Lessons from the Great Escape: The Importance of Farm Fencing When Managing Livestock

Hello Friends,

One of the most crucial farming lessons I’ve learned over the last few years is the importance of proper fencing. Effective fencing is essential for managing livestock, protecting them from predators, and ensuring the success of our grazing system. On the flip side, escaped livestock are a serious liability due to the potential for accidents or property damage. They can also make life miserable for anyone trying to round them up and get them back home. The stress caused by inability to ensure livestock (and other animals) are where they are supposed to be can wreak havoc on the owner’s mental health (trust me).

Initial Steps and Challenges

Soon after purchasing sheep in Fall 2022, I quickly realized our perimeter fence was inadequate to say the least. Sections were in various states of disrepair, and what fencing remained was designed to keep cattle in, but not sheep or guardian dogs. I had at least purchased a handful of electric sheep nets (portable temporary fencing) and a good charger, which allowed me to control where my animals were for the most part. Unfortunately, when temporary fencing fails, your animals might just decide to take a little trip into town.

The Great Escape

One Saturday morning last Spring, I was awakened by a neighbor knocking on the door. She held up her phone with a picture of a sheep, asking if it was mine. Which it was. Somehow, one of our ewes had escaped, wandered through some neighboring farm fields, and ended up on their property.

By the time I got there, the ewe had disappeared. Of course. After several hours of searching, I received a call from another neighbor farther out saying my sheep had been spotted in someone's backyard in town. I raced to the location where I met some lovely new friends who were eager to help me track her down. Luckily, a random sheep appearing in one’s backyard is generally an exciting and welcome occurrence based on the enthusiasm and friendliness of the folks helping me on my epic adventure.

We finally spotted my sheep and together managed to round her up. One of my new friends helped me catch her and gave us a ride home in his trailer. It must have been quite a sight, me hanging onto a sheep for dear life in an open trailer driving back home!

This adventure was my first real indication that my perimeter fencing needed greater attention than I had given so far. I had a few other similar mishaps within a short enough time that I realized that lack of good perimeter fencing was becoming impossibly stressful, to the point I would wake out of sleep multiple times during the night in a panic with thoughts that my were animals escaping. A couple times it was true. Since then, perimeter fencing has become the highest priority on the farm.

Fencing Project

After a lot of pricing, I quickly realized that I only had the budget for fencing if I did it myself (with my father’s assistance). I also realized that it would take quite some time given we had a wedding to plan, a baby on the way, a full-time job in town, plus farm operations. Breaking the project up into phases helped me organize and prioritize the work that would give the quickest returns. I decided to focus on securing a few existing paddocks for Phase 1 so that I had somewhere to keep the animals overnight, so I didn’t have to worry about them escaping.

I bought a used post-hole digger for the tractor, a load of cedar posts, a few rolls of sheep fencing, various other fencing supplies and got to work. It was slow going since there was a lot of brush to clear out, removing the old fence, digging post holes in rocky soil, and then constructing the fence as novices. We managed to get 4 working paddocks covering about 5 acres completed before winter, which was a huge improvement. So far we haven’t had any more breakouts.

This year (Phase 2), the focus is completing the perimeter fencing around the rest of the farm. It involves a mix of new fencing and ‘refurbishing’ some existing fencing. Along the front of the property, we are installing new fencing and farm gates, and along the sides and rear of the property we are utilizing/repairing the existing cattle fencing and wiring a few more strands along the bottom to sheep-proof (and dog-proof) it. The existing fence is overgrown with vines, thorny bushes, and is home to millions of blood-thirsty insects. It is hell, but I am choosing to frame it as an opportunity to work on my resilience and mental toughness.

Progress

It has been a grind, but we have come a long way since we started the project in May 2023. The section of new fencing is nearly completed and only 1 section of brush-clearing and sheep-proofing is left to do. Project completion is on target for the end of August or early September, barring any setbacks. I am looking forward to when fencing is no longer my obsession, and I can release the sense of urgency that is always hanging over my shoulder.

Conclusion

Effective fencing is the backbone of successful rotational grazing. It provides security, improves management efficiency, and contributes to the overall health of the farm. My on-farm experiences have helped me learn valuable lessons in farming and in life. For instance, I have preemptively invested heavily in some quality baby gates as our infant daughter starts to show early signs of attempting to crawl. Julia says electric sheep nets are not an option for baby containment.

Jokes aside, as we continue to refine our practices here at Flock, Stock & Barrel, we remain committed to sharing our journey and experiences with you. We love hearing from you! Feel free to reach out on social media or email to ask any questions about our farm life or share your experiences!