Cheapest possible way to fence a grazing block?

[Headless chicken]

Due to being under Tb restrictions we’ve got all of our beef calves to graze on this year. We’ve got a block we can do something with and have worked out the paddock layout. The major issue is the current fencing is poor to non existent.

Total boundary is 9000m. Would we get away with single Strand electric this year? In a perfect world we’d use two but time will be the biggest issue in getting it all installed.
has anyone used temporary posts with high tensile wire? The ground is fairly rocky so it’s not going to be a quick job bashing in 900 odd posts.
should we just by more polywire and spend the time moving it with every move?
how wide between posts to people dare to go?
And finally, I can get cheap wooden posts for £2 mark ( if we go down the knocking in route) or the cheapest clipex i think for £4.50. Are they worth the extra in time saved? Are the cheap ones going to be able to be knocked into any sort of hard ground without bending

 

[Courier]

A single strand galv wire electric can work if the stock is well trained.
I used to divide yards up with a single wire with a spring on each end so that it was indestructible for training before being turned out.

 

[sidjon]

We put standard clipx into rock but did have pilot hole, two wires one as live and other as earth.

 

[Spudley]

I don't know if I would trust one strand of electric. I subdivide fields with single strand electric for mine and 9/10 days they're fine. The last day, they might rip the whole thing up and all go through.

 

[Headless chicken]

I don't know if I would trust one strand of electric. I subdivide fields with single strand electric for mine and 9/10 days they're fine. The last day, they might rip the whole thing up and all go through.

Wed be on every day moves otherwise I would tend to agree. Hoping that the constant fresh grass will keep them focused

 

[Martyn]

Due to being under Tb restrictions we’ve got all of our beef calves to graze on this year. We’ve got a block we can do something with and have worked out the paddock layout. The major issue is the current fencing is poor to non existent.

Total boundary is 9000m. Would we get away with single Strand electric this year? In a perfect world we’d use two but time will be the biggest issue in getting it all installed.
has anyone used temporary posts with high tensile wire? The ground is fairly rocky so it’s not going to be a quick job bashing in 900 odd posts.
should we just by more polywire and spend the time moving it with every move?
how wide between posts to people dare to go?
And finally, I can get cheap wooden posts for £2 mark ( if we go down the knocking in route) or the cheapest clipex i think for £4.50. Are they worth the extra in time saved? Are the cheap ones going to be able to be knocked into any sort of hard ground without bending

When you say calves what age? Can you turn them out onto s stock proof feild first and teach them what a fence is by electrifying a section off, that's what we then we move them onto a Hundred acre block, I use the rappa anker posts for corners and the white posts from kiwikit between, rarely get any under the fence, use big solar energy fencer units. Our calves would be 4/5 months befor single strand electric.

 

[Headless chicken]

When you say calves what age? Can you turn them out onto s stock proof feild first and teach them what a fence is by electrifying a section off, that's what we then we move them onto a Hundred acre block, I use the rappa anker posts for corners and the white posts from kiwikit between, rarely get any under the fence, use big solar energy fencer units. Our calves would be 4/5 months befor single strand electric.

They’d be autumn born so actually not calves really I guess. 5-8months old. There is one field right next to the yard that has a reasonable boundary that we could put two strands in to aid Trainning with a mains fencer on before progressing then onto single strand on the rest of the block?

 

[Headless chicken]

would pig tails be too tall for that size animal? Trying to move away from the plastic type and thinking knock corner posts in with high tensile then move pig tails along as we move paddocks to save having to buy enough to do every field.

 

[Martyn]

They’d be autumn born so actually not calves really I guess. 5-8months old. There is one field right next to the yard that has a reasonable boundary that we could put two strands in to aid Trainning with a mains fencer on before progressing then onto single strand on the rest of the block?

That should be fine, exactly what I do, provoding you move the fence daily they soon learn, I will have a group of 140 beef behind a single strand all of this year, once they respect it it gives you so many options.

 

[Martyn]

We use these posts.

 

[Kiss]

Calves will be fine behind one strand after a week or so, we have some clips that attach just below the plastic on a pigtail to drop the height of the wire 6/7inches

High tensile perimeter is priceless our fencers can burn through poly if left up


We’ve used some fibreglass fencing stakes they were cheap and maybe flex to much so we alternate them with wooden ones

 

[Wesley]

We would generally train them in the shed before they first go out. Single strand of wire 6-12” from the back or side wall (depending on your shed layout) so they can’t run through it & knock it down. Lead out cable through the cladding & fencer outside. They soon learn.

 

[Headless chicken]

We use these posts.

Exactly what I was hoping to use. I’ll get some prices

 

[Martyn]

Exactly what I was hoping to use. I’ll get some prices

I ort to buy shares in the manufacture the number iv bought! I have give up on the flimsey plastic ones

 

[Martyn]

Exactly what I was hoping to use. I’ll get some prices

If under TB and grazing is short, we find back fencing calves works really well to, amazing how much regrowth you get if only on a block for 24 hours.

 

[tepapa]

I'd use single strand electric, even on the boundary, if they are trained and if your doing it semi permanently with end strainers I'd look into using some clipex pasture posts as permanent posts, every 25-30m then if you want to, use the pig tails in-between to close the gap when stock are in the paddock if you enjoy moving posts. Then the wire will keep its height and stay off the ground when not in use.

 

[Courier]

I don't know if I would trust one strand of electric. I subdivide fields with single strand electric for mine and 9/10 days they're fine. The last day, they might rip the whole thing up and all go through.

Need to have the ends secure

 

[Jdunn55]

My two pence for what it's worth, as others have said single strand will be fine, polywire and pigtail posts also fine but if it were me, I would hire someone in with a post banger to come and put some decent strainers (6 inch +) on the corners/bends/middle of long runs.
I would also keep the fence a hedgetrimmers width away from the hedge so that if you get problems with growth shorting the fence out, you can whip round and get it sorted quickly

 

[Jdunn55]

Oh and I would also have a galvanised strand that takes the power to all the fields and make it so each field can be isolated off, that way you can make it so only the field the calves are in is on so should give an extra good kick

 

[buffalo_soldier]

Daft thought for the day.

Would a 2nd hand ZG set up work?
If it's 9k of fencing needed, that may go a long way to buying a ZG machine to bring the grass to them, either inside or somewhere suitably fenced.
Also easier to sell on when finished.