ON FARM NORTHERN CATTLE, SHEEP AND GOATS INFRASTRUCTURE The fine art of fencing Good fencing andwell‑managed wateringpoints enable Brentand Teresa Gadsbywhich encloses almost 400,000ha.Brent said before the exclusion fencingwas erected, “every time we got aforms part of the Morven cluster fence,Water’s domino effectironwood. We move them on beforeto browse. They like the mulga and thethey eat it outtoo much.” to effectively control stock shower of rain, the roos would just Aside from the strong perimeter fence, movement using rotational mob us”. the Gadsbys have invested in watering grazing practices. “That would effectively put us into points that enable them to control The Elders Innovation Project (see drought conditions 6–8 months before stock access. previous story) will use Brent and we otherwise would have been,” “All our dams are fenced off,” Brent said. Teresa’s experience to demonstrate the he said. benefits of rotational grazing and good “We have three sub‑artesian bores with water management in the northern “The feed would just run out. Now, after solar pumps all connected to paddock cattle industry. every shower of rain, we get a response troughs with poly pipe. When we shift in the grass. the stock from those paddocks, we Don’t exclude good fences “We try to look after the grass, to keep a empty the trough and turn the water off.” Brent said building an exclusion fence bit of cover at all times. Brent said this attention to reducing around the perimeter of the home watering points available at any property in 2011 shifted their pasture “We work on rotating stock through the one time has been instrumental management onto the right track. He paddocks over the year. That way each in controlling feral animal and describes the fence as being a typical paddock gets a good rest in between. kangaroo numbers. exclusion fence, with 16 horizontal wires We generally don’t mix the stock – they and 15cm between uprights, 1.6m tall run as separate mobs. “Sorting out the water cleaned up the with a barb on top and a skirt at the “The cattle go into a paddock first feral pigs,” he said. bottom. The second property now also when the grass is longer. The sheep “They don’t go where there isn’t any has an exclusion fence around it. follow. The goats are mainly kept in the water. It’s also helped with controlling About 32km of the Gadsbys’ boundary rougher paddocks because they like other feral animals and roos. It means Brent and Teresa Gadsby have turned goats from feral pest to lucrative business asset by using rotational grazing and good water source management. Photo: Ashlee Gadsby 34