Observations on the effectiveness of prefabricated wire fences for fibre goats and sheep.

Abstract

Proc. Aust, Soc. Anim, Prod. Vol. 18 OBSERVATIONS ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PREFABRICATED WIRE FENCES FOR FIBRE GOATS AND SHEEP B.A. MCGREGOR* The effectiveness of nine prefabricated wire fence designs in restraining cashmere goats, Angora goats and Merino sheep subject to various stocking rates Cashmere goats, Angora goats and sheep and management practices is reported. Coats caused structural damage to wire all behaved differently to fences. Results indicate that a wider range of prefabricated fences netting fences. Some can be used as effectively as currently recommended goat fence designs. Opportunities exist to evaluate fences need to be reinforced near camps. alternative fence designs, and to review the use of selvedge and barbed wires For existing fences the most cost effective modification is for goats. reinforcing with electric wires. Recommended types of prefabricated wire fences for goats (Moylan 1975; Couchman 1981; Mitchell and Kearins 1982) have been based on a large body of anecdotal evidence from graziers in Australia, South Africa and Texas, Shelton et al. (1987) concluded that wire mesh fences are the most effective way to fence goats in extensive conditions. There has been no documentation under standard condition8 of the effectiveness of the wide range of prefabricated fences which could be encountered when goats are introduced onto Australian grazing properties. This paper report8 on the effectiveness of prefabricated wire fence designs for containing Angora and cashmere goats and Merino sheep, based on observations in the course of five experiments (1980-89). MATERIALSANDMETHODS Fencing design and construction The site was level and previously used for cereal cropping. Fence8 w e r e erected to specifications (James 1980; Anon. 1978). Tension of fences l-6 has been reported in studies of suspension fence performance (James 1980). Fences 1 to 5 (Table 1) had Waratah steel end assemblies. Fence8 6 to 9 had timber box end assemblies (posts driven by hydraulic post driver). Additional high tensile wires, either 2.5 mm plain or 1.57 mm barbed wire, galvanized steel dropper8 and Steel posts (Table 1) generally comply with manufacturers recommendations, The fences were erected in minimum length8 of 200 m between December 1978 and March 1980 and enclose a 20 ha site consisting of 20 plots. Animals and grazing management For detail8 of stock and management see Table 2. Most observations were undertaken at stocking rates to 7 to 12 animals/ha and in mob sizes of 5 to 12 animals. Animals received preventative treatment for external parasites, Animals of poor temperament were culled prior to grazing the plot%. At least monthly, animals were mustered with the assistance of dogs. On eighteen occasions individual sheep and Angora goats were grazed in mob8 of goats or sheep respectively for period8 of 3 weeks. Animal8 were either set stocked Supplementary feeding of cereal (1980-89) or rotationally grazed (1981-86). -grain was provided during summer in five years to selected plots and no supplement was provided to adjacent plots. * Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, A.R.I., Werribee, Vic. 3030. 292 Proc. Aust. Soc. Anim, Prod. Vol. 18 Observations and analyses Sheep, Angora and cashmere goats represented Animal8 were inspected daily. Escape types (ESCTP) based on 36%, 41% and 23% of observations respectively. observed behaviour and immediate inspection of fence were (1) fence damaged by animals and animal escaped through damage (2) animal pushed under fence (3) animal jumped between mesh and top wires of fence (4) animal jumped over entire The parameter fence fence. Misadventure of animals with fences was recorded. years was calculated'as the number of netting fences exposed to class of goat x number of years of exposure to class of goat. Table 1 Fences tested with Angora and cashmere goats and Merino sheep * Code: maker W = Waratah Hinged Joint. to number of line wires, mesh height (cm) (cm). N = wire netting and numbers refer (cm) and wire diameter (mm). + SP = 165 cm steel post at the spacing Table 2 C = Cyclone Ringlock. Numbers refer and spacings between vertical wires to height of netting (cm), mesh size given. Livestock and management during fencing evaluation RESULTS A total of 198 escapes were recorded, 0% were Merino sheep, 25% Angora goats and 75% cashmere goats (Table 3). All ESCTP 1 occurred with netting fences, design8 8 and 9. Angora8 created 14 holes in SO fence years and cashmere goats 293 Proc. Aust. Soc. Anim. Prod. Vol. 18 Over 75% of these 15 holes in 27 fence years by horn rubbing or fighting. holes were within 50 m of goat camps. There was no damage on boundary netting Structural damage near camps also occurred in design 7 where middle fences. Some horizontal and vertical wires were pushed aside at point of attachment. Vertical wires were moved at point of rings and vertical wires were broken. attachment in some hinged joint fences. ESCTP 2 occurred with designs 8 and 9, This when clips holding the netting to the selvedge wire were dislodged. occurred when fences and goats were older and when the adjacent pasture was Most goats when approached, returned to their correct plot via the ungrazed. These escapes were ESCTP 3 occurred in designs 1, 2 and 3. escape route. aSSiSted by some movement of end assemblies and by goats standing on the top of the mesh near camps and assisting the mesh to sag, thus widening spaces. With design 1 spaces up to 30 cm were created where initially no space existed between the mesh and the barb. Similar alight damage was caused to design8 5, 6 and 7 but no escapes were detected. With ESCTP 4 Angora%, greater than 5 years of age and mean live weight greater than 45 