Barbed Wire Fence Installation & Safety

Tools and Materials

• You need a post hole digger, fence posts, stapler, staples and gloves to install a barbed wire fence. An electric post hole digger that attaches to farm machinery is ideal, as it is faster and less labor-intensive than a manual one. Use a sturdy industrial stapler and staples between 1 1/2 and 2 inches wide, depending on the size of the posts. Gloves made of leather or other heavy protective material protect your hands from barbed wire cuts.

Post Layout

• The height and spacing of your posts and subsequent strings of barbed wire depend on the purpose of the fence. Place posts 10 to 15 feet apart and deep enough in the ground to provide good stability, usually between 3 and 5 feet below ground level. Pound the posts into the ground or anchor them with concrete. Use dried hard wood that resists splitting to prevent frequent fence post replacement. Treated posts are available that resist insect infestation and the effects of heavy rain and snow.

Stringing Procedures

• If your goal is to deter livestock or humans, make sure the fencing is high enough to prevent animals and people from stepping over it but low enough so they cannot roll under it. Two or three rows of barbed wire are normally installed for maximum security. Use a hammer to pound in staples that are not flush with the surface of the fence posts. String the barbed wire as tautly as possible, taking special care not to let it slacken in places where the fence angles or bends around trees or to follow property lines.

Safety and Security

• Barbed wire fences are so efficient at containment they are used to prevent prisoners from escaping correctional facilities. The barbs in the fence snag clothes much like a fishhook, with a backwardly angled hook that grabs fabric and hinders movement. Animal skins and hides are very sensitive to the sharp ends of the barbs and they typically back away from the fence before they incur cuts or abrasions.