Sheep & Goats

Effective Fences

Containing and controlling sheep and goats is easily done with a properly electrified fence.

The netting and multistrand fences on the following are designed specifically for sheep and goats (and their predators). They are used throughout our farms and tested year-round.

Temporary fences

Moved daily or weekly for rapid grazing rotations. Need to be lightweight and easy to handle.

1. Boundary sites

Electrified netting is the best temporary boundary fence. Why? Because sheep, goats, and most coyotes cannot penetrate it.

Specific suggestions:

• Use fence only if animals are trained to netting and are neither tall nor flighty.

• Use the taller fence for flighty animals.

2. Internal sites

• Netting, more reliable but higher cost per foot than multistrand fences.

• Multistrand fences with 2 to 3 strands of  fence on reels stop most adult ewes and feeder lambs. It will slow, but not stop, coyotes, dogs, newborns, dairy goats, hungry sheep and males during the breeding season.

Semi-permanent fences

Moved monthly to once a year. Usually feature taller, thicker,

stronger posts and more conductors than temporary fences.

Specific suggestions:

• They are faster to install and remove than 4 or 5 strand multistrand fences. More expensive. More reliable. All nets must be electrified.

• 3 to 5 strand electrified multistrand fences. Much less expensive. Less reliable than the netting options (fewer strands lowers visibility).

Stronger, thicker posts are needed than for net fences.