure you don't have any wires touching a barbed wire fence wires which will also short it out.
- Ground rods must be in place for your electric fence to work. They must have access to moisture in order for the fence to be effective. If the ground is dry from the top of the rod down to the very bottom, pour water over them to wet the ground and increase conductivity.
- Check wire amprage/voltage regularly with a voltage reader specially made for electric fences to make sure they consistently and constantly have enough current running through them to make them be a continuously effective psychological barrier for your cattle.
If your fence[s] have any one or more of these issues, you will need to find the appropriate solutions to fix them, depending on the type of fence you have and the problems you have. You will need to use your creativity and ingenuity (as well as a bit of research) to figure what can be done to fix the various problem areas on your acreage, farm or ranch to minimize the risk of having to rip out a whole line of Fencing and starting new again. Ripping out old fenceline and putting new in should be a last resort and last solution to come to, but not an impossible one.
