Some General Animal Fence Guidelines

The Basics (Typical Values)

• Deer Fence: 6 foot height for small areas (100 linear feet or less) and 7.5-8 foot height for larger areas. Use black metal or strong poly fencing (650 to 1400 pound strength); 1-2-inch mesh; staked 6-inch bottom fold pinned to the ground to prevent deer from going up and under the fence. Alternatively, a bottom tension cable can be used instead of the bottom fold.
• Dog and Coyote Fences:  4-6 foot height - metal fencing or 1100, 1050 or 1400 pound strength poly; 1-2-inch mesh; staked 6 inch minimum bottom fold. Top and bottom tension cable is recommended.
• Cat Fence: 6-8 foot height, plastic fencing with metal bottom guard; extender arms; 1-2 inch mesh; staked 6-inch bottom fold. Poly fence is recommended for the top mesh – it’s more difficult for cats to climb.
• Rabbit Fence (stand alone – if you are building a fence just to keep rabbits in or out): 2-foot height or 3ft height; metal fencing; 1-inch mesh or smaller; overlap bottom fold is mandatory; no small openings at gate or elsewhere.
• Groundhog Fence (stand alone): 4 foot height; metal fencing; 2 inch mesh, 2x4 mesh; staked 6 inch minimum bottom fold.
• Vole Fence: 18-inch height; metal fencing; ¼-inch mesh; 12 additional inches buried down in the ground.
• Mole Fence: 6 inch height; metal fencing; ¼-inch mesh; 24 additional inches buried down in the ground. Can also be used as underlayment before planting lawn or garden areas to prevent moles from going up and under.
• Snake Fence: 2 to 3-foot height; metal fencing; ¼-inch mesh with a minimum of 6 inches of overlap pinned to the ground facing outwards.
• Feral Pig Fence: 4-5 foot height; strong metal fencing; 2-inch mesh; 1 additional foot buried or 1 foot of overlap pinned to the ground facing outwards.
• Armadillo Fence: 2-3 foot height; strong metal fencing; 1 or 2-inch mesh; 1-foot bottom fold or burial.

Specific Fences

Deer Fences: If you’re installing a poly fence, be sure to get strong polypropylene (typically with 2-inch square mesh) with a breaking strength of 650+ pounds per linear foot. Otherwise, if you use a weak plastic material like folded lightweight fence found at big box stores in retail packaging, the deer will cheer and break right through.

Poly fencing also can sag and so needs our tensioning system. And, if you have any rabbits or woodchucks about, they’ll be inclined to gnaw small holes at the bottom of the plastic fencing—holes that deer commonly find and enlarge to penetrate the fence. So it’s important to add a 2-foot wide or taller strip of metal (steel web or welded wire) fencing along the bottom, mounting vertically on the plastic fencing with fence-ties or hog ring staples, and folding the remaining 6 inches outward on the ground (toward the deer), and staking this fold down with our inexpensive foot-long ground stakes, using 1 ground stake every 4 feet or less.

All this can bring the cost of a poly fence close to that of a metal fence. True, the metal fencing is more expensive. But it’s simpler – no add-ons (no bottom barrier and no tensioning needed unless your posts are over 8 feet apart). It lasts longer than comparable plastic fencing. And it comes free of the time or installation costs needed to attach the add-ons. The advantage of poly fencing is there are less posts (not as heavy, doesn’t need as much framework) and in general it’s less visible from a distance. Poly can also be installed on trees for support (instead of posts).

Our choice for metal mesh is black galvanized 1-inch square mesh because it’s less visible than other choices and plenty strong enough to keep out deer. Some people prefer the slightly stronger 2-inch square mesh despite its greater visibility. Steel web (less expensive – an older type of traditional metal deer fence) only if you’re planning on installing tensioning or a top support wire, because it needs top support.

Dog and Coyote Fences: The height of a dog fence (typically 4 to 6 feet) should relate to the size and jumping or climbing ability of the dog. You don’t need a bottom fold if your dog won’t dig or if it’s going to be supervised while out. And you may not need one if your fence is long, because then your dog will feel less confined and less inclined to dig under the fence.

