Author Topic: 4 Strand Fencing (Read 5571 times)

SteveHants · « **on:** October 29, 2011, 06:04:06 pm »

Hi all - I have just taken on some new ground which has been fenced with 4 strands 'for livestock' (ie strands closer together at the bottom). All my other grazing has been stock fenced in the past. I was wondering if anyone keeps sheep behind 4 strands without them escaping all the time?

I'm seriously tempted to run a couple of strands of leccy fence along the posts just to make it safer.

Am I benig paranoid? $:-\$

thenovice · « **Reply #1 on:** October 29, 2011, 06:53:17 pm »

Hi, i have a field with one side fenced with 3 strands of barbed. I only keep a few in there, they are poll dorset crosses and it is small, about an acre, which i dont know if it makes a difference, but i have never had any problems. (famous last words!) They have lots of grass tho, so have no need to wander. Others may have a different story, hope this helps

SteveHants · « **Reply #2 on:** October 29, 2011, 09:33:08 pm »

I've had three strands dividing a field before and watched as a full grown Wiltshire Ewe jumped with graceful ease between the bottom and middle strands, I renforced that with electric and it was fine, but the three strand fence had equally spaced strands...this looks slightly safter.

Edited to be clear - it was dividing a stock-fenced field into paddocks...I have never had strands around the periiter of my grazing.

Padge · « **Reply #3 on:** October 30, 2011, 06:54:28 am »

All stock fencing here BUT i have witnessed a full grown Jacop Ram clear a hurdled enclosure from his feet no run up or anything with absolute ease. Never be to carefull

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #4 on:** October 30, 2011, 09:25:44 am »

Quote from: SteveHants on October 29, 2011, 06:04:06 pm

Am I benig paranoid? $:-\$

They're sheep, man! No, not paranoid. Especially until they know their new paddock. As others have said, if the enclosure were within your own boundaries you maybe would try it and see, but better to be safe than sorry - especially if the ground is not close to home and easy to check several times a day at first.

You didn't mention whether it's barbed wire or plain. If it's plain, definitely put something else up as well. Barbed with small gaps might work - until lambing, anyway...

SteveHants · « **Reply #5 on:** October 30, 2011, 02:31:49 pm »

Its barbed wire.

The grazing is about 8 miles from my house and is lookered (having said that I have a hard time trusting others to look at my animals, but at least they should be able to tell if they are the right side of the fence).

I won't be lambing them up there anyway, I have some fields about a mile from my house and I'll bring them all down there to lamb as its good and sheltered, has an old field shelter in case any need bringing in (and so I can sit on a bale and have a kip), but I guess I'll be putting them all back there as soon as I feel that the lambs can be transported safeley.

I'm erring towards the electric fence. I have a ball of the multi-strand twine anyway and the eyelets to attatch to fences are pretty cheap...

thenovice · « **Reply #6 on:** October 30, 2011, 08:18:26 pm »

Please excuse my ignorance, but is electric a good way to fence sheep? I have just picked up some grazing which is a large field that has no boundry fencing to speak of. I dont own the land so dont want to spend a fortune stock netting it, but if they got out they would be a bugger to find and catch again, so i have got some electric. Do sheep that have never met it before get on with it, and would i need 2 or three strands? Im learning as i go! Thanks

TheCaptain · « **Reply #7 on:** October 30, 2011, 09:59:35 pm »

Until I stock fenced my fields they were all contained with electric fence and have very few issues with it. In fact, it did a better job of containing my ram than my 4 1/2 ft stock fence, which he likes to jump over...

SteveHants · « **Reply #8 on:** October 31, 2011, 12:07:12 am »

Quote from: thenovice on October 30, 2011, 08:18:26 pm

Please excuse my ignorance, but is electric a good way to fence sheep? I have just picked up some grazing which is a large field that has no boundry fencing to speak of. I dont own the land so dont want to spend a fortune stock netting it, but if they got out they would be a bugger to find and catch again, so i have got some electric. Do sheep that have never met it before get on with it, and would i need 2 or three strands? Im learning as i go! Thanks

Seems to work fine - use three strands, I don't find tape works so well as it ends to spread the pulse a little - I've been told wire is the best thing, but I use six-strand polywire.

Mel Rice · « **Reply #9 on:** October 31, 2011, 10:24:30 am »

Nearly all the sheep around here are in electric net type fences...Germans only permenantly fence in their gardens! Most are on a battery sysytem but mains if they are near the house. Mine are in a pen made from a single length of netting which moves across the field as they mow the grass.

trefnantbach · « **Reply #10 on:** November 02, 2011, 12:28:08 am »

I use nothing but electric fencing and have never had any of the sheep break out. I use four strands of the white braided wire at 20, 40. 60 and 90 cm above ground using insulators on round posts at 8m intervals. In a few places where the ground undulates a bit the posts are closer together. With 7000 volts from a mains energiser they soon learn to respect it. The only downside is that the grass grows underneath so I go round with a strimmer 4-5 times per year. I'm tempted to change the spacing to 30,50, 70,90 to create a bigger gap at the bottom. an added benefit of lecky is that it also deters foxes.

Southfields · « **Reply #11 on:** November 02, 2011, 01:42:55 am »

Depends on the breed of sheep too, we have 13 dorsets fenced in with 4 strands of electric wire and never had a problem. YET!! I tried it with my Soays and one cleared the fence dragged in down and they all went on a 3 mile jolly!

I do tend to find though that if they have enough to eat they won't wander anywhere.

SteveHants · « **Reply #12 on:** November 02, 2011, 11:40:40 pm »

I'm putting 40 of em on 30ac - they should have more than enough to eat...in fact I think the grass might even get away from me in spring, but we'll see. Better to have room to expand than have to buy in feed.