Best Fence to Keep Deer Out and Animals In?

I'm trying to figure out how to fence in roughly 2.5 acres or property with about 1,600ft perimeter.

There are currently a lot of deer coming through the property daily that I would like to keep out. At the same time, I plan to have sheep, chickens and possibly pigs. I'm not sure if I will have them ranging the whole property or in specific enclosures, but I figure it makes sense to at least figure out how I would implement fencing for both purposes.

Does anyone have recommendations on what would be the best fencing setup to both keep deer out and keep sheep, chickens and pigs in? I assume this might involve some combination of solutions too, but I'm on a tight budget (aren't we all?)

Thanks for your help!

You have a few options:

Deer:
A. For the deer issue, you could build a really high fence, like 8 feet of woven wire, but then posts and fencing would be really expensive. It is probably your best option, but again, the most expensive.

B. Another option would be to install 6 foot woven wire with a few strands of high tensile or barbless cable to prevent jumping from the 6 foot mark to the 8 foot mar,. Its not as epensive as option A, but it would be expensive still

C. You could put up (2) four foot fences. A deer can easily bound over a 4 foot fence...but not from a standing start. It needs some room to take off, and more importantly a place to land. If you put a second fence within that first fence by 10 feet, you eliminate the deer's landing zone and thus keep them out. They say this is very effective. It would not have to be 4 feet, you could get by with 32 inch woven wire, or just barbless cable, allowing your sheep and pigs to wonder in between the two fences.

Sheep: In my experience I have tried a lot of fences and only woven wire has really worked. There is no electricity to fuss with; just put fence posts in, you staple up woven wire, you forget it is up for the next 30 years. Deducted over that length of time, it is VERY cheap fence. My attempts at electronet were having them run straight through it. The same for sapling, high tensile and other fences. Considering the high cost if they get out, a sheep fence that keeps them in is a very sound investment.

Pigs:
They won't go through woven wire anyway, but putting up cheap stand-out insulators on your posts, with one or two wires at pig height connected to a good energizer will stop them all the more since they do not have wool like sheep.

Recommendation:

Perimeter fence 4 feet high, wooden fence posts, well braced corners with 48 inch woven wire set 2 inches off the ground. Place off set insulators on these posts with electrical wire set at pig height; one or two strands as finances allow, to a 10 mile energizer (25 mile if you have some extra money)

10 feet inside of that (but a space so sheep and pigs can get between the two fences and graze, place electronet fencing. The white sort of reflects moonlight so deer see it and realize there is no landing zone and stay out.

Thanks Travis, I really appreciate the detailed suggestions. I'm reluctant to mess with electric fencing just because of the maintenance and attention required, and because I have small kids, though I'm sure they'd learn quickly, it wouldn't be pleasant. I've heard that about deer too, that they won't jump over 2 parallel fences. What I was thinking after I wrote this was getting 7' heavy duty T-posts and putting deer netting all the way around, then at the bottom attaching woven wire cattle fencing to keep my animals in. My hope is that my animals won't really have any motivation to get out anyway, but does that sound like it would be strong enough, perhaps reinforced with an occasional wood post or corner posts?

Personally I don't think deer netting is a good investment.  Some kind of wire fencing like Travis suggests is a more permanent solution.

Hi.... I have had really good luck keeping deer out and goats in... buy putting up 4 ft. high woven wire fence (field fence).... then weaving in and out sharp sticks, thus extending the fence up to about 7 ft, as a picket fence having vertical pickets every 4"- 6" or so.... this takes time on a two acre fence... but it adds up with persistence.... cutting willows, alder, or hazel.... all of which grow new branches after being cut... or go to a lumber yard or sawmill site and ask for their trim sticks.... (usually sold cheap as fire starter kindling.....   when done the sticks last many years, being up in the air and not on the ground..... and you have what looks like a beautiful 'third world' stick fence....

Sunny Baba wrote:Hi.... I have had really good luck keeping deer out and goats in... buy putting up 4 ft. high woven wire fence (field fence).... then weaving in and out sharp sticks, thus extending the fence up to about 7 ft, as a picket fence having vertical pickets every 4"- 6" or so.... this takes time on a two acre fence... but it adds up with persistence.... cutting willows, alder, or hazel.... all of which grow new branches after being cut... or go to a lumber yard or sawmill site and ask for their trim sticks.... (usually sold cheap as fire starter kindling.....   when done the sticks last many years, being up in the air and not on the ground..... and you have what looks like a beautiful 'third world' stick fence....

That's a great suggestion, thanks Sunny.

How soon do you need the fence?  Todd Parr has an active thread on his attempts to grow a hedgerow with mixed species.