FG2 sheep netting fencing on Mid tier stewardship

Sprog

Member
Location
South Shropshire
We have got 3000m of FG2 (sheep net fencing) to do under the capital grants scheme. It specifies that you need to use 1.8m long stakes and 2.15m long straining posts. We would normally use 1.65m (5ft 6in) stakes and 2.1m (7ft) long strainers. I'm thinking of going for the 6ft stakes, but very reluctant to start using 8ft strainers. Obviously they cant see what length youve used once in the ground but unless you can get the supplier to alter the invoice info you're probably gonna get flagged for it!!

Just wondered if there were others on here that have already done fencing on the scheme and whether they risked it, or did it by the book???

Another thing... The height of fence specified is 1.05m. I'm hoping this is including a strand or two of barbed wire on top, so we can use the normal 80cm stock netting. Or does it mean we have to use 1.05m high netting before the barbed wire?
My FG2 says intermediate stakes at 1.7m length so we have gone wit( the 5’6” stakes
 

penntor

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
sw devon
And don't forget to cap any gate posts to stop rain going in. I submitted a claim and they refused to pay until I had capped the posts, had to rush out and buy a roll of lead sheet.
They also refused to pay until they had seen a receipted invoice for the footing out, didn't care about the fencing itself, photos were ok for that.
 

Bury the Trash

Member
Mixed Farmer
should be footing out then casting up, and to a good height as well not just a couple of turves , as in Devon bank .

trouble is there aren't so many digger drivers that have the patience or skill to do that correctly.
 

Bury the Trash

Member
Mixed Farmer
What is footing out ?
digging out the soil that mightve slipped down by rabbit /sheep /cattle/ weathering damage along/recutting the base of the hedge to get a good following / reasonably level fence line tight and tidy to the base of the hedge.

many of our hedgerows have banks here as well as shrub /tree growth.
can look a bit drastic in the extreme but the spray(top growth) (if treated reasonably maybe carefully steeped down in the process ) ,will come back /thicken over time
TIN039_bank1.jpg
 
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neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
digging out the soil that mightve slipped down by rabbit /sheep /cattle/ weathering damage along/recutting the base of the hedge to get a good following / reasonably level fence line tight and tidy to the base of the hedge.

many of our hedgerows have banks here as well as shrub /tree growth.
can look a bit drastic in the extreme but the spray(top growth) (if treated reasonably maybe carefully steeped down in the process ) ,will come back /thicken over time
View attachment 1016874

You guys have some strange ideas of what constitutes a ‘hedge’… :whistle:
 

Bury the Trash

Member
Mixed Farmer
You guys have some strange ideas of what constitutes a ‘hedge’… :whistle:
yeah extra cost to keep up, worse culprit the banks falling out here now is rabbits :mad: and course its the banks that give them a better drier place for all their burrows as well as more surface area :rolleyes: sheep will knock/wear them down as well of course .
But it can all qualify for grant /they will pay for what we call 'casting up' (rebuilding the bank) like in that photo as part of the whole job.
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
yeah extra cost to keep up, worse culprit the banks falling out here now is rabbits :mad: and course its the banks that give them a better drier place for all their burrows as well as more surface area :rolleyes: sheep will knock/wear them down as well of course .
But it can all qualify for grant /they will pay for what we call 'casting up' (rebuilding the bank) like in that photo as part of the whole job.

To be fair, it looks like it provides a lot better shelter than what normal folk call hedges.👍
Does the soil not slowly fall down through the fence though, either by rabbits or gravity & weather?
 

Bury the Trash

Member
Mixed Farmer
To be fair, it looks like it provides a lot better shelter than what normal folk call hedges.👍
Does the soil not slowly fall down through the fence though, either by rabbits or gravity & weather?
yes naturally over time that's why the digger rebuilds them . they aren't as timeless as stone walls.
Even when i left school the youngster could ve been taught by the older chaps how to cast up a bank (by mostly still by hand in them days ) and steep down a hedge, i was anyway, you have to build 'batter' in the bank ,an angle to stop it falling out ,coulds be a bit shallower angle than in that pic tbh, dry weather after doing it doesnt help thats why winter is best because it will be generally wet then any grass turves will establish grow and hold it all together until the shrubs grow out and help in that way also.
so with that in mind best thing is to leave long ish grass next to the hedge for the digger to use for success.
but the fact is In reality A lot of the banks are going /have gone though as i would say that most re wire fenced but not on grant jobs the banks are not rebuilt as it costs far more obviously .
 

Arrowman

Member
Livestock Farmer
Getting an extra 1' of depth to the strainer will double the holding force. It's all about trying to reduce the chance of the strainer failing, mechanically that is not by rotting.
I'll second that. Worked for a fencing contractor for a few years doing agricultural jobs and road jobs. My advice is: use the longest strainer you can get into the ground. Use a good post driver if you can get one. I use an arrowhead rock hammer type driver on a 5 ton digger on my farm. Used 12' strainers (6" diam) in places for fences 1.2m high (well strutted) and arguably still not long enough. If you're on real tight clay ground a 7' strainer may be good enough. But a lot of it comes down to how tight you consider tight enough for the wire. Long story short, the 8' is preferable to a 7' by a mile if you can get it in the ground.
 

ARW

Member
Location
Yorkshire
I'll second that. Worked for a fencing contractor for a few years doing agricultural jobs and road jobs. My advice is: use the longest strainer you can get into the ground. Use a good post driver if you can get one. I use an arrowhead rock hammer type driver on a 5 ton digger on my farm. Used 12' strainers (6" diam) in places for fences 1.2m high (well strutted) and arguably still not long enough. If you're on real tight clay ground a 7' strainer may be good enough. But a lot of it comes down to how tight you consider tight enough for the wire. Long story short, the 8' is preferable to a 7' by a mile if you can get it in the ground.
We only use a 7ft strainer for slight dips or as very slight turner posts
 

Mad For Muck

Member
Location
Midlands
What netting is everyone using on this grant? Says ‘put up a wire mesh fence at least 1.05m high’ is the standard 8/80/15 being used & just putting it 1.05 high & a strand along the bottom? It says you can use barb or plain wire to gain extra height if needed over the 1.05n high netting?
 

onthehoof

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Cambs
As an aside just looking at hedge planting for this year, with the boundary grant can you claim fencing at £4 something/metre on top of the actual hedge planting grant £11 something /metre?? and for both sides??
 

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