How to Build a Sheep Fence

Keeping sheep penned is challenging. They are much cleverer than their reputations imply. Sheep squeeze through small openings, find ways to unlatch gates and generally excel at getting themselves into trouble. Several types of fencing are available, including electric fence. However, electric fence only works on sheep, if they touch it with their noses; their wool protects the rest of their bodies from feeling the electric current. Therefore, basic wire fencing often works best with sheep.

Things You'll Need

  • 5-ft. high woven-wire fence
  • 6-ft. T-posts
  • T-post clips
  • T-post driver
  • 2 7-ft. metal line posts
  • Cement
  • Fence stretcher
  • 14-gauge galvanized steel wire roll
  • 5-ft. high chain-link gate
  • Two galvanized steel gate post hinges
  • Galvanized steel fork latch
  • Needlenose pliers
  • Lock for the gate
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Use woven-wire fencing. Welded wire fence is cheaper, but the welded joins do not stand up to persistent sheep. If a sheep sees some tasty looking greenery on the other side of the fence, it will push and squirm and nose at the fence trying to reach the food. This stress often causes the weld to break and the wires to come apart. Even a little progress gives the sheep incentive to keep working at the opening and pretty soon the hole is big enough to admit the entire sheep.

    • 2

      Decide where you are going to put the fence. Pound the fence posts in with your T-post driver. Place the posts 6 feet apart on level ground, a little closer on slopes. Drive them 1 foot into the ground.

    • 3

      Dig two 2-foot deep holes for your gate posts. Mix your cement. Set one of your metal line posts in each hole and cement them in place. Let the cement harden.

    • 4

      Unroll the woven wire fence. Start at the highest point of the field, so gravity helps the unrolling process. Attach the end of the fence to the first T-post with the T-post clips using needlenose pliers. Place a clip at the top, middle and bottom of the T-post. Fasten your 14-gauge galvanized steel wire to the top of the first T-post. Run it diagonally to the bottom of your second T-post. Pull it taut and secure it to the bottom of the T-post. This will keep the fence from pulling over your first T-post.

    • 5

      Use the fence stretcher to pull the unrolled fence to its full length on level ground or as far as possible in a straight line if on a slope. Attach the stretched fence to the second, third, fourth, T-posts, and so on, using the T-post clips. Continue until the the entire length of the fence is attached to the T-posts. On sloping ground, you will need to stop and stretch another length of fence at each change in gradient.

    • 6

      When you reach the metal line post for the gate, attach the fencing to it by winding the 14-gauge wire around the fence and the line post. Fasten a new piece of wire fencing to the the other line post and continue stretching the fence and securing it to the T-posts until you have fenced the entire area.

    • 7

      Install your gate between the two metal line posts using your gate post hinges. Attach the fork latch.