miya_kumangai
(Miya Kumangai, Dutchess County NY and Glynwood Center)
1
I just became aware of the Gallagher “Smart Fence” system and I’m curious if anyone recommends it or finds it more efficient than electric sheep netting.
Also wondering if, beyond the Smart Fence, is anyone using interesting new fencing tools to do rotational grazing? We graze cattle and sheep on sloped land and into marginal/brushy areas at times during the season using posts, reels, and electronet. This winter we are researching new tools.
Thanks for any insights!
-Miya Kumangai, Farm Hand at the Glynwood Center
Cold Spring, Putnam, NY
This season I invested in a handful of the Gallagher smart fences. I love them. I graze goats with them fairly well. A few times of the year (breeding season) I had goats getting out but besides that they have replaced my netting in most situations. When I did have goats getting out I just doubled the smart fence up creating a “3d fence” similar to how people do perimeter fencing for deer and that worked very well. Setting up a double fence in most cases was easier to manage then a single fence of netting.
I also use the smart fence in the woods for pigs and this is really nice. No fighting sticks in your netting.
The down sides is they are fairly heavy. Unwinding is not to bad but winding up a pile of them in a row really can be a workout for the forearms. Supposedly you can remove the handle and add a drill for windup but I have tried this.
Unless you habe hair sheep I would not use them. Goats unlike sheep are very sensitive to shock.
I have used the smart fence with goats and cattle when it first came out a decade ago or so. Never used them again after the first season. Absolutely despise them. Plastic, flimsy and prone to malfunction. Maybe they are better now or redesigned. Cant speak to that. Caveat emptor
It’s going to come down to what you are doing in your individual operation. The Smart Fence is likely a bit more expensive relatively speaking. I would expect the Smart Fence to pay dividends though on smooth, level ground with few/no impediments (brush for example) in instances where fence needs to be moved on a fairly frequent basis such as weekly or less. If you are not moving your fence or only do so infrequently, electric sheep netting will probably keep you further from the poor house.
They are currently on a version 2 of the smart fence. I don’t know how long ago they came out with this, or what the changes were. I do agree the posts seem to be flimsy. After prolonged set up with a lot of force on them they can bend and be awkward to put back in the holder, but they are always perfectly straight when I go back to set it up again the next day, so it dose not seem to be an issue.
I do only have 1 season with them so I can’t speak to longevity.