[twizzel]

Definitely stock fencing, that said our lambs are out in high cornish hedged fields with 2 strand barbed wire and they are ok, without the wire they will go up and over a hedge though.

[sokel]

Our 5 lambs where put on the lawn every day when they where little with electric netting around the edge.within the first week two where escaping every 5 minutes and ending up in the kitchen within the month all 5 could get out with out a problem.
they knew the bottles came out of that door  and would head for the house when it was bottle time without getting a shock yet anything else touched the netting and it got a shock !

[Sylvia]

So, yuu see, sheep aren't the stupid creatures they're made out to be

[SheepishSophie]

So we've decided to post and rail the front section and then stock fence any large gaps in the hedgerows and then electric the perimiter, bar the post and rail section.. for interior I think I'll temp electric it as I want to see how they fair on different areas of the field.

You think this'll work?

[mab]

Sounds reasonable to me - I managed with electric fence backed up by hedges for ~2 years with my Shetlands.

I'd bucket train the sheep ASAP as it's by far the easiest and quickest way to get the sheep to go where you want them.

m

[Sunnybank]

good to read this Mab, someone else who uses electric fence and has shetlands


we have used electric rope and net around and across our field for just over a year now, and no escapes. it has been a wet day today and the sheep are in the section of field away form the shelter of a big tree and they have not tried to get through.


if you do use electric make sure you get a very high powered energiser specially for sheep as you need a lot of shock to get though the fleece. ours is a hotshock n50 .
 

 

[Buffy the eggs layer]

Hi,
  I dont know if you have started on your fencing yet but as some one who has recently had to fence of 7 acres I know how expensive it is
I agree with everyone else that you need something more substantial than electric on the boundary lines.
Post and rail looks good though the rails are more expensive than netting and the posts are more substantial than the posts used with netting. You can buy a monkey or a large post hammer and knock the stakes in yourself though this wont be as easy or as strong as using a machine. Getting the tension in the pig netting is also very difficult without a tractor to pull it taught.
You could use sheep or chicken wire though and put a top rail on to strengthen and neaten it up as a cheap compromise.
We have done this internally to fence of the veg patch from the sheep etc.  

[LandieMan]

Take the plunge, stock fence the perimeter. I tried electric in various guises. When they get a decent coat on they become immune to it. They sort of respect portable net fencing until they want to get to the other side, obviously the grass is much greener there. Bucket training will save the cost of a sheepdog and it is nicer that the sheep want to come to you rather than are being terrified to move by a dog. Sheep are much less hassle if they stay in the field you put them in.

[SheepishSophie]

I don't think I'd have a choice about bucket training! My step mum is one of 'those' who, when we had pigs, didn't name them, she nicknamed them, just as bad! We had to take them to the abbatoir without telling her because she didn't want them to go! So the breeding ewes are going to be her babies and I've told her that finally, she can name something!

In regards to fencing, I'mma post pictures.. it's a pretty sturdy hedge in most places, all bar 3/4 big gaps.. does that still need stock fencing?

[Fronhaul]

When our first BWM ram lamb arrived he spent the first three or four days finding gaps where we had failed to spot them.  Being Nevern who is something of a character each time he found a hole he set off to find us presumably to inform us of the deficiencies in our fencing.  From the point of view of halter training a potential show ram this worked well.  Within 3 days he was completely tame and walked beautifully on a halter.  But it goes to show that even the smallest gap will be found by some sheep and this is especially true of some of the hill breeds.  Plenty of grass and frequent moves to avoid boredom will help.

[SheepishSophie]

Well today we went to see our 2nd/3rd rental feild and it's a go! 4 acres for £200 a year plus a leg of lamb. I'd say that's okay? It's got water and stock proof fence so after my holiday I'll be getting my first sheep! I almost wish the holiday was over already so I can get them now!

We've decided to use the currently un-grassed un-fenced field at the back of the house for lambing. The field itself will be joint with our neighbour who told us with great joy that we could get a 'sit on lawnmower!!!' ... Doh! So me and my pops quietly agreed that we'd only use that to lamb on and let him have his way with it (and pay for it XD) for the rest of the year!

[SteveHants]

Well today we went to see our 2nd/3rd rental feild and it's a go! 4 acres for £200 a year plus a leg of lamb. I'd say that's okay? It's got water and stock proof fence so after my holiday I'll be getting my first sheep! I almost wish the holiday was over already so I can get them now!

4 ac could keep about 14 sheep in summer in a good year and about 6 in winter. So; if we assume that 'summer' and 'winter' grazing make up half the year each, it is worth 14 x 26 (weeks) @ 20p/head/week = £72.80 + 6 x 26 (weeks) @20p/head/week = 31.20 is £104 for the whole year.


However, the owner of the land will struggle to find a commercial sheep farmer interested in grazing it (unless he/she lives next to one) - so I'd say pay £100 if you want, but all the grazings I have of that size I graze for no rent and give the owner a lamb (for the freezer) each year.


At 200 quid, assuming you lamb at 180% and have winter grazings elsewhere for your 14 sheep rent free, each lamb has already cost you £8 to produce, before meds, feed etc.


However, it can be hard to get grazing in the first instance, so it might be worth it to get yourself known and get offers of further grazings.

[SheepishSophie]

That's where we're struggling, as around here a lot of the land is horses *grumblegrumble* but he's acquiring more land that will rough grazing so it'll be included in that 200. Which we thinks fair.

He's letting us have his horsey paddock because he's a good guy but after horse money he can't afford to rent it at so little. We see it as getting a foot in the door.

[SteveHants]

I just wait until they are sick of getting the place poached to buggery with horses and then I swoop!


Is there an 'evil cackle' emoticon?