[CloverBee]

And so it begins... The Sh*tland sheep great escape! After being assured by my husband and his brother that they had done the fencing and they won't be able to get out... 3 times in 2 days they have had to be retrieved! I thought the Shetland ponies were bad enough  I'm going out and buying some electric sheep netting (apparently these have been electric fences in at their previous home and ok...), And taking my whacking fencer off the horses to attach to the net, which will also be pegged down... Please tell me I'm not going to have to shoot them all to keep them in?! Having regrets already, should have bought another horse!

[SallyintNorth]

They'll need training to it, and they will continually test it...

Before I get more detailed, please note that electric sheep netting cannot be used with horned sheep, so for Sh1tlands, only lambless ewes (or ewes with only ewe lambs) and of course any occasional polled males. 

Whether using tape, rope or wire electric fencing, test every section (ie., after every join and gate) of every strand, when you put it up and at least once a week.  When I say test, you need to know it delivers a measurable shock, so the little "beeps in the presence of a current" testers are useless.  Either get a meter that gives you a measurement, or become adept at "reading" the blade of grass test.  (I use a similar length and width blade of grass, and know that I need to feel more than a tingle before I have slid it to within 2" of the fencing material.)  Until we tried containing my little Sh1tland x sheep, we had no idea just how poor our tape joins were, and the extent to which - and speed with which - tape and rope deteriorates.  Nor how quickly the shock at the furthest point from the battery reduces as soon as the battery starts to lose charge. 

For adult Sh1tlands, have the lowest strand no higher than top-of-front-legs height, and the next no more than 8" above that.  A third strand above that with insufficient gap to encourage the brave or fearless to try a leap, and the top strand high enough to discourage an attempt at hurdling over. 

Wool is a phenomenal insulator, so the fence needs to be set up so as to ensure that they have to press an unwoolled part, or really squeeze through so that the wire (wire is much more effective than tape or rope, but less visible, so maybe use some of each while they're being trained to it) presses the wool down sufficiently to reach the skin, or very nearly.  If they can limbo under the bottom strand without their backs lifting it up, they won't get much of a shock at all, except maybe when very recently shorn.

If they can lepp through between strands or over the top, they will not get shocked even if they touch it, as there is no ground contact

Lambs make it all much much harder.  They can get through tiny, weeny gaps, they are well-covered in a highly proficient insulator, and they have extremely small points of contact with the ground.  Once her lamb is through, the ewe may well be prepared to withstand a shock to get to her baby - and after that, she knows it hurt, but didn't kill her.   

[Rosemary]

Never had any problem wih my Shetlands. Maybe they wouldn't leave the far-less-agile Ryelands behind 

[CloverBee]

They'll need training to it, and they will continually test it...

Before I get more detailed, please note that electric sheep netting cannot be used with horned sheep, so for Sh1tlands, only lambless ewes (or ewes with only ewe lambs) and of course any occasional polled males. 

Whether using tape, rope or wire electric fencing, test every section (ie., after every join and gate) of every strand, when you put it up and at least once a week.  When I say test, you need to know it delivers a measurable shock, so the little "beeps in the presence of a current" testers are useless.  Either get a meter that gives you a measurement, or become adept at "reading" the blade of grass test.  (I use a similar length and width blade of grass, and know that I need to feel more than a tingle before I have slid it to within 2" of the fencing material.)  Until we tried containing my little Sh1tland x sheep, we had no idea just how poor our tape joins were, and the extent to which - and speed with which - tape and rope deteriorates.  Nor how quickly the shock at the furthest point from the battery reduces as soon as the battery starts to lose charge. 

For adult Sh1tlands, have the lowest strand no higher than top-of-front-legs height, and the next no more than 8" above that.  A third strand above that with insufficient gap to encourage the brave or fearless to try a leap, and the top strand high enough to discourage an attempt at hurdling over. 

Wool is a phenomenal insulator, so the fence needs to be set up so as to ensure that they have to press an unwoolled part, or really squeeze through so that the wire (wire is much more effective than tape or rope, but less visible, so maybe use some of each while they're being trained to it) presses the wool down sufficiently to reach the skin, or very nearly.  If they can limbo under the bottom strand without their backs lifting it up, they won't get much of a shock at all, except maybe when very recently shorn.

