Fencing is the quiet backbone of any smallholding. Get it right and your animals stay put, predators stay out, and your daily routine becomes a pleasure rather than a patrol. Get it wrong and you will spend more time chasing escapees than enjoying your land. The three main choices for livestock and poultry pens are post-and-rail, electric netting and woven wire. Each has its place, and the best smallholdings often use a mix.

Start With the Rules, Not the Rolls of Wire

Before you buy a single post, check your local rules on height and trenching. In most of the UK, a fence under two metres high does not need planning permission, but that changes near highways, public footpaths, conservation areas and listed buildings. Agricultural permitted development rights can also be different from domestic ones, so a quick call to your council’s planning department saves heartache later. For trenching, you must avoid buried services such as water, electricity and broadband. Electric netting rarely needs a trench, but woven wire often does. Some councils and utility providers require you to hand-dig or use a vacuum excavator within a certain distance of their pipes. If your boundary runs beside a hedgerow, remember that hedgerow removal and cutting may be restricted between March and August to protect nesting birds. Poultry pens near a public right of way may also need electric fencing set back from the path for safety.

Post-and-Rail: Traditional Strength for Livestock

Post-and-rail is the classic choice for cattle, sheep and horses. It offers a solid visual barrier that animals respect and that lasts 15 to 20 years if you use treated timber or recycled plastic. For cattle, use round posts of 100–125mm diameter, driven at least 60–75cm into the ground, with two or three rails at 1.2m high. Sheep need a lower bottom rail to stop them slipping through, around 1.0–1.1m total height with rails spaced no more than 15cm apart. Horses benefit from a top rail that is highly visible. The downside is cost: quality posts and rails are expensive upfront, and you need strong strainers at corners and gateways. Rails can warp or break, so keep a few spares. Post-and-rail is poor for poultry because the gaps are wide enough for foxes and rats to slip through.

Electric Netting: Flexible Security for Poultry and Pigs

Electric netting is the smallholder’s secret weapon for rotational grazing and poultry pens. It comes in 50m rolls, typically 90cm or 105cm high, with double-spike posts that you push into the ground by hand. A mains or battery energiser powers the whole line, and you must install a good earth stake. For foxes and badgers, choose a high-power energiser and check the voltage weekly with a tester. For poultry, run a second strand or netting overhead to stop hawks and owls, or use a covered run. For pigs, electric netting works well if the bottom strand is close to the ground and the pigs are trained to it. Sheep can also be trained, but wool insulates them, so you need more power and a clean fence line. Electric netting costs less than post-and-rail, lasts five to ten years, and moves easily, but it needs regular strimming to stop grass shorting it out.

Woven Wire: The Long-Term Boundary

Woven wire, also called stock fencing or hinge joint, is the workhorse for permanent boundaries. It comes in rolls of 50m or 100m, in heights of 90cm, 105cm and 120cm. The mesh size matters: 15cm squares suit sheep, 20cm for cattle, and smaller 25mm hexagonal netting or weldmesh for poultry. Galvanised wire lasts 20 years or more. For pigs, add a single electric wire at the bottom to stop them rooting under. For rabbits and rats, you must bury the wire 30cm deep or create an L-shaped apron at ground level. Woven wire needs stout strainers at corners and posts every three to four metres. It is more affordable than post-and-rail but less flexible than electric netting. A top rail or electric offset wire can extend its life and stop animals leaning on it.

Height, Trenching and Local Rules in Practice

Height rules are often about visibility and safety. A fence over two metres near a road may need planning permission. For poultry pens, a 1.8m high fence with an overhead net is often enough to deter foxes, but check whether your council considers that a structure. Trenching rules are about protecting services and stopping predators. For woven wire, bury the bottom 30cm vertically or bend it into an apron. For electric netting, no trench is needed, but you must keep the bottom strand live and clear of vegetation. In some areas, you may be asked to leave a gap for hedgehogs or to use badger-proof latches on gates. Always take photographs of your boundary before you start and keep receipts for materials in case of a dispute.

Mixing Materials and Keeping Costs Sensible

You do not have to choose one system. A common smallholding layout uses post-and-rail along the road, woven wire for the main livestock field, and electric netting for poultry pens and temporary grazing. This mix gives you security where you need it and flexibility where you want it. To keep costs down, buy materials in bulk, use second-hand posts if they are sound, and prioritise the boundaries that face the most pressure. A well-fenced smallholding is not about spending the most money; it is about understanding your animals, your predators and your local rules. Walk your boundary once a week, repair small faults immediately, and your fencing will repay you with quiet, peaceful mornings.