Farmer Focus: Sold on quick and tidy steel fence posts

Happy new year, everyone. And for those who have been affected by the floods, our thoughts go out to you.

Pip, our son Dusty and I made the long trip to New Zealand to see my family for Christmas.

It’s been omore than two years since my last visit, so it’s long overdue. It has been really nice to introduce my family to Dustyn, who is now a well-travelled baby with an appreciation of sunshine.

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It was a mad rush to catch up on jobs before we left, to make running the farm easier for my father-in-law Jimmy and good friend Nick.

The main job was to finish fencing three paddocks (it’s unbelievable the amount of grief I got back here for calling them fields). I had stripped them back in the summer, so the grass was getting well past its best.

We have been using Clipex posts, and as much as it really hurts me to say it, the Aussies have put out a good product.

After being brought up using wood posts, the steel took some getting used to, but it’s a very quick, tidy fence, and knowing you are not going to have to redo it after 30 years means I’m sold.

We started grazing one of our mobs in fodder beet this winter. It’s been a steep learning curve, as I’ve never grown it before.

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We did our research and asked some people with experience for advice. We started with the mixed aged ewes, as it’s quite hard on old and young ewes’ teeth while grazing in-situ.

We introduced them slowly, only allowing a couple of hours a day of grazing over a 10- to 14-day period to let their stomachs adjust slowly.

We also fed round-bale silage into a fallback paddock for additional fiber to keep a happy balance.

The rest of the mobs should still have enough grass left in their rotations – with the help of round-bale silage – until we get back in the middle of January. On our return we’ll scan the ewes and have another sort out to feed according.

Matt and Pip Smith run 1,085 breeding Romneys and Romney cross Lleyn ewes across 121ha. Matt is also a shearing contractor and trains sheepdogs.