Stock Fence (FGS)

Stock Fence

Date published: 25 June, 2019

For recent changes to this guidance, please see the bottom of the page.

You must erect a fence which will be fit for purpose and will form a stock-proof barrier where your supporting information justifies the erection of a stock fence to meet the option objectives.

If you have shared responsibility for the fence, a Shared Boundary Agreement form must be completed and submitted with your application.

Where grant support for a new stock fence is sought, the march fence rate capital item should be selected for any sections with a shared responsibility.

For conventional stock fencing:

there must be a minimum of six line wires or two line wires supporting woven wire netting
posts must be placed at intervals of no more than 3.5 metre centres. For a high tensile pattern fence, the posts may be placed at up to 12 metre centres (six metre spacing if cattle are present)
barbed wire should not be used where either fallow deer are present or the fence is electrified
if using electric fences you must display warning notices at access points and at suitable intervals of not more than 100 metres along the length of the fence-line
you must install gates to allow for responsible access, management activities, or husbandry operations
where a stock fence is used beside an access route and a barbed wire or electrified wire runs at the top of the fence, a single plain wire should be run on the outer (non-stock) side of the fence posts, to act as a guard for people on the other side of the fence
any water gates must be designed to keep watercourses stock-proof, whatever the level of the water

	Length (m)	Top Diameter (cm)
Strainer / end posts	2.3	10–13
Struts	2.0	8–10
Stakes	1.7	8–10

Table: minimum woodwork sizes

This capital payment does not cover the cost of any gates (except water gates, flake gates, and sections of rail fence for access).

Gates are covered as a separate capital item.

We require this item to be in place, meeting minimum specifications and in good order for a period of at least five years following the date you received your payment