Installing rabbit fencing to protect a young hedge near Ramsbury
This bank does not look steep in the pictures, but Alex and Tristan will tell you otherwise!
We used our Protech Evo3* for this project, given the steep ground. Our Evo Compact would not have been sufficiently stable and could have tipped over.
The rabbit netting is erected with a turnout at ground level and then pegged to the ground to stop the rabbits from burrowing underneath. In all, it was approx. 600m on very hard ground.
*The Evo 3 is the largest in the Protech range, with a machine weight of 6.5 tons and needs to be delivered on a low loader. But even though a larger machine, it gives a lighter footprint than the Compact, with a ground pressure of 2.27PSI. It has a 500kg hammer weight. Each track itself is 500mm wide, and the tracks can be fully extended to 3.3m, giving greater stability on steep ground”.
A few hundred tons of soft and hardwood timber on the move, having been waiting onsite to be moved from a tree removal project earlier in the year. It’s not quite a full load, but the site is now clear and tidy.
PS: The timber lorry left fully loaded!
Efficient Fencing Installation with Tornado Products!
Conservation Contractors in Wiltshire recently completed a project at Wick Farm Solar Park installing 13000m of deer netting, using a Solonet wire unroller on a 14-ton excavator, which allowed them to install up to 2000 meters of fencing per day!
Project Overview
For this fencing project, a Solonet wire unroller was fitted to a 14-ton excavator, enabling Tristan and Toby to efficiently roll out, tension, and tie off up to 2000 meters of fencing per day. This setup significantly enhanced the speed and efficiency of the installation process.
Fencing Specifications
Wire and Gates: Tornado wire 450m rolls of R13/192/15 and Tornado Full 12ft meshed deer gates were selected for their strength and effectiveness in excluding deer.
Materials Used: The project utilised creosote-treated timber and strainer posts
Customer and Contractor Feedback
From the initial contact to the completion of the project, the customer found dealing with Tornado to be straightforward and easy.
Key highlights include:
Ease of Ordering: The process of ordering and agreeing to make larger rolls of netting was smooth and hassle-free.
Lead Times: Despite the large volume of wire and gates required, lead times were shorter than expected.
Product Quality: The quality of the product was consistently high from one end of the roll to the other, ensuring a reliable and effective fencing solution.
Conclusion
This case study demonstrates the efficiency and reliability of Tornado products in a large-scale fencing installation. The combination of high-quality materials, efficient equipment, and excellent customer service resulted in a successful project that met and exceeded expectations.
William Warden – Director Conservation Contractors Ltd www.conservation-contractors.co.uk
Some dry weather has made all the difference for everyone, and we are now nearing completion. A Job well done by everyone
Timber by Batsford, Warminster, Wiltshire https://www.batsfordtimber.co.uk/index.php?route=common/home
Wire and gates by Tornado Wire, Bidford-on-Avon https://www.tornadowire.com/
Tracks by E D & W Bodman, Melksham, Wiltshire https://www.edwbodman.co.uk/
In our earlier posts, we touched on the timber and wiring aspects of the project. As groundworks contractors, Bodmans have to strip the topsoil, lay a membrane and then supply and level a layer of clean stone. This is then topped off with a final smaller stone and compacted, leaving a camber to avoid any water settling on the surface.
Work started in mid-December 2024 to erect 13,000m of fencing around the farm site. So far, we’re up to about 10,000m.
We are using our Evo 3 post driver/creosote timber posts with Solonet deer wire unrolled /tensioner with Tornado 450m rolls of deer netting. The timber we are using is supplied and treated in the UK and we are using UK-manufactured wire netting.
These 450m rolls have been specially ordered for this project instead of the standard 100m, to reduce the amount of joining.
The site consists of 16 separate compartments of solar panels. We have installed gates along with the fences and ED & W Bodman have installed all tracks.
It was nice to see the sun one-day last week!
Here Tristan and Toby are flying along with the fencing.
Looks like GPRS marking out prior to new woodland creation seems to be working. Helping with logistics planting in the shadow of Roundway Hill near Devizes.
However, after mulching this site, it has been fenced to provide a protective haven for ground-nesting birds from people walking their dogs at Castle Hill in Salisbury.
