Temporary fencing for sheep

Although temporary fencing has become an integral part of the grazing infrastructure on some sheep farms, it is still an underutilised management tool for many others. Ciarán Lynch, Teagasc Sheep Specialist outlines the benefits and how to go about setting up temporary fencing for sheep on your farm

With substantially higher input costs this year it is more important than ever to look inside the farm gate at simple management changes that can boost productivity and cut costs. Improving grazing infrastructure will have a positive impact on grassland management and animal performance. Temporary fencing using 3 to 4 strands of poly wire/tape or netting can provide a cheap cost effective alternative to using permanent divisions during key stages of the grazing season to create extra divisions and match grazing areas to suit grazing group size. It’s important it’s introduced early to firstly reap the benefits and secondly to train stock, young lambs in particular, to it early in the season.

What are the benefits?

1. Better grass utilisation
2. Reduced time spent grazing at low covers to clean out fields = Better animal performance
3. Protecting grass regrowths: less time spent grazing = more rest time in paddocks = better grass growth

What number of paddocks are needed and what size should they be?

Ideally aim to have 5 permanent divisions per grazing group with the option of subdividing them. The aim should be to graze out these areas in 2 to 3 days.

For example:

• Average 100 ewe flock with a stocking rate of 10 ewes/ha (4 ewes/ac)
• 5 grazing divisions of 2ha (5ac) each
• Can be permanently fenced or 5-10 temporary divisions as needed

At a practical level on farms field/paddock size will vary but by using temporary divisions, focusing firstly on the larger grazing areas we help reduce the grazing area to help with rapid return on investment. Many of these sub divisions will be left in place for the main part of the grazing season.

Setting up the fence

For the early part of the season 4 strands is advisable, especially to manage young lambs. This can be reduced to 3 strands later in the season as sward height increases. The heights of this wire will vary slightly depending on which removable posts are being used but a guide to the suggested height settings can be found in Table 1.

Correct fencer setup is key to its success - here are a couple of pointers:

• Ensure a good, constant power supply that is well earthed – particularly important in drier conditions. check power supply and connection regularly removing debris and foliage as the season progresses.
• Mains fencers are ideal but battery fencers will work effectively once they are covering a suitable area for their respective output. A battery fencer's range is an important consideration. They are specified in distance and area but it’s important to remember this is based on a single strand of wire so this needs to be divided by the appropriate number of strands in use in your own setup (e.g. 3 or 4 strands).
• Always aim to connect the power supply at the open end of the poly wire as opposed to the reel side, as if this becomes corroded/burned as the season progresses this can be simply cut away without the need to join or discard the reel.
• Where poly wire/tape needs to be joined, overlap with plain steel wire to ensure current is carried between sections. Some may opt to separate out the individual strands of wires and join them.
• There is some variation in the type of poly wire and tape available - as a rule of thumb the more strands the better.
• Where wire is being taken up regularly invest in geared reels as it will help speed up the process.
• Don’t over tension poly wire/tape as this can break the individual strands. 

In this short clip, Philip Creighton, Teagasc Sheep Grassland Researcher talks through top tips and key considerations when sub dividing fields. 

Get advice from the National Fodder and Food Security Committee (NFFSC) on Food and Feed Security here 

The Teagasc Sheep Specialists issue an article on a topic of interest to sheep farmers on Tuesdays here on Teagasc Daily. Find more on Teagasc Sheep here. For any further information or assistance contact your local Teagasc Office here: Advisory Regions.