The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Land Management => Topic started by: Carse Goodlifers on October 12, 2015, 09:51:03 am
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Our back fence is now in need of serious repair/replacement of which I am going to see to despite it being a 'joint' fence with our farmer neighbour.
I don't really want any of his stock leaning over the fence into the garden if I can help it (although there is no stock in the field at the moment), it will be rabbit netted and I am hoping to plant a 1 row wide native/wildlife hedge next to it and let it grow to about 6ft over time (no real space to do a 2 row wide one).
So question/query/options are:
-should I go for the normal stock fence of rylock and rabbit netting and 1 line of high tensile wire/barbed on top.
-put up a deer fence and rabbit netting - stop any stock leaning over and protects the hedge.
-rylock and rabbit netting and 2 strands of high tensile and a top line of barbed.
Any suggestions experiences would be gratefully received.
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hi, i guess it depends on what type of stock the farmer is likely to put in. The first option is fine if it is sheep and the third one if there is likely to be cattle. A deer fence is a very expensive option - I would personally not choose that one
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We had similar problems with our neighbour's ponies which had pretty much wrecked our boundary fence over the years by leaning over it. So instead of making the top barbed wire (I hate that stuff!), we just got the contractor to put insulators on the very top wire, so that we can electrify it ("top hot"). The ponies soon learned to respect it, and now keep their distance. Actually, only had it switched on for the first 6 weeks. After that, they haven't touched it.
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When our neighbours cattle kicked up their heels and jumped over into our newly planted wildlife hedge it was pretty much of a disaster. Because of the way they feed, they were uprooting the saplings, as well as crushing them, not just nibbling a few twigs off the top as sheep would do. We spoke nicely to our neighbour who put in some taller stobs and added an extra high tensile top wire - definitely not that hateful barbed stuff. This was enough because mostly it's young beasts he puts in there, so they couldn't reach over any more. If it's large cattle your neighbour is putting in, then three strands would be better. All barbed wire does is to tear the animals' skin but it doesn't stop them stretching over.
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hi, i guess it depends on what type of stock the farmer is likely to put in......
Well it could be sheep or indeed cattle as he has both but he has more of the wooly ones.
......A deer fence is a very expensive option......
I really don't want to if truth be told. When I was speaking to the fencing contractor (a local chap - has all the kit and machines), he's given me a really good price if I decide to go for that option as he has some deer fence material left over from a job and wants rid of it and it would fit the area that requires fencing.
Womble - I have thought of electrifying the top strand and also putting in a stand-off insulator so that 'live wire' is a little bit away from the fence itself. I may look into that.
......If it's large cattle your neighbour is putting in, then three strands would be better......
If he goes this way then that's what I thought FW along with the larger posts it would be ideal. Even without cattle I think slightly more height on the fence would be good without going down the deer fence route.
......our newly planted wildlife hedge......
FW - I had a look at your hedges on your website - I am very envious. Hopefully if we ever get any ground I want the hedges to be exactly like yours. A haven for wildlife :excited: Well done to you and Mr FW for planting them all.