Sustainable farming - fencing

Written by Dr Clive Dalton

In a nutshell...

Fencing to subdivide a farm is a basic requirement to keep control of pasture growth.
This in turn controls stock performance.
Fencing is a major capital cost on the farm so must be planned and done well.
A quality well-planned programme will have minimal on-going maintenance costs.
Wrong decisions on fence type and placement can lead to serious animal, pasture and soil problems.

Stock out of control grazing and wandering all over the farm and on the roadways.
Poor unproductive pastures because of poor grazing control.
Poor pasture utilisation - always plenty of dead stalk visible.
Stock poorly fed and in poor condition.
Poor reproductive performance (lambing and calving percentages).
Poor growth rates -few stock fattened and most sold as poor stores.
Permanent weed infestation.

Work out a complete property subdivision plan - with a consultant if necessary.
Fence to the natural contour.
The aims are to achieve good pasture utilisation for livestock production, along with care of the soil and water on the farm.
Plan the fencing programme to ensure good stock flow along their natural paths.
Place gateways to avoid smothering when moving stock.
Plan fencing, especially for deer, that does not cause soil erosion from fence walking.
Fence all vulnerable areas such as the banks of waterways and steep areas prone to slipping.
Build safety devices in fences at vulnerable points so emergency access can be made.