Grazing – what are the options?

Grazing systems are all important for your land management and the health of your stock. And good grazing systems need great fencing systems to keep the stock in and everyone else out.

What sort of grazing system you use depends upon a number of factors. There are three main systems, each with a number of variations surrounding it, but the system you choose will give you the amount of control you require over the management of your grazing land. Ultimately, you are looking to match the nutritional demands of the livestock with the right supply of forage.

Set Stocking

Set stocking or continuous stocking is the simplest form of grazing management. This is where the animals – sheep, cattle, ponies, goats, llamas, have access to just one area of grazing land for the whole season. This type of gazing is typically found in areas of extensive farming - such as uplands or breckland areas. While some early grass growth might be wasted under this system, it does reduce damage over the area as a whole. The continuous nature of grazing encourages a close, dense sward that is usually rich in clover. It also means that fencing costs – once the fence has been built – are kept to a minimum.

For set stocking, the best option is a well-constructed, durable fence

Paddock Grazing

Paddock grazing is where livestock are grazed on a rotational basis within a number of paddocks. This is sometimes called ‘rotational grazing’ and is a more intensive management system. It carries higher costs in fencing, water supply and access routes. Paddock grazing is often carried out on a 20-30 day cycle and allows the farmer to more accurately meet the nutritional demands of the livestock with the availability of forage.

Paddock grazing offers two major advantages to the livestock farmer: stock do not regraze the same area of land on a  day-by-day basis and become susceptible to parasitic worms; and parcels of land can be put aside for hay or silage under this system.

Strip fencing

Strip grazing allows stock to be moved to fresh pasture every day. It is usually organised within a paddock grazing system and animals are controlled by an electric fence. This system is often used when there is excess forage available, such as cover tops that are sown after the cereal harvest, radish and turnips for example. Among the advantages of a strip system is that the animals will not trample and spoil a large area as they are contained within a small area of the field. This system also allows careful management of how much nutrition the animals take in.

The choice is yours

What sort of grazing method you employ will be dependent upon the land you have available and the demands of your stock. You may well mix and match, with some set stocking and some strip grazing. How you fence these areas will also be dependent upon a number of factors – permanence of the grazing, the nature of the stock (beef cattle are notoriously less easily contained than dairy cows) and the budget you are working to. Your fencing contractor will be able to advise you.

The importance of hedges

Among the services we offer at Dodd & Co is hedge planting, cutting and maintenance. This is all part of managing your land and is vitally important for maintaining borders and boundaries as well as the health of your natural environment.

Why are hedges important?

Hedges are important for a number of reasons, they provide a range of services for humans and wildlife that supports the healthy functioning of ecosystems. 

As the most widespread semi-natural habitat in the UK, hedgerows support a large and diverse flora and fauna population. They supply food for invertebrates, birds and mammals and, in areas of intensively farmed areas, they offer a refuge for wild plants and animals.

A neat hedge can complement stock fencing as well as offer shelter and bio-security 

For humans, hedgerows can act as regulatory serves, controlling processes such as air quality, water purification and pollination. In terms of the air we breathe, hedgerows help produce oxygen and capture harmful pollutants. This is particularly true in more urban areas.

Creating barriers

On agricultural land, hedges act as a barrier to keep livestock in, sheltered and safe, and human beings out of areas they should not go – such as a field with a bull in it, or where crops are growing. They can also reduce the amount of pesticides, fertilisers and eroded soil from reaching waterways. Particularly pertinent at the moment is the use of hedgerows to prevent or alleviate the effects of flooding as a hedge can increase filtration rates and slow water flow.

Keeping stock safe

One very important effect of good, secure hedging is the prevention of bovine tuberculosis (bTB). Hedges form part of the bio-security system around a livestock area. In a study into the risks of bTB to herds of cattle, it was found that ‘hedge-poor’ farms, that is those farms with few hedgerows and large field sizes were at a significantly greater risk than those with ‘hedge-rich’ fields. One of the reasons suggested for these findings is that badgers will stick to the natural hedge habitat if it is there in abundance. Without the hedgerow to act as a buffer, cattle and badgers are more likely to come into contact as badgers will wander into fields where cattle graze.

Looking good

Hedges are also aesthetically pleasing. They can cover unsightly developments, protect people’s privacy or provide pleasant areas for people to enjoy.

All of which makes the growth and maintenance of hedgerows an important feature of land management. In the past farmers have tended to cut their hedges after harvest in the autumn time. Advice from the Department for Agriculture and Rural Affairs suggests that later in the winter, around February and March time, is a far better option. This allows the birds to forage all the berries earlier in the year. Any later than this and you risk disturbing nesting birds.

How to...

A flail is the most common tool used for hedge-cutting. Hedgerows might look as if they have been put through a mill when they are first cut, but they recover well and regular cutting will promote new, healthy growth. Hedgerows should be cut in a yearly sequence – side one year, top the next, other side the third year – to allow the hedge to keep flowering and growing. It is also important not to cut the hedge too close as this will weaken the growth of the hedge.

