السبت، 18 أغسطس 2018

Types Of Effective Cattle Fencing Options

By Janet Murray


Fences are key elements in protecting livestock especially cows from predators and pest animals. They protect them from inadvertent human and car traffic. They also keep the cows away from crops and help them remain in their proper pastures. The major issue when it comes to cattle fencing is the strength of the fence to withstand the rubbing and pushing of the cows.

The fence you put up should be strong enough not to fall on the cows. With the different agricultural fences available in the market, you have a wide variety to choose from. A key thing to consider is the type of traffic near your livestock and the need to protect them from skidding vehicles and motorcycles.

Over a hundred years, barbed wire fencing remains the most common permanent fencing option for most livestock keepers. The basic concept of this classic fence has remained over the years. With a minimum of two strands, the fence is able to keep cows contained in the pasture area. However, cows tend to loosen the wires by exerting pressure on the strands. This increases its maintenance costs as the strands need to be tightened every now and then.

There is a fencing option that is gaining popularity over barbed wire. The high tensile wire fence is relatively more affordable than barbed wire with lower maintenance costs. A major advantage it has is that it can also be electrified. This increases its effective rate over the common barbed wire.

In an area that is rocky or that has hard soil, erecting posts for a fence may prove to be difficult. A good option is the use of Russell fences. This fence type does not require posts to be put up. It is very easy to set up even on hills and valleys. All you need is an abundant supply of wood, labor and a lot of time.

There are other types of fences that can be used temporarily for cattle. Temporary fences are needed to keep them concentrated in the grazing area. It is best applied in rotational grazing where cattle are left to graze in an area called a paddock for a period of time till they graze everything. They are later moved to another paddock with greener pastures.

Temporary electric fences are the best solution for paddock management. Not only are they inexpensive and quick to install they are affordable. With time cattle learn to respect the electric fence and one strand is enough to keep them away. The calves may need more strands before they learn to keep away.

The use of visual barriers is another option for fencing. It is relatively new and still under research hence it not so common. It has been used near water streams where alternate light and dark barriers are set up to hinder movement of the animals. The cows become reluctant to get close to the barriers or even cross them.




About the Author:



0 التعليقات:

إرسال تعليق