[thesuffolksmallholding]

Hi,
Looking for some advice on keeping sheep inside an electric fence.
I have just been given permission to rent 7+ acres for free. The grazing is of very good quality; there are several small fields, an orchard and one 4 acre field, the largest I have only been given permission to use in the Winter. I have a group of 5 ewes which I want to move over there once they have settled after tupping, so probably start of December time, which will give space for my southdown February lambers to use the field they are currently on, without there being a lack of grass.
However, there is no fencing! The perimeter of the 10 acres encompassing all the fields is fenced with rabbit fencing I am told and there is hedging, but to sub divide the fields I will have to use electric fencing.
My sheep are used to electric fencing, but I have had quite a few incidents where they have got out of the strip they are grazing in (lucky to have a permanent perimeter fence). So my real question is, how do you keep them in and avoid escapees!?
PS. I have a vey strong energiser, which is a MVF 3500.
Thanks

[Me]

Make sure the earth is good and the battery is charged, there is no shorting out and if possible "train" them first by putting electric up against a barrier such as a hedge. They respect it better this way rather than going straight for use to subdivide open land when you will get a lot of accidental straying.
If there is no other barrier before a road for eg. consider a secondary run of electric. Rappa do 600m packages

[Sbom]

My sheep spend most of the year in electric fenced fields....if they are content and have grass a plenty then they stay in with two strands only. If the grass is poor quality or been eaten off then three strands won’t keep them in!

Get a good earth, keep battery charged, check the lines are clear of grass etc and most importantly move them as soon as the field is grazed.

[pharnorth]

Mine are in field which is electric fence only on two sides. I use three strands of the metal wire rather than poly as least resistance (most current). Also check it is taut as they only ever test it when it is a bit slick. I just put ewes in, no Rams.

[Marches Farmer]

If they're also Southdowns then the wire-against-the-fence training is a good idea - they're so well insulated otherwise they can just walk straight through it.  If a hill or mountain breed then expect escapees!