Why electric fencing is the safest and most effective method of enclosing livestock

Contrary to some mistaken belief electric fencing represents an entirely safe and humane way of enclosing your livestock, with options in electric fencing available for all budgets and sizes of flocks. As well as keeping your animals contained, electric fencing can also keep them safe by preventing them from accessing areas of your land that are dangerous or other areas that are accessible to the wider public. Electric fencing can be divided into three main types – permeant electric, off-conventional and temporary electric. Depending on which option you choose the longevity, cost, and ease of installation can vary greatly. The best electrical fencing units each require an energiser, a power source, a conductor, and an earth system with each component part ensuring the success of the electric fencing.

Employing electrical fencing on your land means you can take control of allocating areas for rotational grazing by excluding or limiting certain areas from livestock that require more time to recover. Although in the short-term an animal does receive a shock when it comes into contact with electrical fencing, this serves as more of a psychological warning in the future as there is absolutely no evidence to suggest long-term physical damage. Unlike traditional fencing, which may be tested by livestock looking to escape from its enclosure, electric fencing serves as a proactive deterrent. After initial instillation, it may ultimately require less frequent maintenance.

Good agricultural suppliers should stock a wide range of fencing & gates suitable for the smallest to the largest farms. Fencing should be acquired according to the livestock which will populate the field in which the fencing will protect as different animals have different requirements to ensure their safe enclosure. For example, cows can have fencing that has wider intervals as they’re much larger animals while sheep need fencing with more frequent intervals to ensure even the smallest lambs cannot creep through. If you’re unsure about the requirements needed for your animals, the cost, or the type of fencing required then please contact your agricultural suppliers who should have a number of experts on hand to best advise you on the necessities for your land.