If they can lepp through between strands or over the top, they will not get shocked even if they touch it, as there is no ground contact

Lambs make it all much much harder.  They can get through tiny, weeny gaps, they are well-covered in a highly proficient insulator, and they have extremely small points of contact with the ground.  Once her lamb is through, the ewe may well be prepared to withstand a shock to get to her baby - and after that, she knows it hurt, but didn't kill her. 

These guys are all ewes, no babies. The people I bought them off said they were kept in with electric fencing at their place. Brand new netting, pegged down, pulled taught and above stretched head height. Basically treating them like the escape artist stallion we had, so it's quite Jurassic Park-esque fencing now! Have a specialist fault finder too, as he'd exploit any weak spots. I didn't expect them to be quite so keen to escape, given that they have so much space and a plentiful buffet of things to browse. Ungrateful sods. They are cute though. No bother to catch, as they are bucket trained thankfully! What annoys me the most is that when they are where they are meant to be, and peacefully munching, they are OUR sheep. As soon as they get out, I get a call saying MY blinking sheep are up to no good again 

[CloverBee]

Never had any problem wih my Shetlands. Maybe they wouldn't leave the far-less-agile Ryelands behind 

I don't think I'd be allowed more sheep at the moment, even if they are a different breed 

[SallyintNorth]

Also, sheep are a species which can be "hefted", which means they have a sense of home territory.  Shetlands are a more primitive type than some, so perhaps closer to that.  So a move can be very upsetting, they'll need time to settle - possibly months, possibly until after lambing. 

I bought a batch of draft 3-crop Swaledale ewes who'd been running on fairly high ground in the Lake District.  For the first 12 months we had them, they always went to the highest ground in whatever enclosure we put them, and really weren't settled.  We lost quite a few, as their unsettledness made them vulnerable to infections and so on, and ours was a wild Northumberland moorland farm, so still pretty harsh.  They were a bit more settled after they'd lambed, but still always to be found on the highest ground, even when the grazing was better elsewhere. 

[CloverBee]

Also, sheep are a species which can be "hefted", which means they have a sense of home territory.  Shetlands are a more primitive type than some, so perhaps closer to that.  So a move can be very upsetting, they'll need time to settle - possibly months, possibly until after lambing. 

I bought a batch of draft 3-crop Swaledale ewes who'd been running on fairly high ground in the Lake District.  For the first 12 months we had them, they always went to the highest ground in whatever enclosure we put them, and really weren't settled.  We lost quite a few, as their unsettledness made them vulnerable to infections and so on, and ours was a wild Northumberland moorland farm, so still pretty harsh.  They were a bit more settled after they'd lambed, but still always to be found on the highest ground, even when the grazing was better elsewhere.

Thank you, that's very useful to know. They are quite peopley sheep, as in they were "assisting" me putting up the fencing, following me about. I kept telling them not to be cute, because I'm meant to be cross with them! No plans to lamb at the moment, only have 5 and bought them to help keep some vegetation down. Horses will be joing us in a month or two, so big fencing projects underway. Hopefully it's just teething problems. My brother in law did not appreciate them looking through his patio doors at 7am yesterday, hence me stressing out!

[SallyintNorth]

Glad they're friendly, that will help them settle

BIL needs to chillax.  Get him to meet them where they should be and give them some treats, if he doesn't fall in love with them then... 

If you're not planning on breeding them, then they will likely be mega-Houdinis from around mid-Oct to maybe mid-Jan each year, when their hormones send them in search of a tup every 17 days...

[CloverBee]

Glad they're friendly, that will help them settle

BIL needs to chillax.  Get him to meet them where they should be and give them some treats, if he doesn't fall in love with them then... 

If you're not planning on breeding them, then they will likely be mega-Houdinis from around mid-Oct to maybe mid-Jan each year, when their hormones send them in search of a tup every 17 days...

Oh that will be fun if the Arab is in season at the same time  the poor gelding will be so unimpressed!