Anyone use electric sheep netting?

[Abby P]

So I have a very determined pony. Despite all my attempts so far to shore up his no-grass fencing, he has still managed to push the fence back and get to some grass every time. The next, and final, thing I am going to try with the existing fence (made of steel corral panels) is to drive stakes behind it to hopefully prevent him from shifting it over. Since thus far he's managed to get around all of my other fixes I'm already thinking of next steps.

A 164' roll of sheep netting would be the perfect length to fence off the center of his paddock. I would likely have to get a solar charger to power it. Has anyone used this type of fencing for their minis? Did it work? He has a woven wire perimeter fence on the paddock which he respects quite well, not electrified, 5' tall. I'm thinking the netting might be less tempting for him to push on/jump over than tape or braided electric. Tape and step-in posts would be a lot cheaper to install but I feel like he might just take the shock he'd get climbing through it, to get to that grass.

Good thing he's cute!

 

[Cayuse]

I've never used the sheep fencing. I'm just posting to say mine "will take the shock and climb through" the step-in post and tape. I'd run out and put the back and no sooner get to the barn when they'd be through it and into the grass again. It kept me busy .
I use the no-climb metal fence attached to 4x4 posts with boards running along the top and bottom and one strand of hot tape at what I call "browsing level" which is just above ear level when grazing. That stopped them !

 

[Abby P]

That's EXACTLY what I can see him doing, which is why I was gravitating towards the sheep netting! Our goats used to do exactly that, the smartest ones would figure that the shock was only brief and they found it worth it to get to where they wanted to be, they'd climb right through the fence.

 

[Taz]

Would it be worth trying a strand of electric wire (I find the wire shocks better than tape or rope) on step in posts outside the corral panels at the height he puts his head through? He couldn't take the shock and walk through, he'd keep getting shocked.

 

[Abby P]

Right, I had thought of that also and it is a possibility. However, I'm just not sure these corral panels are a good permanent solution to begin with - I'm sort of borrowing them from the barn owner who does use them for other things at various times. And, there aren't enough of them to make a true track, so he's in more of a strip at this point which I don't love. So I think I'll have to come up with a more long-term plan either way.

 

[candycar]

Can you get cattle panels and attach them to the corral panels? That's what I did with our gates so they don't stick their head through. If they can't put their heads through then they can't move them. Also, then at least you would have a good start for a fence in the future.

 

[Abby P]

I think he would still be able to move them even if he couldn't get his head through - before he learned to pick them up with his neck he was pushing them with his butt! So, I have now both staked the feet of some of them AND tied the long side to the fence posts opposite it in three places - just to hopefully get us through the next couple weeks until I can get the electric netting in. I left him with nets totaling 45lbs of hay last Sunday and today the nets weighed in at 40lbs so he's been getting PLENTY of grass.

 

[LostandFound]

I do know it doesn't work terribly well for sheep. A solar charger doesn't give much of a shock to start, and I think you lose a lot of it because the netting touches the ground.

 

[Abby P]

It seems that the key thing is getting good netting and a good charger. Your charger needs MUCH more oomph than it would for the same length of wire or tape fencing. The better nettings have the bottom wire not hot so that they don't lose all their energy to the ground or grass. I just have to hope for the best I guess - it's not my place so I can't install a permanent track made of no-climb fencing. Hopefully with just one roll of netting and a charger that is theoretically more than I need for the amount of fencing, it should do the job. I have a friend with sheep and poultry that she uses the netting for and she gave me some suggestions. It's definitely not going to be cheap. I'll be sure to report back!

 

[secuono]

Do you have a picture of the fence he's currently going through?
If he will step through ribbon, he may step through netting & get dangerously tangled.
Adding lots of step in posts and making bare wire or ribbon TIGHT, should work. Several close together strands.

