Livestock Fencing Blogs

Police are appealing for any information that may help with their investigation into a burglary at our Stansted Park branch. The burglary happened at around midnight on Wednesday 21^st December 2011.

The thieves got away with approximately 11 tonnes of horse fencing, which would have taken several people considerable time to load. Either a large vehicle or a number of trips would have been needed to remove the materials. For this reason it is thought the thieves are probably local to the area. The haul consisted of machine round wooden fence posts, half round rails and rolls of 1.2m high horse fence. The newly launched X net horse fence product has been specifically designed with a special X shaped knot to prevent injuries to horses and foals.

The Stansted Sawmill site is located close to the West Sussex border between Emsworth and Rowlands Castle. Lorna Purse and her team have worked incredibly hard to make this branch a success since it was re-opened by AVS Fencing in the spring. The X net horse fence is a new product to the market and is not widely available in the area. Any information regarding the possible whereabouts of this fencing would be greatly appreciated. Please contact Lorna on 02392 412445, or the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555111, if you think you can help.

Post & Rail is a generic term used to describe any fencing system comprising of solid timber post & rails and has three main variations comprising of Cleft, Half-Round & Square Cut.

The system combines a robust and traditional design, with good vision through the fence and also has the added benefit of being able to be used as an attractive option as a livestock barrier.

Points to Consider:

When deciding upon the style and type of Post & Rail Fencing system you wish to install, you should consider the following areas:

• Will the fence be suitable for the job required?
• How quickly do you want to erect the fence?
• What's Your Budget?
• Your Personal Preference (What look do you prefer?)

Additionally if the fence is to be erected to contain stock, then consideration should be given to the number of rails required. This is naturally determined by the size of the stock animal that is to be contained. I.e. For smaller animals more rails per bay of fence are required, unless you intend to add livestock netting to the fence.

Your Options:

Chestnut Cleft –

Cleft is one of AVS's most popular sellers and the timber we supply is usually sourced and cut locally in Kent or Sussex coppice. This means the timber re-grows for future harvesting and hence is a sustainable and environmentally friendly system.

This variation has many advantages for users. Firstly the manufacturing process of the rail means that it retains a face with bark initially intact and this helps to add to this systems rustic appeal. Secondly this system offers a versatile solution as there is an option to swap the cleft posts with softwood or oak posts, depending on available budget & preference. Finally when the fence is erected the rail can be slotted into a morticed hole within the post, which gives even greater strength to the fence system.

Square Cut Post and Rail –

This refers to any type of post and rail whose rails are sawn along their length creating a rectangular rail. This system is normally cheaper than Cleft and has a cleaner appearance preferred by some.

When the fence is erected the rails are normally nailed to intermediate posts, which are set at 1.8M centres. This is combined with a staggering of the rails joints, to ensure that the fences weight is distributed evenly.

With this variation of fence system it is also possible to have the posts pre-pointed so that they can be driven into the ground during erection. This helps speed the erection process and is a great benefit when undertaking large jobs.

Half Round Post and Rail –

Very similar to the square cut above except that the rails are half round and the posts are either round or half round. Round posts are used when erecting the fence mechanically and also give more strength. Either Peeled and treated (which fluctuate in girth from end to end) or Machine rounded (uniform in section) can be used according to taste and budget. Morticing is not usually an option so rails are nailed into position. Overall this type of system offers a very attractive fence at a modest budget.

Summary

This article should act as a useful starter guide when deciding upon a suitable post & rail fence system for your premises. However before you begin we would recommend you speak to one of AVS’s knowledgeable advisers, who will be happy to answer any questions you may have and provide you with a free quote.