[wildandwooly]

I have one extra determined wether who will always go in a large pen area outside using hurdles but immediately jumps out! I have to get him in occasionally to shear/check feet etc etc but also I don't want him to injure himself  Anyone else had this problem or can think of any possible solutions? The others just go in and are quite happy until I let them out.

[SallyintNorth]

Quincy (Wensleydale) used to be like this.

Get him penned as tight as possible (with another sheep or two, not on his own) as quickly as possible, and if you have the hands to do it, station another human by the hurdles to block him if he still tries to jump. 

A pair of hurdles, one tied one end in the corner, swing that across behind him and a pal, then overlap with the other hurdle and bring both hurdles in close to the sheep, so they're unable to move. 

Do this every time they're in, especially when you don't need to do anything to him, so he learns (a) it's okay, nothing bad happens and (b) I can't escape anyway.

(By penned tight, I mean literally so there's not room for another sheep, there's barely even room for you to get in with them.)

[wildandwooly]

Thanks Sally, I'll try that 👍 Sounds a good plan 😊

[Fleecewife]

We have TIED a hurdle horizontally on top of hurdle pens to stop Soay and other leapy sheep from escaping (tied to prevent accidents to the other sheep).  It makes it hard to work with them, but once caught, deal with the jumper first then take the lid off.  It does work.

[Richmond]

We've used Heras panels in the past to stop leapy Soay youngsters - and boy they can jump high. We're lucky enough to have quite a few knocking about as we use them for the turkeys.
We currently have a rather strong athletic Norfolk Horn ram who will also jump over hurdles. When we got him in for shearing we put him in a dog pen - 6 panels about 6 foot high bolted together. I swear he eyed them up once inside (easily lured in with a bucket btw) and thought about how he might jump out, but then decided he wouldn't

[SallyintNorth]

Quincy did get tame, by the way.  Very tame, actually!

I could shear her (body, not her legs, she was always touchy about her legs) with her just standing up unrestrained in a hurdle pen, by the finish.

In this pic, I was snapping lambs, and Quincy I think is saying, "Never mind the lambs!  Look at Me!  Look at MMEEEE!!!"

[wildandwooly]

Thank you all so much. Some brilliant suggestions that I will try and I'll let you know how I get on  😁
I have to say that you did all make me laugh which was definitely needed as I was begining to feel a complete failure!

[wildandwooly]

Quick update and thanks again everyone. So glad we have The Accidental Smallholder. Where would we all be without it!? Sally I tried your idea first and it worked! Thank goodness 🥳

[Red]

We’ve used herris fencing also for jumpers and I’ve even resorted to blankets over washing lines made from bailer twine above hurdles to give the impression of 10 ft high fences for those sheep I struggle to train (your not alone!)