East Gippsland farmers are being reminded of the benefits of stock containment areas (SCAs) for feeding, watering and monitoring livestock, as well as for improving pasture management.
Clem Sturmfels, Agriculture Victoria Land Management Officer, said SCAs can help improve animal health and welfare, increase production efficiencies and protect the environment — but only if they are carefully planned, designed and managed.
“Siting a stock containment area can be challenging, particularly when balancing proximity to handling facilities, access to shade, soil stability and drainage, and minimising impacts on neighbours,” Mr Sturmfels said. “Undulating or hilly terrain can add to the difficulty, but careful planning can make all the difference.”
Key recommendations for constructing SCAs include:
– Locating pens at least 100 metres from drainage lines and 200 metres from rivers, streams or lakes
– Spreading runoff across a wide area to slow water flow and increase soil absorption
– Constructing pens across slopes to prevent pen-to-pen drainage
– Using damaged hay or straw to reduce pugging and soil compaction
– Maintaining a well-grassed buffer strip between the SCA and nearby water bodies
– Installing netting fence sediment traps following paddock contours
– Building diversion banks with a clay core, at least 400mm high, and a 1 in 200 grade
– Constructing an effluent pond with an appropriate distribution system
Ongoing management is also critical. Pens should be cleaned regularly once stock return to the paddocks to reduce manure and nutrient build-up. Material removed can be spread across the farm or composted, recycling valuable nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and reducing the need for fertilisers.
Farmers should check with their local council planning officer as permits may be required when designing SCAs and diversion banks. Resources including Agriculture Victoria’s Navigating Farm Developments web platform can help farmers work through considerations for appropriate siting of SCAs.
