JWR:
Texas Rancher’s comments on fence building are spot on. Build it right the first time or you’ll regret it. If you’re in big country, then barbed wire is the way to go. If you have a smaller place, from a few acres to a few hundred acres, you may want to consider high tensile electric fences. High tensile fencing has a number of advantages over other types of fencing, particularly if you live in an area where there are trees.
If you’re not familiar with high tensile electric fencing take a look at Kencove.com They are a good source for information and supplies.
High tensile fencing is as close to indestructible as a fence can be. I’ve had trees two feet in diameter come down on the fence. If they haven’t hit a post I can take a chain saw, cut the tree off the fence and the fence springs back into place. This happens because the fence is built with springs on each strand of wire. When something hits the fence, be it a tree or a bull, the fence gives and then springs back. A tree will lay there until you take it off. A bull will bounce off. If the fence is properly built it’s hard to break. You may have to replace a few staples, perhaps a post or some insulators, but that’s about it. Use a solar charger and you’re not dependent on the grid. Plus, a high tensile fence allows for more distance between line posts. This means lower cost. I build six wire fences, with three wires electrified. There are other choices.
I’ve built fences from boards, pipe, barbed wire, woven wire, and high tensile. Unless you measure your land in sections rather than acres I think high tensile electric is the way to go.