Farmers erecting livestock fences have a new alternative to conventional timber and concrete stakes. This follows the introduction of new fencing materials, made by Australian Company Clipex Fencing, to the Irish market.

The name of the company gives a hint as to a major selling point of the stakes, with wire clipped into place on the high-tensile hot-dipped galvanised steel posts. Another attractive feature is the company’s 30-year guarantee on materials.

Irish agent

Following discussions with the company at this year’s National Ploughing Championships, James Geoghegan from Tyrrellspass in Co Westmeath became an agent to import and distribute Clipex Fencing to the Irish market. As well as supplying materials, James is also erecting fencing.

Explaining his reason for entering the market, he said: “I saw the fencing at the ploughing and was impressed at first from a point of view of using the fencing on my own farm. After looking into it further, I saw potential for growth in the Irish market. We are generally quieter with contracting and the Agri Knives business in winter and spring, so it seemed a perfect fit to generate more work for me and the lads (working for him) at a quieter time of the year.”

James says he is happy with progress to date, having both erected and traded several thousand metres of fencing. He says a significant development for the fencing is gaining recent approval and being listed on the Department of Agriculture’s approved list of fencing materials.

“Gaining approval allows us to erect fencing under the current sheep grant (TAMS Sheep Fencing and Mobile Handling Equipment Scheme) but equally important, it is also a good seal of approval to have new fencing approved by the Department.”

Erecting the fence

James says the most important factor in erecting a solid fence is having the wire tight.

“People ask me about buying the materials and putting the fence up themselves. My advice is always the same – if you haven’t a way to pull wire tight, then a contractor is your best bet.” With the tension on wire holding such importance, getting the end or straining posts lined up and erected is vital.

Pictures below show the straining post in place and features adding to its strength and stability in the ground. The post itself is round hot-dipped galvanised steel, 8ft 4in long (4ft remains above the ground) and weighs in excess of 6kg.

Two base plates are bolted onto the straining post and provide stability under the ground. Above the ground, the post is strengthened in place by an 8ft strut which hooks on to the post and is secured in the ground by a base plate held in place by a 3ft pin. A wire rope, tensioned and tied from the base plate back to the base of the post, provides further stability.

Where the fence turns at a 90° angle, two posts are secured to keep the straining post in place. James says that once the straining posts are in place and the wire is tightened, erecting the remainder of the fence is relatively straightforward.

“We use x-knot sheep fencing which is a great help in keeping the wire standing. All that is then involved is inserting Clipex posts every 4m to 5m.”

The standard Clipex posts are 6ft in length and manufactured with high-tensioned steel in a Y shape to give the post its strength. Posts are fitted with stainless steel clips with 10 openings allowing sheep wire and two strands of barbed or electric wire on top.

The posts also have a steel hook at the bottom to help retain posts in the ground and prevent them pulling upwards. They are driven with a simple round steel bar that protects and prevents wire from catching when driving. The round steel bar can be used if driving with a post driver. There is also a longer, heavier and wider Y post called a “beefy post” that can be used to provide extra stability where there is a slight turn in a fence or wire needs to be pulled downwards in dips or hollows.

Costs of a standard fence (sheep wire fence and two strands of barbed or high tensile electric wire) erected with a straining post every 100m to 120m is €6/m plus Vat. The cost for materials for the same fence is €4/m. If purchasing posts on their own, the 6ft Clipex post costs €7 plus VAT. The beefy post costs €11 plus VAT.

Standard straight straining posts, strut and base plate costs €60 plus VAT. The company will also be selling a post with three hooks for €5.50 plus VAT, which is ideal for electric fences