Fencing

Conventional fencing

It is essential to have good fences for your stock. If you are working with sheep or goats, it can be expensive to put up fences that are capable of keeping them in. Wire mesh is certainly the most effective type of fencing, because it not only stops newborn lambs and kids from getting out, but it also stops most predators from getting in. A cheaper alternative is to put up a wire fence about 1,2m high with 7 or 8 strands of wire. The top strand and maybe one or two others can be of barbed wire, but smooth steel wire is preferable for the other strands, as long as they are kept taut.

Dropper fence

Nothing beats the old-fashioned dropper fence when it comes to keeping animals – cattle, sheep, horses – in a contained area. The escalation in animal theft in South Africa has necessitated keeping your farm animals in areas where you can either keep an eye on them or where, at the very least, you know where they are. The dropper fence does not look like much, but it serves its duty with distinction. They are easy to make:

• roll the galvanised wire or, even better, barbed wire in 3 rows to the length that you need;
• use a piece of discarded wood as marker to ensure that the distances between the droppers are the same;
• use nails or wire staples to attach each pole to the 3 lengths of wire;
• roll the wires and droppers up into a manageable roll;
• plant sturdy fence poles at a reasonable distance from each other;
• unroll the pre-made fence, and make sue that all the droppers are tightly secured to the 3 rows of wires;
• rest the fence against the pre-planted fence poles, and attach one end to a corner pole with wire staples securely hammered into the pole;
• pull the fence tight from the corner pole to the next planted pole, and secure with nails or wire staples;
• follow the fence, and make sure that all superfluous pieces of wire are removed so that your animals won’t be injured.

The great advantage of these fences is that they can easily be moved to where new grazing awaits your livestock. Moving them is as easy as rolling them up and unrolling them in the new location. These fences save you the cost of erecting permanent fences that can be extremely expensive. Just remember – they may keep your animals in, but they will definitely not keep predators out.

Electric fencing

Conventional fences are not always impenetrable but with the help of electric fencing, the ultimate purpose of a fence can be reached. Electric fencing can serve several purposes, namely animal control or security. An electric fence energiser converts mains or battery power into a high voltage pulse. The energiser releases this pulse through an insulated wire onto the fence line approximately once every second. The pulse is commonly referred to as the shock which is felt when an animal or intruder makes contact with the fence.

In agricultural / game fencing, it is the shock that deters the animal from putting further pressure on the fence line. The pain from the shock received is short lived and does not physically damage the animal, unlike barbed wire, which can cause severe cuts and permanent damage. In cases where livestock are forced through an electric fence due to veldt fires or wild animals, the risk of injury is much lower than in the case of barbed wire fences.

From a security point-of-view, electric fencing not only offers the possibility of deterring, but also of detecting and alarming / monitoring. An electric fence acts as a 24-hour patrolman, patrolling your entire perimeter every second. An electric fence, being a barrier on the perimeter of what you are protecting, offers extended reaction time as opposed to conventional security systems only alarming once the intruder enters or attempts to enter your home.

Source: Nemtek