Building Fences and Gates (Paperback)

One of the most important aspects on small farms and smallholdings is the protection and management of livestock, whether pigs, sheep, cattle, goats or poultry and the need to control them for their own safety is paramount. Grazing is essential also, as the requirement to rotate the pasture in order to keep the ground healthy. Correctly constructed stock fencing plays a major role in this mechanism and this book shows how to build and maintain a range of relevant boundaries, while suggesting the most cost effective techniques and materials. With practical, hands-on photographs and easy to understand diagrams, this book is an essential addition to any smallholder's library. As well as a complete and cost effective fencing guide, safe working practices and step-by-step techniques - from the start to the finish of each practical project - are also shown. This book also offers easy to learn, advanced methods such as crossing streams and brooks, how to secure strainer posts in shallow or marshy land and various methods for correctly tensioning stock netting, single strand wire and barbed wire. Access points including gates and stiles are discussed in detail, along with safe working practices and the correct use of fencing tools. Most importantly, and where possible, all the projects described use recycled materials in order to keep the overall financial outlay to a minimum.