How to Build a Sheep Pen

Small pens are a necessity when handling sheep, as a flock will group together tightly when nervous or fearful. Small pens enable you to separate one or two to trim hooves, medicate or quarantine. They also allow you to separate lambs and ewes from the rest of the flock for a short time to keep the babies safe. Pens that are quickly and easily constructed where you need them are a valuable addition to your farm.

Things You'll Need

  • 5 16-foot welded-wire panels
  • 10 to 14 carabiner clips
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Instructions

    • 1

      Determine and purchase the type of panels that you need. If a pen is to be used primarily for lambing, you will want to order pig panels, which have smaller holes around the bottom of the panels. For adult sheep, you can use cattle panels, which have larger gaps between the wires.

    • 2

      Create a square pen by clipping four of the panels together with the carabiners, one at the top of each corner and the other at the bottom of each corner. You will be able to quickly unclip and open a panel to put the sheep into the pen and then close it in seconds to prevent escape.

    • 3

      Attach the fifth panel about a third of the way down from one corner of the square pen, then curve the panel around that corner, forming a bubble large enough for one sheep at a time. Clip the loose end of the fifth panel to the adjacent pen panel, leaving the corner of the pen able to be opened wide enough for a sheep.