Hmmm - interesting. I've been thinking about replacing the section of fence in the front pasture that runs along the road - with shrub roses. I would buy maybe 10 plants to start ($200), each fall would take cuttings from existing rosebushes and extend the rose hedge with hardwood cuttings. Obviously, this project will take several years. :) There is a section of the planned hedge that would go through a swampy area - planning to use the native swamp rose (Rosa palustris) there.

I don't know about cows, but horses will chow down on osage orange fruit. I suppose the large fruit could cause choke but I've never seen the horses have any problems.

I don't think I've ever seen an osage orange tree get taller than 20'. As for tolerance for growing in wet conditions - there's one growing at the edge of our pond. The stream from a wet-weather spring that feeds the pond runs about 3' away from the base of its trunk, so there's a one-rat study for ya.

When the settlers planted OO as a hedge or living fence, they just collected the fruits, let them rot down to mush, plowed a furrow and poured the mush into it - ended up with VERY close seedling spacing, and through natural attrition or thinning, they came up with a 'fence', as it were. But we're probably talking of 6" spacings, if not even closer. You may have to wait several years before the OO seedlings are of sufficient stature to contain cattle or horses, and would never count on them containing goats.
I've seen OO growing on creekbanks, but not in swampy areas, where the soil stays saturated.
Cattle can and do become choked on the OO fruits, and if the incompletely chewed hedgeapple lodges in their esophagus, it's a rapidly life-threatening event, as they're unable to eructate(belch off) the gases produced by fermentation in their rumen; they'll bloat and die within a period of an hour or two, if not relieved.

Hedge around here grows well in the muck land used for growing mint. Wet area shouldn't bother it a lot. Muck land does dry up in late summer most years, allowing harvest of the mint. Also grows well on the drier rolling grounds, even in heavy dirt with clay. Hedge here is used more for land protection, not fencing. Planted for preventing erosion, dryout of soil, dirt blowing away. Some of those hedges must be from the Depression era plantings. I am seeing a lot of them being cut to allow larger machinery use, bigger fields.

They are not maintained for animals, like they would have been back when planted. My grandfather had hedges, harvested it regularly. Used it, sold it. It was a crop for the livestock farmer, who would have regular fence upkeep. However, grandpa said hedge was about the hardest wood around after black walnut. He didn't seem to have post rot problems of other farmers. He did have a lot of gravel type soil in the hilly pasture areas. He pointed out his big corner post, was about 60 years old, still solid. Used daily as the gate was on the other side.

If I planted hedge, I would be out there to trim and thin the seedlings, set up a clean line of growth. Keep after it as saplings developed. Uncared for, hedge is a terrible mess. Tangled, fallen limbs, out growth of messy crooked trunks. Takes over a large space trying to get to the sunshine. You don't get straight up growth, orderly line of trunks for harvest, best use of the planting without attention.
Removal around here is with bulldozers, cutting is very hard work with such dense wood, most don't bother. Most old hedges are about 20-30ft tall. Can depend on the ground they grow in. Then pile burns for days. I have also heard of spines on the trees, but can't remember if that is true.
I don't know about the fruit, never had any in a pasture for my horses. I wouldn't offer it to them, just to be safe. I have not heard of any problems with horses chewing their wood, unlike the walnuts which will founder them if even a tiny bit is eaten.

On the rosebushes, I would save my money. Ask around, someone would probably let you dig their roses out!! The hedge roses grow easily here, very quickly. Farmers would laugh hysterically at the thought of paying for them when we fight so hard to remove them!! Perhaps the roses you plan to use are a special variety, the multi-flora around here are a nusiance. Nice habitat for the animals and birds, hard on the farmer. Very aggressive growers, non-native pushing out native shrubs.
You might want to check about pest plants, trees, shrubs, in your area before deciding on what to grow. Honeysuckle is a terrible pest here, but OO or hedge, doesn't seem to travel, get very pesty. Maybe seeds are too big to move around far!!
Swamp roses, I picture as the wild, pink single layer flower, blooms in spring. Not as aggressive, smaller bush too. Might be different in your area. Native shrub planting will always benefit the area, attract insects and wildlife. Just not very manicured, if that will bother you. Often natives provide great benefits to the local area, so I always try to "go native" when planting.

goodhors, not to worry, I'm planning my rose project carefully, got help from kindly folks at antiquroseemporium.com to select antique varities that will hopefully be tough enough to survive, yet shouldn't sucker or spread. I wouldn't plant species multiflora or rugosa :) I've seen what invasive woodys can do - shrub honeysuckle, jap honeysuckle, privet - ugh! Not to mention kudzu!!

Great info thank you. Good to hear it is oretty tought to wet spots. It's an experiment but sounds like it'll work.
That's really interesting about how the settlers planted it. Makes sense, was trying to figure outhow they would be effective hedging while being so tall. So close together.
I may have to find something else, we don't have them here, and even if i find some- growing them out just to plant the seeds... I'm looking for something immediate.
Must do more research! Thanks.

There are a lot of old hedge-rows around here. I doubt that it grows fast, since it's so hard, but it was used in the old days. We have a tree in our pasture that is the biggest I have ever seen, at least 4 feet across, and maybe 60- 70 feet high, It is starting to die in places, but it is a very interesting old tree. The horses do nibble on the hedgeballs, no problems yet with that.