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Author Topic: Lamb proofing post and rail fencing  (Read 4549 times)

JMB

  • Joined Apr 2011
Lamb proofing post and rail fencing
« on: February 26, 2012, 01:15:08 pm »
Hello.
Our first lambs are due in late April and we are planning to lamb outdoors in a small paddock area. It has post and rail fencing so we need to lamb-proof it.
Any ideas of best way to do this?
We thought of adding wire of course, but no idea how high or how low to go (will lambs go under fences?)
Also, we have some chicken wire, but not sure if this will do.
Our sheep are Hebrideans with horns so I'm not sure if that makes a difference to fencing (don't want them getting stuck).
We do have stock wire fences in other areas but these were not done by us so we have no idea how tricky this would be and what tools we'd need.
If anyone has any good tips on wiring or otherwise, please let me know.
Kind regards, Joanne xxxxxxx

lachlanandmarcus

  • Joined Aug 2010
  • Aberdeenshire
Re: Lamb proofing post and rail fencing
« Reply #1 on: February 26, 2012, 01:25:09 pm »
if its a small area, with a good structural fence like you already have, chicken wire down to the ground would prob do it, its a lot more flexible than sheep netting so its easier to handle DIY style and also they cant get horns stuck in it. We have successfully used it on a small paddock, the sheep netting big fields we get the professionals in for but these small areas for rams and lambs it seems to work well with chicken netting. Def go down to the ground tho, the lambs will certainly get under the bottom rail and the horned heads might too!

robert waddell

  • Guest
Re: Lamb proofing post and rail fencing
« Reply #2 on: February 26, 2012, 01:38:17 pm »
another alternative is the orange saftey netting (plastic) just fix it with a staple gun it is not so bad for horns getting stuck on  :farmer:

woollyval

  • Joined Feb 2008
  • Near Bodmin, Cornwall
    • Val Grainger
    • Facebook
Re: Lamb proofing post and rail fencing
« Reply #3 on: February 26, 2012, 01:39:50 pm »
Stock wire has smaller holes at the bottom, is cheaper and more robust than chicken wire and even my ouessant lambs don't escape through it....and they are very small :) I would use that every time as it can be strained along the p & r fencing easily which chicken wire cannot.
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JMB

  • Joined Apr 2011
Re: Lamb proofing post and rail fencing
« Reply #4 on: February 26, 2012, 01:49:53 pm »
Thanks to all of you. You've given me a few options to think of. Would never have thought of the orange plastic stuff!
Joanne xxxx

Remy

  • Joined Dec 2011
Re: Lamb proofing post and rail fencing
« Reply #5 on: February 26, 2012, 05:24:23 pm »
I have proper stock fencing which is great but have found that as the lambs grow bigger some of them get into the habit of sticking their heads through it and getting stuck.  Not all of them, just some silly b*ggers!  One of them did it no less than 14 times in a week, one night I had to go out with a torch to free it  ::) ::).  It never did learn!  It was a real pain as I had to prise the fencing apart so the ears could go back through - not easy for me with arthritic fingers - ended up using pliers  ;D.

As others have said the easiest way for you would be to use some small-hole netting which should be relatively easy to  install and remove.  Don't forget they can also get under gates; if you have largish spaces a good barrier is to tie a pole under the bottom gate rail with baler twine.
1 horse, 2 ponies, 4 dogs, 2 Kune Kunes, a variety of sheep

lachlanandmarcus

  • Joined Aug 2010
  • Aberdeenshire
Re: Lamb proofing post and rail fencing
« Reply #6 on: February 26, 2012, 06:28:53 pm »
I too have had problems with standard stock netting (put the correct way up, smaller holes at the bottom) with lambs getting heads stuck. Never had that problem with the chicken netting.

Good point re the gates too: I helped a neighbour farmer whose lambs were wriggling under one gate and onto the road as quickly as he was trying to fix the pole and netting contraption to the other gates. I was lead lamb catcher until all the gates were covered. Once the hanging pole/chicken wire netting was in place, no more lambies on the road - hurrah!

shep53

  • Joined Jan 2011
  • Dumfries & Galloway
Re: Lamb proofing post and rail fencing
« Reply #7 on: February 26, 2012, 06:39:27 pm »
TORNADO LAMBSAFE is sheep net designed to stop heads being caught so they say  :farmer:

 

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