Guide
Stray cattle fence: how to keep cattle out of your crops and your livestock in
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A stray cattle fence keeps cattle out of your crops, and the same fence keeps your own livestock in. It must be at least 6 ft (1.8 m) high, stiff enough not to bend when cattle lean on it, and tight at the bottom. SIMO Securon suggests a 6 ft Q-Knot™ fixed knot fence in Zeta Nova or Alpha.
Fencing for cattle: are you keeping livestock in, or stray cattle out?
A cattle fence does one of two jobs, and often both: it keeps your own livestock in, or it keeps stray cattle out of your crops.
- Keeping your livestock in
The fence must not bend when cattle lean on it, and the lowest wires must sit close together for calves and smaller animals
- Keeping stray cattle out of your crops
Height and a stiff, tensioned fence, so cattle cannot push it over or lean it down
Both jobs need the same things from a fence: strength, so it does not bend under a heavy animal, and close spacing near the ground. A Q-Knot fixed knot fence on the graduated grid gives both: its line wires are closest at the bottom and every crossing is locked by a knot.
How high should a stray cattle fence be?
To keep stray cattle and nilgai (blue bull) out, a fence should be at least 6 ft (1.8 m) high. For nilgai and cattle, SIMO Securon suggests Zeta Nova or Alpha at 6 ft; Pi suits wild boar and smaller animals. Q-Knot wire in Zeta Nova and Alpha, 1150 to 1300 MPa, does not bend when cattle lean on the fence. Its line wires sit 3.5 inches apart at the bottom, where calves and smaller animals push, rising to 7 inches at the top, where the load is lower.
Keeping your own animals in rather than stray cattle out? Tell the SIMO Securon team which animals you keep, and the height and grid are confirmed for your land before you order.
How far apart should the posts be for a cattle fence?
On a high tensile knotted fence, posts (poles) stand 5 metres apart, about 16 feet (5 to 6 m with Alpha), against 2.5 to 3 metres for conventional galvanised chain link: around half the posts. Around a square one-acre field that is about 51 posts instead of about 102 at 2.5 metres, plus braced corner, end and gate posts. Concrete (RCC) poles of at least 150 x 150 mm in high-grade concrete also meet SIMO’s installation standard.
Post sections and foundations are on QvikFixrr™ posts and fittings, and the posts and rolls for any size of land are worked out in fencing cost per acre in India.
What fence suits goats and sheep?
Goats and sheep are smaller than cattle, so the lowest wires matter most: on the Q-Knot graduated grid they sit 3.5 inches apart at the ground, closest where small animals push. Tell the SIMO Securon team which animals you keep and how many, and they will suggest the grid and height for your land.
How should corners, ends and gates be built?
A fence is only as strong as its end and corner posts, because they carry the tension of the whole run.
- Terminal posts: a strut at 45 degrees and a horizontal stay to the next post, on a concrete foundation at least 45 x 45 cm and 75 cm deep.
- Corner posts: braced both ways, on a foundation at least 60 x 60 cm and 75 cm deep.
- Gate posts: treat each one as a terminal post, braced the same way on a terminal foundation, so the gate’s weight never hangs on the fence.
- Tension only after the concrete has cured, so the posts do not lean.
- Diagonal brace at 45 degrees on every terminal post
- Horizontal stay between the terminal and first supporting post
- Terminal foundations at least 45 x 45 cm and 75 cm deep; corners 60 x 60 cm, braced both ways
- Fabric tensioned only after the concrete has fully cured
- Posts at least 50 cm into the ground; concrete columns at least 150 x 150 mm
Hang a gate only after the concrete has cured, with the top hinge pin pointing down so the gate cannot be lifted off, and leave room for it to swing over the highest point of the ground. Gate size and fittings are specified for each site.
Will a solar fence keep stray cattle out?
In India, “solar fencing” usually means a solar-powered electric fence, run by an energiser (jhatka machine) that gives an animal a shock when it touches the wire.
- A solar-powered electric fence costs less upfront and deters cattle where it is kept working. It needs power, regular upkeep and care around people and your own livestock.
- A knotted fence is a physical barrier: it holds cattle back when they lean on it, with little upkeep, and it does not depend on power.
SIMO Securon makes the physical fence, not electric fence energisers. Compare more farm options on farm fencing.
Which grade suits a cattle fence?
