Fencing

Fencing is where Dodd and Co. started, and it is the area for which we have really achieved renown in King’s Lynn, West Norfolk and beyond. 

The main objectives for agricultural fencing is to safeguard and contain stock, and to be durable, aesthetically pleasing and cost-effective.

Unlike sheep or cattle, whose thick coats and tough skins can withstand the trauma of netting and barbed wire if they lean on it, horses and ponies are more prone to cuts, tears, deep wounds or entanglement. 

Wooden fencing is also aesthetically pleasing, whether you choose uniform square wooden posts or the more individual look of natural round posts. We also offer estate fencing using a variety of finishes. The sight of a neatly fenced paddock, or a stylish driveway with horses and ponies, sheep or cattle grazing serenely is one of the joys of the English countryside.

Case study: Sarah Juggins

Brief

The challenge was to fence a one acre paddock that had a number of corners to deal with. This meant a higher number of straining posts than a regular rectangular space. The paddock will house cattle, so the straining posts and wire would take the strain of the animals as they love to use the fencing as a scratching station.

There are also a number of young trees in the paddock which, again, the cattle would soon destroy were the trees left unprotected. 

The final challenge was to protect an allotment in one corner of the paddock, not just from the bovine creatures but also from the rabbits that live in the area in huge numbers.

Solution

Two sides of the paddock were regular straight lines, so this was just a question of cutting back the vegetation and sinking the 30-year all-timber highway spec posts into the ground with a strand of barbed wire on top and netting below. The other two sides needed some sharp corners with straining posts at each corner to keep the high-tensile wire taut and able to take the strain of a few tonnes of cattle leaning on it.

We added two hand-crafted five-bar gates to the paddock, with a single, matching side-gate into the allotment. All around the allotment we ran rabbit fencing, laying it flat to the ground, protruding a foot so that the rabbits couldn't burrow under.

Finally, we placed our bespoke wooden tree guards around the 12 fruit trees that were growing in the paddock. Standing at five foot, these are high enough to protect the trees from the Dexter cattle, without completely blocking vision of the trees.

Testimonial

Case study: PACT animal sanctuary

Brief

PACT animal sanctuary rescues, rehabilitates and rehouse the animals that have been let down by their human owners. Whether they are abandoned, neglected, injured or simply come from homes where their owners can’t cope, the Animal Sanctuary steps in to help.

It is not simply dogs and cats that PACT deals with, the organisation also rescues large animals, such as horses and donkeys, and it was in this area that the charity needed the help of Dodd and Co.

PACT animal sanctuary had to undergo a transformation after they had to leave the premises they had been using and move to a 17-acre site purchased from a local farmer. This site had to be transformed, from an open site into several fenced off areas, separating different species and making it a safe and secure home for the rescued animals.

A further complication was the presence of a pond, which again proved a threat to the security and safety of animals and visitors. To top it off, a major gas line ran through the site, meaning a lot of consideration had to be given to site lay-out and overall safety requirements

Key specifications

• High tensile horse netting
• Torus joint horse netting 
• Half-meshed gates
• Electrified hot wire

Solution

We transformed the field into seven separate units, with a central pathway linking them all. The area needed to be securely fenced using a system that would prevent the animals escaping but would also keep them safe and free from injury.

PACT also asked us to design and build a corral and yard area. This has been constructed with an eye to the future, so a barn can be built there when funding becomes available. A double gate leads into the yard, allowing easy access for livestock vehicles. The corral has extra high sides and is fully lined to keep it as easy to clean as possible. 

The fencing and corral needed to be durable, have longevity and be high-sided enough to keep the animals in and intrusive wildlife out. It also had to look smart and stylish. The quality of the corral lining was important as it had to be durable, pliable and look good. Dodd & Co. chose Stockboard as it meets all those requirements and is made from recycled plastics, meaning it is also environmentally-friendly – a highly important feature to PACT.

To construct the fencing, Dodd & Co. used Tornado Torus horse wire netting, timbers from Calders and Grandige and Stockboard to line the pens. The whole project took eight days to complete and used more than 2,000 metres of wiring.

Testimonial