kg, jumped fence design8 7a and 8a when availability of green pasture was greater than 100 kg DM/ha within plots and greater than 500 kg DM/ha in adjacent ungrazed plots. All fence design8 were jumped by cashmere goats, in During mustering sometime8 one or two goats five different circumstances. On six occasions when separated from the mob and occasionally they jumped. goats were moved for rotational grazing, one or two returned to their former paddock. On several occasions goats with mean live weight8 greater than 40 kg jumped from heavily grazed into ungrazed paddocks. Several goats developed rogue behaviour and had to be removed. Occasionally during droving in laneways, leading goats baulked, jumped fences and were followed by the mob (see footnote Table 3). Table 3 Frequency of escape type and influence of stocking rate on the escape from wire fenced paddocks by Angora and cashmere goats (per 100 goats per year) * During droving an additional 17.4 escapes over laneway fences recorded. Stocking rate had little effect on frequency of escapes (Table 3). Angora8 used in observations at stocking rates greater than 15/ha were younger, about 25 kg live weight and had plenty of pasture. Grazing one Angora kid in a mob of sheep and supplementary feeding in an adjacent paddock did not lead to goat or sheep escapes. Three cases of misadventure were observed. Two goats became entrapped by their horns in fence 7 (although this could happen in any of the design8 1 t0 7). This occurred where steel posts bisected the 30 cm wide mesh opening lcreating' two 15 cm wide mesh openings. Under condition8 of feed shortage the goats pushed their heads into these narrow spaces and were trapped. One goat was caught by the hind legs in plain wire (design 8b) while trying to jump. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Clear difference8 were observed in the effectiveness of the various fence designs (irrespective of fence age or tension) in restraining the different classes of stock, Cashmere goats exerted greatest wear on fences. Internal netting fences suffered considerable damage. Failure of netting fences and selvedge clips, which accounted for 46% of escapes, was related to goats 294 Proc. Aust. Soc. Anim. Prod. Vol. 18 grazing in adjacent paddocks, location of camp sites Netting is more likely to be effective individual goats. boundary fences and weaning paddocks, where escape of Excluding escapes related to damage of netting fences the escapes was 2.0 and 24.2 per 100 goats per year for Angora respectively. and temperament of for isolated mobs, kids is prevented. total frequency of and cashmere goats Fence design8 1, 2 and 3 were unsatisfactory for cashmere goats as large spaces developed between the mesh and top wires which may have been prevented with a top selvedge wire. Difficulty in obtaining (James 1980) correct tension in top There was no evidence that barbed wires of design 1 contributed to sagging. Cashmere goats jumped over wire improved the stockworthiness of any fences. -The bottom barb in design 6 may have prevented goats from and under barbs. escaping under the fence but the plain wire comparison was not tested. The use of selvedge wires at the bottom of prefabricated mesh (e.g. design 7) does not seem warranted provided the mesh maintains its tension and height above ground is correct. None of the fence designs 1 to 6 had bottom selvedge wires and no Bottom selvedge wires cases of goats escaping under these fences were seen. occurs, or with may be useful on hilly terrain, when end assembly failure goats of poor temperament, but may not be needed if frequent steel dropper8 are used, The use of steel droppers in designs 2, 4, 5 and 6 probably reduced the possibility of goats escaping by pushing under these fences but goats did not escape under fences 1 and 3. The ability of larger goats to cause structural damage to ringlock fence design 7 is of concern. The effectiveness of mesh fences in restraining goats can be improved by the addition of an offset electric wire at a height of about 25 cm, provided goats have been trained to respect electric fencing (R. Piesse personal communication). This paper demonstrates that under intensive management conditions and over a wide range of stocking rates, a wider range of prefabricated fences can be used by graziers as effectively as currently recommended goat fence designs. It appears that cashmere goats have more exacting fence requirements than Angora goats, who in turn have more exacting requirements than Merino sheep. These 0bservatFons suggest that selvedge and barbed wires are not necessarily required in all prefabricated mesh fences for goats. While there is room to evaluate alternative fence designs for goats, the requirements of other livestock must be considered. The addition of a single electric wire to a prefabricated wire mesh fence in reasonable condition is probably more cost effective than other structural changes. Fence height greater than or about 105 cm is recommended. Goat fences may need to be reinforced near camps if mobs of goats are adjacent. Financial support of Australian Wire Industries and the Reserve Bank Rural Credit8 Development Fund is gratefully acknowledged. MeSSrS. I. Miller, B. Scott, R. McLeod, B. Hester and P. Burgio are thanked for their assistance, ANON (1978). Waratah Fencing Manual. (AuSt. Wire Industries, Melbourne). COUCHMAN, R-C. (1981). Agnote 1666/81 (Dept. Agric. Victoria). JAMES, K.R. (1980). Proc. 4th Aust. Agric. Engineer Conf. : 227. MITCHELL, T. and KEARINS, D. (1982). Agfact, A7.2.1 (N.S.W. Dept. Agric. Sydney). MOYm, D, (1975). Proc-Angora Breeding and Mohair Production Seminar, Glenormiston Agric. College, July 4-6, (Western Victorian Angora Club). SHELTON, M., FERNANDES, A.A.O., and FIGUEINEDO, E.A.P. (1987). Proc. IV Intern. Conf. Goat8 : 809 (Embrapa, Brazil). 295