If your dog is a great climber go with 1-inch square welded wire or smaller, because both discourage climbing. Otherwise, you can use larger opening wire fence, which is somewhat stronger. In any case consider tensioning because it anchors the fencing securely to the post tops and adds strength against downward pressure. Dogs like to put their paws up on a fence to gain visibility – and tend to pull down on the fence. Tensioning pulls in the opposite direction.

If you’re keeping out coyotes, go with a 6-foot fence or taller, 1-inch square mesh or smaller (to discourage climbing), and a 1 foot or more staked-down bottom fold.

For both dog and coyote fences, keep your posts 8 feet apart or less.

Cat Fences: Those cat fences that don’t use electric shock collars need to have inward-pointing extender arms with mounted fencing, because cats can climb but won’t climb upside down. So a fence that makes them climb upside down will keep them in. Fences 7.5 feet tall or taller (including the height of the extender arms) work well. 6 foot tall cat fences also work, but not as well as taller fences.

Use 2-inch poly mesh or one inch poly mesh above a 3-foot bottom guard (minimum) consisting of 1-inch metal bottom wire fencing. Fold 6 inches of the bottom guard inward and stake it down every two feet to keep cats from nosing or digging under the fence.

Because your poly fencing on extenders has more weight, keep your posts 10 feet apart or less. Snow loading can make matters even worse, so in places with lots of snow keep the posts closer (not over 8 feet apart) or add tensioning.

Rabbit Fences: Contrary to popular belief, Peter Cottontail doesn’t leap tall buildings, make burrows, or even dig mighty holes. But he’s very good at squeezing through small openings. So what one needs to do is build a metal mesh fence 2 or 3 feet tall with 1-inch mesh or smaller. Stake it down and do away with any small openings between the ground and the fence; or, alternatively, create a staked-down 6-inch bottom fold. Keep the posts close enough together (say 6 to 8 feet) to make the fencing sturdy.

Most important, when you put fencing on the gate make sure it overlaps – both at the support posts and on the gate door, so that the fencing barely touches on both sides of the gate door—leaving no small space for Peter to squiggle through. Similarly, make sure the gate door opens over flat ground and that the fencing on the door extends below the door to the ground.

These gate rules apply not only to rabbit fences but also to other animal fences (for dogs, deer, groundhogs, etc.) where one is seeking to keep out rabbits. You can also lay a layer of fence on the ground under the gate as a dig deterrent.

Groundhog Fences: Groundhogs climb and dig, so plan on building a metal fence 4 feet tall with metal mesh and fencing buried 1 foot deep or folded outward 1 foot (toward the groundhog) and staked down. At the gate, proceed as with rabbit fencing but a bit less rigorously.

Vole Fences: You don’t need much to keep out voles. Above ground, a 1.5-foot tall fence will do the job. But since voles also dig, you need to bury another 12 inches (some say 6 inches will do) in the ground. Use ¼-inch galvanized metal mesh to do the job. (We offer a black PVC-coated galvanized metal mesh approved for soil contact).

Mole Fences: To keep out moles, dig deeper. Much deeper. This fence need only be 6 inches above ground, but you need to bury 2 more feet of it underground, and some suggest bending an additional 6 inches outward in an L-shape toward the moles. Again, the fencing should consist of galvanized ¼-inch steel mesh approved for soil contact.

Snake Fences: Snake fences are the reverse of mole fences. Use the same ¼-inch mesh but put 2.5 feet above the soil line minimum (to keep snakes from climbing over) and 6 inches underground or overlapped on the ground otwards (to prevent them from semi-digging and nosing underneath).

Obviously, there must be no small openings around the gate (see rabbit fences above) and no shrubs or other plants near the fence that might enable the snakes to slide over it.

Feral Pig Fences:Feral pigs are tough customers. They can climb after a fashion, so make the fence 4 to 5 feet tall minimum. They can also dig; so bury at least 12 inches below ground or overlap and pin to the ground. And they’re strong; so use metal fencing with a strong 2-inch galvanized steel square mesh, and place your posts close together (8 feet apart).

Armadillo Fences: Think of these as small tanks or lazy feral pigs. Depending on how eager they seem to challenge the fence, make it 2 to 3 feet tall (above ground) and fold out (and stake down) or bury another 12 inches. The fencing should be made of strong galvanized welded wire approved for soil contact, with 1 or 2-inch square mesh. Place your posts 8 feet apart or less.