# Fencing ideas for sheep?



## WolfeMomma (Jul 27, 2020)

Has anyone fenced their whole pasture with cattle panels? If yes did you like it? if no, why not? 
Rolling around this idea for our main pasture we use in the winter.


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## secuono (Jul 27, 2020)

That's expensive to do.
And lambs will easily pop out. 
Tposts & mesh fence, use a hand winch or cargo strap to tighten it. 

I made a fence + gates around the barn with cattle panels & tposts. With so many gates in such a small space and several turns, it would of been heck to try and do it with mesh fencing!


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## Mike CHS (Jul 27, 2020)

What @secuono said.  We have a couple of cattle panels at our handling area that we had to add chicken wire to the bottom to contain the lambs.


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## Beekissed (Jul 27, 2020)

Rolls of actual sheep fencing are a much cheaper option and will contain your lambs too.  Some folks offset a hotwire at the bottom and top to deter coyotes or to keep LGD from digging out.  

CP seem like a pretty quick build but they are harder to conform to the landscape, are more expensive than regular fencing, and harder to join together unless you order those squiggly connectors, which can get a bit pricey for a whole field.  For a roll of Red Brand woven wire that's 330 ft, you pay $140, for enough CPs to cover the same length, you'll pay~on average of $20 a panel~$206.  









						Red Brand Class 1 Steel Field Fence 47 inch H x 330 ft L 70048
					

Red Brand Field Fence (woven wire) is manufactured in a wide selection of heights and styles featuring a graduated spacing that starts with small openings at the bottom which helps prevent entry from small animals. The hinge-lock knot allows the fencing t




					www.ruralking.com


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## WolfeMomma (Jul 27, 2020)

I dont have a fence stretcher, is the field fence still something I can do without one? Can I attach it to the T posts that are already there? Right now I have 5 lines of poly wire that we are really starting to not like.


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## Beekissed (Jul 27, 2020)

WolfeMomma said:


> I dont have a fence stretcher, is the field fence still something I can do without one? Can I attach it to the T posts that are already there? Right now I have 5 lines of poly wire that we are really starting to not like.



If you look on YT you'll likely find ways to make a fence stretcher of your own.  






You can attach to the T posts with wire clips or you can fashion your own out of just pieces of wire twisted on.


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## Mike CHS (Jul 27, 2020)

We used Red Brand for our first 600' or so then we checked out the Gaucho High Tensilewoven wire at Tractor Supply.  It's a bit cheaper, stretches easy, needs fewer posts and the plus for me was it's half the weight of the Red Brand.


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## Bruce (Jul 29, 2020)

WolfeMomma said:


> I dont have a fence stretcher, is the field fence still something I can do without one? Can I attach it to the T posts that are already there? Right now I have 5 lines of poly wire that we are really starting to not like.


You can make a fence stretcher with a couple of pieces of 2x4 with carriage bolts, fender washers and nuts. You can use T posts in the middle of the run but will want wood post H or floating braced corners and gate supports. I used 2 come alongs to tension my field fence so I could get tension high and low. Don't run the fence around the corners to the next run but wrap around and tie off at each corner. Not doing so will potentially pull the corner posts inward.


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## The Old Ram-Australia (Jul 30, 2020)

G'day Wolfemamma,my suggestionion which is based on over 40 years of sheep and goat breeding is "invest" in a set of wire strainers  and learn how to use them. In the main invest in permanent fixed fencing with hot wire subdivision  paddocks inside them, remember "wire grows grass",this has never let me down yet....T.O.R.


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## jambi1214 (Feb 11, 2021)

Red Brand sheep fencing! I had to do all pasture over cattle fencing as my sheep were getting out and if they saw a dog go through, forget it, they follow. Expensive but I found that I dont have to worry at all with that fencing


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## Tjcib (Aug 8, 2022)

Beekissed said:


> Rolls of actual sheep fencing are a much cheaper option and will contain your lambs too.  Some folks offset a hotwire at the bottom and top to deter coyotes or to keep LGD from digging out.
> 
> CP seem like a pretty quick build but they are harder to conform to the landscape, are more expensive than regular fencing, and harder to join together unless you order those squiggly connectors, which can get a bit pricey for a whole field.  For a roll of Red Brand woven wire that's 330 ft, you pay $140, for enough CPs to cover the same length, you'll pay~on average of $20 a panel~$206.
> 
> ...


And here we are 2 years later and that roll of woven wire is now $300. Sad days...

But great thread. I am learning a lot and we have a guy coming to look at helping me set up perimeter fencing this week.


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## farmerjan (Aug 9, 2022)

If you are fencing for sheep with lambs, and to keep in goats and kids.... and to contain adult chickens, you have to use 4x4 sheep fencing instead of the normal field fencing that is 6" stays...( or the 2x4 no climb but that is expensive) and do not go with 12" stays as animals will put their heads through and the stays will get stretched side to side and next thing there are actual HOLES that we have had calves manage to get through.  And here the rolls of fencing are $350 and up for the better quality ones.  Fencing will last 25-40 years if it is good fence and put up right.  Make sure there is either electric on top or a strand of barbed wire for anything that can reach over.... and use electric near the lower part to keep animals off the fence so they don't rub and stretch it out... plus it teaches them to respect electric and then can be taught to respect the electric that you use for cross fencing/rotational grazing.


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## Bruce (Aug 13, 2022)

farmerjan said:


> and to contain adult chickens, you have to use 4x4 sheep fencing instead of the normal field fencing that is 6" stays.


Agreed. I learned the hard way that a fox can get through a 6" hole ... and drag an adult large fowl hen back through


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