Part of the maintenance of hedgerows includes filling gaps between the plants. This might be necessary because existing plants have died, become spindly tr a natural gap in growth has occurred. Use of natural hedgerow plants such as blackthorn, hawthorn and ash are recommended.

Tree guards offer extra protection against curious (and destructive) livestock

New hedgerows and trees planted in hedgerows need protection. Plastic mesh guards, chicken wire or rabbit wire will protect these young plants, while larger tree guards can prevent deer from damaging the new shoots on trees

Rural crime: Take action

While much of the fencing we undertake at Dodd & Co. is concerned with stock management, there is also an element of security attached as well. Rural crime is costing the economy millions of pounds; in fact a recent survey by the Rural Crime Network of 17,000 people living and working in rural areas throughout England and Wales suggests that the cost of crime in rural areas could be higher than £800m. This dwarfs earlier estimates and has come as a shock to government and rural communities alike.

The key results that emerged from the survey showed:
The financial impact of crime on rural economy is significant. The estimated £800m is the equivalent to £200 for every household in the countryside. The average cost to victims of crime ranges from £2,500 to £4,100.

Fear of crime is increasing. The survey found that 39 per cent of rural people are worried about becoming a victim of crime. This compares with 19 per cent nationally. This is an incredible statistic considering the perception of crime levels in major cities. Rural businesses are most fearful – 51 per cent of respondents said they were very worried about crime.

Satisfaction with the police performance in rural areas was low. Only 6.3 per cent rated the police as providing an excellent service, and just 39 per cent rate the police performance as good. In urban communities the police are rated as good or above by 63 per cent of the population.

There is a chronic under-reporting of crime. 27 per cent of victims did not bother to report a crime in 2014. This distorts figures and provides the wrong impression of what is actually happening in the rural communities.

On the positive side, community spirit was seen to be strong in rural communities, with 27 per cent of respondents saying they felt the sense of belonging had increased in the past five years.

The survey revealed that the two issues that caused the greatest angst in the community were road safety and fly tipping - the latter has now become a civil offence.

The Rural Crime Network will now analyse the data and publish findings and recommendations in due course. We will provide an update here, but in the meantime, here are some measures that we can all take to reduce the risk of becoming a victim of rural crime.

• Fit good quality locks on all gates and doors
• Protect windows with metal bars or grilles
• Install security lighting 
• Consider installing CCTV to provide surveillance in the most vulnerable areas of the property
• Ensure your boundaries and perimeters are as secure as possible
• If possible remove all access points that are no longer used and establish a single gated entrance and exit
• Invert and cap gate hinges to gates cannot be lifted off
• Use locking posts or temporary instructions to control large openings to the yard
• Plant thorn hedges as a extra layer of security at boundaries.
• Restrict opportunities for fly-tipping by fencing boundaries

There are many more actions you can take to ensure that your property and livestock remain safe and secure. Kent police force has produced a very comprehensive booklet that you can access here: http://www.kent.police.uk/advice/business/attachments/shutting_the_gate.pdf

Fencing and the law

Fencing land, whether for security, stock management or to keep wild animals out, can be a bone of contention. What is good for stock management may pose danger to wildlife; what keeps trespassers off crops or reduces the number of desire lines across a field, might hinder access to public footways, putting you at odds with the general public.

At Dodd and Co, we work with both private landowners and the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, so we are able to understand the many problems and issues that fencing can cause. And, having understood the problem, we are well-positioned to help you find a solution.

This article outlines some of the guidelines for fencing as issued by another wildlife trust – the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, but much of what is written is applicable here in West Norfolk.

Risks to wildlife are posed mainly by barbed wire fencing with animals such as deer jumping the fence but getting caught on the top strand. Another risk might come from erecting a wire fence across a path used regularly for travel by wildlife, including birds in flight.

The risk to the public comes mainly from people climbing fences or sustaining cuts from barbed wire. The public may come into contact with fencing when a fence runs alongside a narrow path or a footpath crosses a field boundary.

To reduce these risks, you might consider some of the following actions when fencing a field. 

• Use fencing material other than barbed wire where there is an element of risk of injury. 
• Don’t use a top wire of barb, buy put a plain wire on plastic runners so the wire can be electrified when stock is in the field.
• Don’t use barbed wire near public footpaths or known wildlife runs – don’t use barbed wire within one metre of a stile or kissing gate. And use barbed wire only on the edges where the public don’t or shouldn’t go.
• Where existing barbed wire goes right to a gate, cover the barbs for a section either side of the gate.
• Create alternative routes for wildlife e.g leave internal gates open where the site isn’t grazed.
• Make fencing visible to prevent accidental contact.
• Use high tension wire to prevent entanglement. loose wire will tangle round legs.

There are however some difficulties that arise from these measures that you should be aware of.

• If badgers are a problem, leaving gates open will allow the animals to wander onto your land.
• Leaving gates open can also offer temptation to thieves and fly-tippers.
• Using electric fencing can be expensive and there is increased staff time in setting up and maintenance.

