Easy, effective and efficient mobile fencing is critical for the sheep farmer on the move.
Especially when your livestock’s motto is “don’t fence me in.”
Why it matters: Many livestock producers are seeking long-term fencing solutions that fit their operations.
Two distinct styles of mobile fencing were on display during the Ontario Sheep Field Day in Orono this summer: Rappa’s ATV four-strand system out of the United Kingdom and Gallagher’s SmartFence.
Lyndsey Smith and Chris Moore who operate Shady Creek Lamb Co. near Kinburn, are Rappa’s Eastern Canadian dealers and have been using the ATV system this summer for their sheep, but it also works with cattle.
They’ve tested various fencing options, including reels and net fencing over the past eight years for solar site vegetation control and cover crop grazing.
“We use a lot of net fencing, which is very labour intensive,” said Smith. “We lambed about 500 ewes this year, and we are managing about 600 acres of solar. We also graze cover crops into the fall.”
The Rappa system features an all-weather post holder in front of the handlebars for easy access, a front-mounted end/corner post and sledgehammer rack, and a rear-mounted ATV wheel-driven winder/unwinder system that works well with solar energizers.
Smith said the Rappa system is fast, versatile, offers substantial labour savings, decreases fatigue, and speeds up moving fences and animals.
“(We can) quickly set a perimeter fence that will have great power on it, and it’ll be done in one day,” she explained. “We’re not going back and fencing every two or three days.”
It also enables producers to fence potential grazing lands previously considered inaccessible due to fencing constraints.
“We think this will save a lot of steps and a lot of time, and hopefully put more money in your pocket,” said Moore. “That allows you to run more animals with less effort and have more time to do the best job possible for your animal’s health.”
James Clark, Gallagher Animal Management’s Ontario territory manager, rolled out the SmartFence, an all-in-one, plug-and-play fencing system that features four strands of polywire and 10 pre-installed posts, totalling 328 feet in length.
“The only thing you have to put on is the handle so you can have a fence in five minutes,” he said. “Every second post has a metal pin and tent-peg style rope with it so you can create corners.”
The posts are stored upright, in a quiver-style, attached to a friction brake and winder that tightens the polywire once some or all posts are installed. Clark said the system only pulls in loose strands without over-tightening the rest.
Powered by a solar energizer or connected to an existing main fence, the SmartFence can be expanded using unlimited unit additions, unlike net fencing, he said.
“You just use two alligator clips, the reel connectors, and that’s how you connect them all,” Clark explained, emphasizing that any shape for the enclosure is possible.
“Everyone’s situation is different. This is one tool in a toolbox that could work for you.”
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