How to Build Your Own Rustic Wattle Fence and Why You Should
Very simply, a wattle fence is a naturally constructed fence made by weaving branches between upright
For our project, we constructed our wattle fence to help keep stray animals off our property. As we live in town limits, we have many neighbors and recently have had a wide array of stray cats and dogs. I got fed up with it and so decided to start fencing in our one-acre area as best I could.
Why We Built Our Rustic Wattle Fence
Homesteading on one acre gives us a lot of space but also gives us a large perimeter, over 830 feet of fencing off a perimeter. Now that is a lot of fencing and would cost us a hefty penny. So I decided to counteract some of that footage and cost with some free fencing ideas. The wattle fence was the best place to start.
We have our chicken coop placed on the back of our property, our most vulnerable area with the threat of animals attacking our chickens. I thought that would be the best place to start. Behind our coop is a neighbor wooded area and I also thought that a rustic wattle fence would look so beautiful as well as functional back there.
Wattle Fence Materials
Now the typical wattle fence built with either hazel or willow branches. They bent more easily and weaved through the uprights beautifully. Unfortunately, we have neither on our property nor can I readily get my hands on these branches. So for this project, I went with a “rustic” wattle fence. This fence is built with fallen branches I gathered from my yard and with permission, my neighbor’s yards. And by the way, your neighbors may be more than thrilled for you take the branches and clean up their yard for free.
How to Build a Wattle Fence
First, gather all the branches you can find and put them in piles according to size. Then take each one and strip them of all the little twigs and leaves until a good straight size branch left.
Now, mark off where you want your fence to be. Put in your upright posts in the ground securely. For our fence, I used a mixture of the largest branches I could find (typically around 3-4 inches thick) and actual living tree trunks that are about 1-2 inches thick. Put upright branches about 2-4 feet apart, and since my fence was set in the brush, I used strong-rooted branches to help weave my twigs through. This also saved a great time to not have to dig extra posts when I had perfectly naturally placed posts already there.
Now it is time to weave or at least start placing in your fence. Since this fence made up of dead fallen branches, the flexibility in them was minimal. If I bent the branch too much, then I run the risk of snapping the branch in half. Starting at the beginning of the fence, place large branches on the bottom with the weave pattern; behind the upright, in front of, behind, and so on. Then start with a layer of some smaller branches on top of that. Remember to weave the opposite way. Now you can put on a heavier layer of branches. This helps to push down and “tighten” the branches you have just woven. Move down your fence as you see fit to do. When you are completed with a section, you tuck smaller branches and twigs in any open spots.
The best way I looked at our wattle fence was like a puzzle. Not every branch was perfect for every place on the fence. I would have branches of all different sizes and shapes. Some branches had the perfect 70-degree curve, which made a great turn or bent in the fence. Such a bend worked terribly on a straight run.
Best Time to Build
Anyone can build a rustic wattle fence just like I have done, and you can build it at any time of the year. But I have found that there is the best time to make it and that time is winter. First off, a wattle fence builder can more easily gather fallen branches from the woods because the majority of the leaves have died back. This makes it so much easier to gather and strip down.
They also will fall more readily in the wintertime. With the weight of ice and snow and the added storm winds, most of my branches fall to the ground in the winter. We have numerous pecan trees that are notorious for shedding limbs in the winter.
For a homesteader, winter is a slow period. There are no gardens to plant, sow, water, or harvest. So with plenty of extra time, you can easily build a wattle fence without great interruption.
The Pros and Cons to Building
I would state that the most profound “pro” about my rustic fence is the cost of it. This fence cost me nothing, zero, zilch, nada. Paying nothing for a useful homesteading item is the best kind of item in my books.
These wattle fences are super cute and give an old English style to your homestead. Okay, sure cuteness not a practical homesteading trait, but come on, you have to enjoy the view every once and a while, right?
One of my biggest cons was how much time it took for such a small amount of fencing to go up. The time it took me to find and gather all my branches, strip, and sort was time-consuming. Then came weaving everything you just gathered and, lastly, realizing that all those dead branches didn’t even make much of a dent in your fence construction.
I would also say another con would be the lifespan of the fence. This fence definitely will no outlive the plastic or metal fences that I could have easily put up. I don’t know how long this rustic wattle fence of ours will last us, so I will have to update this post has time goes on.