So, as can be seen, there is no way to specify what action to take on a generalised basis. Each case needs to be taken as an individual issue and a bespoke solution provided. Through identifying the problems and your own situation, we will work with you to arrive at a fencing solution that meets both your requirements, public and wildlife safety and all within your budgetary constraints. 

Badger netting

TB, two letters sure to strike fear into the heart of cattle owners everywhere. Anyone over the age of 20 can still remember the dreadful scenes of burning animal carcases in the 1990s and TB is still a huge problem in pockets of grazing land across the UK. TB can wipe out a herd and ruin a farm, so it is important that livestock owners take all the precautions they can to stop the spread of this disease.

While the link between badgers and bovine tuberculosis (TB) remains unclear and open to debate, there is little doubt that badgers are one of the causes of the spread of this catastrophic disease. Research from Northern Ireland found that bovine TB can be found in approximately 20 per cent of badgers and 2 per cent of deer. To eradicate TB, significant action must be taken to prevent its spread. 

Wildlife Biosecurity is the new buzz word being touted by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), and there is plenty of information and advice available from the government department to help farmers and livestock owners in the fight against TB.

One of the main areas that can be addressed quickly to eradicate the disease is the use of fencing to prevent badger movement. Here at Dodd and Co, we offer a comprehensive badger fencing system that will keep the badgers out and the stock in. DARD suggest fencing off badger setts, their latrines (usually a large toilet area a few metres from the sett) and paths that are followed by the badgers. In addition, Dodd and Co offer badger fencing that will prevent the animals from entering the fields or paddocks where the animals graze, eat from troughs and drink.

We would also add that fencing off silage pits, feed storage areas and cattle housing areas. There can be no gaps under the fence and a simple gate will not suffice as these determined animals can squeeze through small spaces.

Other measures DARD suggest are: avoid grazing fields which contain badger setts; f do not provide feed to cattle where badgers or deer can share it; circular feeders, troughs, drinkers and mineral licks should be designed to minimise wildlife access; raise drinking troughs to over 85cms from the ground and keep them away from walls and ditches; check fields regularly for signs of badgers; and avoid over-grazing – cattle grazing short grass are more likely to come into contact with badger faeces.

As a further word of warning, if there are unusual spottings of badgers in the daytime be aware that this might mean the badger has TB – healthy animals are rarely seen during the day.

For help with all your badger fencing needs, contact us and we can talk about measures to keep your cattle safe.

Dodd and Co make impact at Wood Rising

PACT animal sanctuary at Wood Rising rescues, rehabilitates and rehouse the animals that have been let down by their human owners. Whether they are abandoned, neglected, injured or simply come from homes where their owners can’t cope, the Animal Sanctuary steps in to help.

It is not simply dogs and cats that PACT deals with, the organisation also rescues large animals, such as horses and donkeys, and it was in this area that the charity needed the help of Dodd and Co.

PACT animal sanctuary were forced into making a transformation after they had to leave the premises they had been using and move to a 17-acre site purchased from a local farmer. The field had to be separated into seven separate units, with a central pathway linking them all. The area needed to be securely fenced using a system that would prevent the animals escaping but would also keep them safe and free from injury.

In addition, a pond had to be fenced off and a major gas-line ran through the area, meaning considerable thought had to be given to the site lay-out and its safety requirements.

Dodd and Co were also commissioned to design and build a corral and yard area. This has been constructed with an eye to the future, so a barn can be built there when funding becomes available. A double gate leads into the yard, allowing easy access for livestock vehicles. The corral has extra high sides and is fully lined to keep it as easy to clean as possible.

The fencing and corral needed to be durable, have longevity and be high-sided enough to keep the animals in and intrusive wildlife out. It also had to look smart and stylish. The quality of the corral lining was important as it had to be durable, pliable and look good. Dodd and Co chose Stockboard as it meets all those requirements and is made from recycled plastics, meaning it is also environmentally-friendly – a highly important feature to PACT.

To construct the fencing, Dodd and Co used Tornado Torus horse wire netting, timbers from Calders and Grandige and Stockboard to line the pens. The whole project took eight days to complete and used more than 2,000 metres of wiring.

Key specifications:

High tensile horse netting
Torus joint horse netting
Half-meshed gates
Electrified hot wire

“We would definitely highly recommend Jamie’s work, the best fencing we have ever had done.

It was not the most straight forward project as we had particular requirements on our new farm, needing the whole 17 acres split into several paddocks and including a ‘race’ with access to all paddocks so that animals could easily be herded from any paddock to any other paddock. We also needed easy access for vehicles. This has proved invaluable as many of our equines are not easy to catch or handle. The project also included a corral where we could confine animals for handling, farrier and vet work.

The corral was largely designed by Jamie who took time and considerable patience on site visits to understand our needs. The race, originally designed by myself, was improved and changed on Jamie’s suggestions.

To add to the problems the site included a pond which had to be fenced to protect animals from injury and a gas main line runs through the length of the land which affected the layout of the race and pond protecting fence. Jamie spent time consulting with the gas engineers and established where the fencing could safely be erected.”

— Founder and Trustee of the PACT animal sanctuary, Chris Rockingham