I have spent the entire week reworking the temporary hot fence to keep the cattle and sheep out of certain parts of the field so that greens can have a chance to grow. I place the fence, and within an hour, all the sheep and a couple of calves have escaped through it.
Well maybe it's not hot. OW! No it is hot. But the hot rope keeps getting looser, allowing the sheep to jump ship, between ropes. So I tighten and add another strand of rope. Hour later, sheep out again. It was getting frustrating. But then I noticed something, a white lamb, who had been getting out with the rest of the flock, has decided to stay far away from the rope, and stopped leaving with the others. She would stand a few feet from the rope, baaing at the flock, yet no attempt to get closer.
The next day the brown and black, along with the white, would go nowhere near the rope.
Bad sheep parents! The lambs would hit the rope, freak out over the hot bite, and drag the rope in an attempt to escape it. This allowed the adults to walk right through the fence, avoiding any electrical bites.
Yesterday I mixed wire with rope, and it seems to have done the trick.
Watch those sheep, they are unscrupulous to get what they want, even sacrificing their lambs.
4 comments:
WOW thanks for the warning, guess I need to wait on any sheep till I can set up a good fairly sheep proof yard for.
Will goats do the same?
I have never used temporary fencing for goats. It's hard enough to keep them behind permanat fencing.
And this may not be true for all sheep. I have heritage hair sheep, they will clear a six foot fence easily. Get the ones that mosey around fields. I bet they are easier to deal with.
I had no idea that sheep were so wily. Good to know. Hopefully, you won't have any more of this particular problem.
I seem to still have one stubborn one and her lamb. But only two getting out is less damaging then 11.
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