The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: OhLaLa on May 09, 2013, 07:21:31 pm

Title: To fence or not to fence.........
Post by: OhLaLa on May 09, 2013, 07:21:31 pm
Am giving another field over to the sheep. It's stock fenced on 3 sides. On 4th side is a thick (but not impassable) hedgerow, behind that a shallow ditch, and behind that stock fencing. So in effect the field is stock fenced all round but the 4th side fencing is on the other side of the hedge and ditch.
 
Should I fence this side of the hedgerow as well?
 
 :thinking:
Title: Re: To fence or not to fence.........
Post by: Hillview Farm on May 09, 2013, 07:27:50 pm
I'd run an electric fence along it!
Title: Re: To fence or not to fence.........
Post by: twizzel on May 09, 2013, 08:09:21 pm
Having just spent the last hour finding sheep in our woods during the worst storm we've had for a while (50mph winds and driving rain), I would fence if you have any doubt!  :roflanim:  ours just went through 2 strand barbed wire, over a 4ft bank and down a ditch ha... silly things now in for the night and will get their comeuppance tomorrow when we worm them  :roflanim:
Title: Re: To fence or not to fence.........
Post by: MarvinH on May 09, 2013, 09:40:28 pm
I wouldn't fence it
Title: Re: To fence or not to fence.........
Post by: Dogwalker on May 09, 2013, 09:43:03 pm
Having just spent the last hour finding sheep in our woods during the worst storm we've had for a while (50mph winds and driving rain), I would fence if you have any doubt!  :roflanim:  ours just went through 2 strand barbed wire, over a 4ft bank and down a ditch ha... silly things now in for the night and will get their comeuppance tomorrow when we worm them  :roflanim:

But from their point of view they were being very sensible finding shelter from the storm.
Title: Re: To fence or not to fence.........
Post by: twizzel on May 10, 2013, 01:21:28 pm
Yes, we wouldn't have had such an issue with them being in the woods per say, but there is laurel in there which if eaten will kill them. So they are in and will be wormed this afternoon, and we will put some stock fence up and bang some posts in to make sure they stay out of the woods. There's good hedging and large trees around the boundary so they do have natural shelter.
Title: Re: To fence or not to fence.........
Post by: Foobar on May 10, 2013, 01:53:06 pm
Depends how much you want to keep the hedgerow :).  My sheep would eat everything in reach and bark all the trunks in no time.
Title: Re: To fence or not to fence.........
Post by: OhLaLa on May 10, 2013, 02:06:19 pm
Depends how much you want to keep the hedgerow :) .  My sheep would eat everything in reach and bark all the trunks in no time.

Good point. Forgot about that.
Title: Re: To fence or not to fence.........
Post by: kanisha on May 10, 2013, 02:48:03 pm
 fence the laurel ......
Title: Re: To fence or not to fence.........
Post by: Bramblecot on May 10, 2013, 05:25:42 pm
Rip out the laurel >:( >:( hate the stuff :rant:
Title: Re: To fence or not to fence.........
Post by: OhLaLa on May 10, 2013, 07:19:52 pm
fence the laurel ......
Rip out the laurel >:( >:( hate the stuff

Haven't got any laurel.
Title: Re: To fence or not to fence.........
Post by: twizzel on May 10, 2013, 08:44:14 pm
Or just fence the field properly and don't let them in the woods! Which is what we're going to do so until we can get out on Monday, lambs are safely tucked up in the cow shed where they can't escape (I have a busy weekend working so we know they are definitely 100% where we left them)  8)  off fencing on Monday! The woods are huge and don't really want lambs wondering in there, some bits are very wet and they are very overgrown in places.
Title: Re: To fence or not to fence.........
Post by: OhLaLa on May 10, 2013, 09:45:58 pm
Or just fence the field properly and don't let them in the woods!

No woods.
 
Field already has stock fencing on other side of hedgerow/ditch, so they aren't going anywhere outside of that.
 :sheep: