When purchasing rolls of Red Brand fence, you want the right amount to keep your animals safely contained. At Red Brand, we know that estimating how much fence you need can be challenging. That’s why we offer an acreage guide and easy-to-read table to make this task just a little simpler.
The Significance of Roll Lengths and Acres
In the middle ages, an acre was the amount of land that could be plowed in a single day with a yoke of oxen. Britain used rods and furlongs to define an acre, and eventually, the U.S. also adopted this unit of land measurement.
Acreage became an important concept in 1862. It was then that the Federal Government determined that 160 acres was the maximum amount of land a single family could expect to farm in a year. Therefore, in order to encourage western migration, the Homestead Act offered up to 160 acres of public land free to anyone willing to settle and farm the land.
Today, Red Brand still uses the same acre parcel of land to determine its fencing roll lengths. All of our rolls are finished in increments that accommodate a square acre of land.
How Much Fence Do I Need?
Just how many rolls of fence do you need to enclose your pasture? This depends on the type of fence you’re buying. Red Brand barbed wire fence and Red Brand field fence are available in different roll lengths.
If you’re purchasing barbed wire, one roll is equal to 1,320 feet of fence, or 1/4 of a mile. Therefore, for a 40-acre square area that requires 1/4 mile of fencing on each side, you will need one mile of fencing, or four rolls of barbed wire per line.
However, if you’ve selected field fence, you’ll need four 330-foot rolls, or the equivalent of one roll of barbed wire, for each 1/4 mile of fence line. A total of 16 rolls of field fencing vs. four rolls of barbed wire would be required to fence in a 40-acre parcel. Of course, these estimates are based on the 40-acre area being square. Many times you’ll be enclosing a different shaped area which may require more fence. To make it easier to plan your project, you can use the acreage table and guide, found at RedBrand.com.
Keep in mind that all estimates on the table are based on square areas to be fenced. Odd shaped parcels, gate openings and other factors must be taken into consideration.
Do you have further questions about how much fence to buy? Talk to your local Red Brand dealer for advice or check out our fence calculator!
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