A NORTH East Victorian farm plagued by wild dogs has achieved a 150 per cent lambing average since building a six-foot electric fence.
Warren and Jenny Lucas, sheep farmers at Leneva, south of Wodonga, built the "Rolls Royce" of fences two years ago to counter the severe impact of dog attacks on their stock.
The Lucases bought the 243ha property five years ago from Jenny's parents, Len and Betty Ward, after repeated dog attacks hampered Mr Ward's health and his ability to run the farm.
"I couldn't use paddocks near the forest because that's where the dogs were getting in," Mr Ward said.
"Our safe grazing area kept getting smaller.
"In just one weekend, we lost 120 sheep and in today's prices that would have been worth around $12,000."
Since buying the property, the Lucases have installed a 10,000-volt electric fence using 1.83m high mesh, similar to what they had used on their former deer farm at Wooragee, west of Yackandandah.
Pasture quality has also improved since the fence was constructed, as kangaroos have been blocked from the grazing area.
DPI senior wild dog controller Greg Ivone said important design features of the Lucas' fence could be incorporated into smaller fences, including a hot wire no more than 15cm from the ground, electrified gates and reinforcement of weak spots in gullies.
The success of the Lucas' fence has led to the creation of a Department of Primary Industries-supported wild dog action group in the area.
More than 20 farmers met at the Lucas' property to establish the group last month.
The action group is one of four operating in Gippsland and North East Victoria, to find practical solutions to the wild dog problem.
