Drift fence

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Drift fences were used in the Texas panhandle during the years 1882 to 1887 to control "cattle drift" - the winter migration of livestock to warmer territory. Long sections of barbed wire fence were built by ranchers to keep the cattle from moving to the southern part of the state. This fence was disastrous for the animals during the winter of 1886-87. Deep snow covered the grasslands and the fence prevented the herd from migrating to greener pastures. As a result, the cattle froze to death along the fences, with up to 75 percent perishing during the winter.

The term is currently used for any long, continuous fence used to control the movement of animals in a particular open area, or to collect animals for research.

[edit] External references

• From open range to total enclosure Selected essays on barbed wire