 

[Abby P]

It is steel corral panels, he isn't going through, he's putting his head in and then using his neck to lift the entire fence off the ground and walk it forward so he can reach the grass. He respects the woven wire fencing that is around the perimeter of his paddock just fine, he knows he can't get through it and as far as I can tell the worst he's ever done is scratch his itches on it. See below - the fence on the left is the dividing fence between him and his neighbor (same as the perimeter fence). The fence on the right is the corral panel fence that he moves at will (this was right after I put it up, and I thought my work was done ). I have never seen what he is like with electric fences so I'm only guessing that he'd challenge one with just horizontal strands the same way he challenges these pipe panels. Since it isn't a permanent fence, I wouldn't be able to sink real posts - and in my experience it's really difficult to get the wire tight using step-in posts without at least strong, permanent corner posts. Which I guess I COULD do just for the corners - metal T posts are not so terribly hard to install and are possible to remove. The netting would sure be way more convenient though since I'll need to put it up and take it down every year. He doesn't seem to have any inclination for sticking his feet through fences, just his face!

 

[secuono]

oh, how'd I miss that? That's funny, he's a boar! Had a mini pig boar that would do that, a lot stronger than they look.
Well, since he doesn't know hot wire, if you make it HOT, he should respect it. Until he learns to crawl under it or notices his mane will insulate him... Glaring at two of my morons on that one! Had to lower it to about 18in from the ground.
If you put a couple strands between the corral panel rails, he can learn they bite without risking running through it from the surprise. Then move it over as a stand alone fence. Or put the netting close to the panels, then moving it. Certainly high visibility. And, glaring at my past pigs on that one! They took forever to train to hot wire & never could be just the wire, had to have a solid fence behind. They would try to run through when zapped & then race up n down between the wire & fence....... So much for pigs being smart. Anywho, you don't want the mini to bolt through the netting the first few times he meets hot wire. Rare a horse would, but there's always a dummy who defies logic & common sense.

 

[Abby P]

He has a pretty strong sense of self-preservation it seems so I don't *think* he'd be stupid about it but you never know. Reports from the barn today say that he hasn't yet been able to move my latest compilation of fixes. But give him a few days! I won't rest on my laurels just yet.

 

[Abby P]

Snuck in an extra visit today and 48h in, the fence is still in place. I pounded in some more stakes and left him rather angrily eating hay while plotting his next incursion attempt.

 

[Willow Flats]

Abby, if you put stakes in where the feet are on those panels he won't be able to move them. That is the safest best thing to do in my opinion. I have an area where I have done this and they put their heads through and keep the border nice and tidy. Lol

 

[Abby P]

Already done! But he has in fact managed to bust a few of them. I think though now that almost all the feet have stakes, that will result in less play in the fence and it will be much harder for him to break the stakes.

 

[Willow Flats]

Maybe replace them as he breaks them? I use these steel stakes. Or you can use rebar. You can get both at Home Depot. Drive them straight in. You don't need the boards. I put that in after the fact to hold in some footing.

 

[Abby P]

Thanks! Yeah, if I need to continue long-term with the panels then I was thinking of rebar or else just driving a few metal T-posts behind the panels to hold them. I can't really imagine setting up and removing these panels every year though! And I'm sure the barn owner will want them back at some point. So I'll ultimately end up with something electric, most likely.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

An electric fence anecdote: I have a large area in the pasture partitioned off with electric fencing for my horses, just to keep them in closer sometimes. Dapper Dan got zapped over 15 years ago one time and he has never challenged it since. He just recognizes the boundary. He knows when the electric fence gate is down, though, and will cross. But Midnight... Lately we caught her pushing on the fencing, which has been turned off for several months. So we had to turn it back on. Zap! We'll leave it on for a week or so, to teach her a lesson.
Our fencing is attached to metal T posts. The top wire is about 18" high. None of my horses have ever gotten out when it's hot. I can step over it.
This does not answer the question about sheep fencing, but an electric fence is by nature temporary, so it seems easier to me than a bunch of panels. And I've heard of a horse that got its hoof caught between the panels and broke its leg. And those stakes look risky to me.

 

[Abby P]

Thanks! Yes, next year it'll be electric in some form or another, for sure.

Rowan isn't much interested in putting his feet near the fence, it seems (can't eat through your feet after all ), but of course anything can happen! I think he'll definitely be the type to challenge the electric so I'll make sure I have a good charger on it. The good news is, he's back to eating more hay now and seems to be losing weight so the situation is doing its job.