FIRE-ravaged Koornalla dairy farmer Robert Lade has one obvious task before he can begin reconstructing his business.

He has to erect boundary fences so surviving stock aren't wandering along the local roads.

This month's Churchill fire burnt thousands of hectares of plantation to the west and south west of Mr Lade's 240ha property before tearing across hundreds of hectares of farmland to get to his property.

Mr Lade lost 30 springing heifers, 15 weaned yearlings and 28 stud Jersey bulls, as well as 75 per cent of his pasture, 80 per cent of his fences and a house built on the site where his father lost a house to the 1944 fires.

However he says the disaster gives him a chance to reassess the structure of the farm's internal fencing, and refuses to get down about the impact to the farm.

"I'm not fazed. I don't mind a challenge," Mr Lade said.

"It gives you a totally different landscape. You can look at how you set up divisional fences. It may be a golden opportunity to redirect laneways.

"You think, 'Is this a chance to redesign utilise some soil type layouts and terrain to create better paddocks?'."

Mr Lade has dried off 90 cows since the fire and is destocking as he was able to find agistment through family connections.

He considered drying off the whole herd after going almost four days without power, but Murray Goulburn asked if he'd milk the remaining cows, and the company found silage bails to feed with. The Macalister Research Farm also donated silage.

Mr Lade intends to re-seed the area severely burned with specialised annual grasses in order to produce quick feed for cattle and expects old ryegrass to come through after the next substantial rain.

As the creek is contaminated from the fires his 30 megalitre water right is effectively useless for now. Mr Lade said restoring the herd would take three years.

"Over a two-year period we've lost about $100,000 worth of genetics and breeding. It's been savage when you look at it," Mr Lade said.

"We've got no oncoming replacement (cattle) so to start fresh next year these calves (will arrive in) March, so to rear and reintroduce is basically a three-year program.

"It is a good area here. It's got good rainfall and partially volcanic soil."

Mr Lade anticipates a $15,000-$20,000 bill just for materials.

His house was insured but his stock - totalling about worth about $100,000 - were not.

Mr Lade said he now understood that policies that covered only stock losses due to fire were available, as well as comprehensive ones," he said.