Choose the grade by the animals. The Zeta Nova knotted fence and the Alpha knotted fence have the stronger wire for cattle; the Pi knotted farm fence suits wild boar and smaller animals.
| Specification | Pi | Zeta Nova | Alpha |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written guarantee (retail) | 5 years | 10 years | 20 years |
| Coating | Zinc, 80 to 100 GSM, with topcoat | Zn-Al 90/10, 120 GSM | Zn-Al 90/10, 240 GSM minimum |
| Tensile strength (Q-Knot) | 850 to 900 MPa | 1150 to 1300 MPa | 1150 to 1300 MPa |
Keep fertilisers and chemicals off the fence line, and replace any rusted post early.
Is there a written guarantee on a cattle fence?
The written guarantee is SIMO's promise in writing to retail buyers: if the wire breaks due to red rust formation within the guarantee period, SIMO replaces it, on the terms and conditions. Register within 30 days of your invoice.
By grade, retail buyers of SIMO Securon receive a 5-year written guarantee for Pi, a 10-year written guarantee for Zeta Nova and a 20-year written guarantee for Alpha, against wire breakage due to red rust formation, counted from the invoice date.
To keep the guarantee, buy from SIMO or an authorised SIMO partner, register your purchase within 30 days of the invoice, store the fence dry before installation, and have it installed professionally on posts free of rust, following our guidance. It does not cover sites within 20 km of the coast or other corrosive environments, contact with fertilisers or chemicals, welded or jointed fabric, impact or tool damage, natural disasters, or normal wear and tear. RTHT™ barbed wire and QvikFixrr products, chain link included, are outside the guarantee. Claims are made within 30 days of a defect, with the invoice, proof of registration and photographs. Terms and conditions apply; the full terms are on the guarantee page. Government and public sector projects are governed by the terms of the project contract.
Can you install a cattle fence with your own labour?
Yes, with supply only: your own team installs the fence and its QvikFixrr posts and fittings, and SIMO Securon can send a trainer to work alongside them, backed by instructional videos. For most farms SIMO Securon recommends supply and install: its trained crews do the whole job under one contract, and professional installation following SIMO’s guidance is a condition of the written guarantee. See installation services.
To work out the posts and rolls for your own land, use the fencing cost calculator; your price comes on WhatsApp.
For nilgai, wild boar and deer, read how to protect crops from nilgai and wild boar. For the farm fence SIMO Securon suggests, see farm fencing. Sell fencing to farmers in your area? SIMO Securon appoints authorised dealers: see become a SIMO Securon dealer.
FAQ
Stray cattle fence questions
How do I keep stray cattle out of my crops?
Fence the whole boundary with a stiff, tensioned fence at least 6 ft (1.8 m) high, braced at every end, corner and gate, so cattle cannot lean it over or push through a slack section. SIMO Securon suggests Zeta Nova or Alpha at 6 ft, on the Q-Knot graduated grid, for land where stray cattle or nilgai come.
Can one fence keep out both stray cattle and wild boar?
Yes: SIMO Securon suggests Zeta Nova or Alpha at 6 ft on the Q-Knot graduated grid, which stands up to cattle and nilgai and puts its line wires closest together at the bottom, 3.5 inches apart, where wild boar and calves push. Where only wild boar and smaller animals come, Pi suits them.
Should I use barbed wire to keep cattle out?
Barbed wire (kantedar taar) is simple, but its strands leave open gaps that calves and smaller animals get through. A knotted fence has no barbs, so it turns cattle away without cutting them, closes the gaps, and springs back when an animal leans on it. Where people are also a problem, add one strand of RTHT barbed wire along the top.
RTHT high tensile barbed wireHow many posts does a cattle fence need for one acre?
A square acre is about 255 metres (about 840 running feet) around. With a post every 5 metres, a SIMO Securon cattle fence needs about 51 posts and 9 rolls of Zeta Nova, plus braced corner, end and gate posts. Conventional galvanised chain link at 2.5 metres would need about 102 posts.
Fencing cost per acre in IndiaWhere can I buy a cattle fence?
Buy direct from SIMO Securon or from an authorised SIMO Securon dealer: send your PIN code on WhatsApp to +91 93730 08466 and the team will tell you the nearest. Buy from SIMO or an authorised dealer, and register within 30 days of the invoice, to keep the written guarantee.
Talk to the SIMO Securon team
Call or WhatsApp us with your site type, location and boundary length, and we will come back with a recommendation.