The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: wayfarer on May 27, 2015, 04:12:26 pm

Title: Escaping shetlands
Post by: wayfarer on May 27, 2015, 04:12:26 pm
My father in law told me not go get Shetlands and maybe he was right.  The fencing that has happily kept in a variety of lambs over the last few years has failed to keep in three 12 week old shetlands.  Got them on saturday and found one of them on the other side of the fence munching the much longer grass/ trees  in next doors field today.  Took 3/4 hour to catch him.  How high does a fence need to be for a shetland and how small a gap can they wriggle under as I am not sure how he got out?

I will need to upgrade the fencing and get them trained to a bucket very quickly.
Title: Re: Escaping shetlands
Post by: SallyintNorth on May 27, 2015, 04:22:00 pm
Hmmm... mine so far have been contained by regular stock fencing, but stone walls are just vertical roads to them  ::)  :love: :sheep:  :hugsheep:

Our stock fencing has a wire below and two wires above the squared stocknet (small 'squares' at bottom.)  Because we have cattle, the very top wire is barbed. 

It'll need to be very taut and properly upright, mind.
Title: Re: Escaping shetlands
Post by: Thyme on May 27, 2015, 06:05:12 pm
I've never had a Shetland go over a fence, but they are geniuses at wriggling through gaps.
Title: Re: Escaping shetlands
Post by: Brucklay on May 27, 2015, 07:33:33 pm
Agree with above - it's not the height it's the wiggle possiblility under or any gaps ie at gates if the pins are quite long they just walk through - with their mum's they just walk back through but on their own watch out!!
Title: Re: Escaping shetlands
Post by: mab on May 27, 2015, 07:44:32 pm
I'm going to disagree with the above as my old shetland ewe could still clear a slightly saggy stock fence (at the age of 13) from a standing start; that said I never saw her go over a new section of stock fence which would be maybe 4" or 6" higher; but she didn't often jump fences so it's a little difficult to say for sure if she couldn't do a standard fence or just couldn't be bothered.


Are your fences in good condition or a bit saggy? - like the velociraptors in jurassic park shetlands WILL spot and exploit any weak points in a fence.
Title: Re: Escaping shetlands
Post by: Brucklay on May 27, 2015, 07:47:00 pm
I stand corrected - although our fencing is newish so all vertical - wire then stock fencing then 2 wired above
Title: Re: Escaping shetlands
Post by: Anke on May 28, 2015, 01:05:08 pm
I have a (bought-in) Shetland ewe who cleared a standard hurdle from standing two weeks before lambing (although in the end it was 4 weeks for her, but I didn't know that at the time)... still.

No idea if I can keep her, as she also often refuses to come into a pen and yesterday thankfully the shearer had his dog with him....

Shetlands will go over and under, but I have to say, my homebred ones don't jump.