# Sheep won't stay in!



## cheda2211 (Apr 29, 2015)

We have three one year old sheep (2 ewes and 1 ram) that we currently have penned in a portable fence that we move each day to fresh pasture.  If my son is lazy about moving them they hop the fence and roam the pasture, but then they hop the hot wire fence that we have around the whole pasture for the pigs to stay in.  They have now found where the grain is for the pigs and feed for chickens and are getting out all the time.  What solutions can you offer to get them to stay where they belong?  Our hot wire fence is only 2 strands (which originally was enough cause we only had pigs) and we have talked about adding another strand but I don't know if that will even be enough!  They are just about to go to the butcher because it is taking up so much of our time each day chasing them down and putting them away and to top it off I am 31 weeks prego...I'm tired of chasing after them!!!  Thanks for any help or advice you can offer.


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## BlessedWithGoats (Apr 29, 2015)

@SheepGirl @BrownSheep @norseofcourse @mysunwolf


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## BrownSheep (Apr 29, 2015)

That is rough. I would try the third strand of wire or doing the electric netting.
Have you thought about using pannels?


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## mysunwolf (Apr 29, 2015)

I agree with BrownSheep, though I will say it usually takes more than 3 wires to hold sheep in--the producers I know that do multi-strand successfully use 5. You could try electric netting, but be careful as "jumpers" tend to get tangled in this and can injure themselves. So at this point, since the whole group has figured out they can escape, you might need some solid, physical fencing to keep them in like cattle panels or stretched woven wire. In a pinch, we have put up 6ft 2"x4" welded wire fence as a temporary barrier for jumpers.


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## norseofcourse (Apr 29, 2015)

Welcome!  Sorry you're having so much trouble with your sheep.  What kind of sheep do you have?

I'm no expert, but I've dealt with escaping sheep, too  .  Once they start escaping, it seems like you have to ramp right up to "inescapeable or nearly so" - at least if yours are stubborn like mine were!

First, make sure the pig and chicken feed is absolutely secured away from the sheep being able to get to it, food is a powerful motivator for sheep.  And that stuff isn't good for them.

Next, make sure that portable fence gets moved often - even more often than necessary.  You have to break that habit of escaping - although just moving the fence more often may not do that.  How tall is the portable fence?  How big is the area it encloses?  Can you get more fence and make a bigger area for them?

Most fencing is either physical or mental.  Electric is a mental barrier - once they start going through it, it loses most of its power (so to speak).  Going through 3 strands is as easy as going through 2 (and their wool insulates them from most of the shock).  I went from 4 strands to 6 and still had sheep going through it...

Not sure what kind of portable fence you have, but it's probably more of a visual and/or physical barrier.  I don't have any experience with sheep jumping over fences, I'm lucky that mine are a bit shorter and they don't seem to have a tendancy to try and jump fences.

You may need to use a more physical fence like woven wire or wire panels, high enough that they won't try to jump over it (not just a little higher than they can jump - go as high as you can afford, so they don't even think they can).  Even if you can only fence in a small area for them like that, at least they will be contained.  Then if you get more portable fencing, or taller, or move it more often, you might be able to break their habit of jumping over it.

I'm sorry, it's not always an easy fix.  They say goats are hard to keep fenced in, but sheep can be tough, too!  Good luck and let us know how it goes.


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## BrownSheep (Apr 29, 2015)

Some how goats got the rap as the houdinis of the animal world when I firmly believe it is sheep. My sheep will walk a fence line till they find a place to get out. If you mend it they will just keep looking. If there are no places to get out they'll make one. 

I have ewes who can jump 5ft + fences. 

Like Norse of course said 90% of the time it is to get at food once theyve found it.


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## Goat Whisperer (Apr 29, 2015)

BrownSheep said:


> Some how goats got the rap as the houdinis of the animal world when I firmly believe it is sheep.


THANK YOU! 

My goats never get out..... a family member has 2 of the devils (sorry sheep folks ) and they are always getting out and I mean ALWAYS! They will run thru 5 strands of electric fence 

@cheda2211 
Let us know how you fix the problem! Good luck


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## Valais (Apr 30, 2015)

A couple articles about fencing on the farm:
http://madisoncountycce.org/resources/planning-building-fences
http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/178502/goat-fencing.pdf

As @norseofcourse mentioned, part of the problem is that your sheep are restless, and they know what to do about it. You mentioned that this happens when your son is lazy about moving the portable fence. If the existing fence is moved more frequently, do they still hop the fence now? How frequently is your son moving the fence?

Maybe try moving the fence more frequently, and taking away their motivation (feed) to get out.


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## greybeard (May 7, 2015)

_Neither God nor man has ever built a fence high enough, strong enough, or good enough to keep a determined animal in or a determined lawyer out_


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## Mike CHS (May 8, 2015)

I have to file that away for future use greybeard.


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## Valais (May 10, 2015)




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## bonbean01 (May 10, 2015)

I have sheep and the pastures are only field fencing and no one wants to get out....they are spoilt rotten though....lots of attention, food...fresh water daily...our only electric fencing is on the outside to keep predators out....sorry you are having so much trouble...perhaps field fencing may be a solution?  Possible that the electric was out when they tested it?


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