Sheep Fencing Guide

Overview

Sheep fencing is designed to contain sheep safely while protecting them from predators and preventing escape. Because sheep are agile, curious, and often push against barriers, fencing systems must balance strength, spacing, height, and cost efficiency.

This guide covers the most effective sheep fencing types, material comparisons, installation methods, cost planning, and predator-resistant strategies. It is ideal for small farms, commercial operations, and rotational grazing setups.

This page focuses specifically on sheep containment systems. For cattle or mixed livestock fencing, refer to the Cattle Fencing Guide and Goat Fencing Guide.

What This Guide Covers

Woven Wire Sheep Fencing

Woven wire is the gold standard for sheep containment — sheep are escape artists that exploit any gap, loose staple, or low spot in a fence. Field fence (also called woven wire or stock fence) with spacing of 6×6 inches or tighter on the bottom half prevents lambs from pushing through while containing adult ewes. The bottom wire should contact the ground to prevent sheep from crawling under, and the fence should be a minimum of 48 inches tall for most breeds.

Fixed-knot woven wire outperforms standard knotted field fence for sheep applications because the knots don't slip under pressure. Sheep test fences continuously, particularly when they can see or smell something on the other side. Fixed-knot wire maintains consistent spacing even when pushed. Budget $4–$7 per linear foot installed for standard woven wire sheep fencing with wooden posts at 8-foot spacing.

Electric Sheep Fencing

Electric fencing for sheep requires higher voltage than cattle because wool insulates sheep from lower-voltage shocks. A minimum of 4,000 volts (measured under load) is necessary for reliable sheep containment — many experienced shepherds aim for 6,000–7,000 volts. Low-impedance energizers are essential for sheep because wool touching the wire creates a partial short that rapidly drains underpowered energizers. Size energizers generously: a 2-joule energizer for every mile of fence rather than the minimum specification.

Electric netting (also called sheep net or poultry net) is the most effective portable electric option for sheep. The close-spaced horizontal wires create a visual and physical barrier sheep recognize, and the 35-inch or 42-inch height contains most breeds. Net fencing moves easily for rotational grazing and is effective against most predators when energized to adequate voltage. The main maintenance requirement is keeping vegetation from shorting the bottom net strands.

Predator-Proof Sheep Fencing

Sheep are highly vulnerable to coyotes, domestic dogs, and in some regions, wolves and mountain lions. Effective predator exclusion requires a physical barrier that prevents digging under and climbing over. A 48-inch woven wire fence with a bottom apron (12 inches of mesh folded outward and staked to the ground) stops digging predators. Adding a strand of hot electric wire on the outside at 6–8 inches from the ground completes the system. This combination stops coyotes in most North American sheep-producing regions.

Livestock guardian dogs (LGDs) are often more effective than fence alone for predator protection — a Pyrenees, Anatolian, or Kangal living with the flock provides active deterrence that fence cannot. Most experienced sheep producers combine good perimeter fencing with one or more LGDs as the complete predator control system. LGDs require their own secure shelter and feeding arrangements separate from sheep to function effectively.

Sheep Fence Height & Spacing

Standard sheep fence height is 48 inches for ewes and most breeds. Rams and fence-jumping breeds (some Merinos, Rambouillet) require 54–60 inches. Bottom wire spacing is the critical safety specification: wires should be spaced no more than 6 inches apart at the bottom to prevent lambs from pushing through. A common mistake is using cattle field fence (with 8-inch bottom spacing) for sheep — lambs escape immediately through the wider openings.

Wire spacing also affects predator vulnerability. Coyotes can push through openings wider than 4 inches when motivated by lambs inside. For maximum predator resistance, use no-climb horse fence (2×4 inch mesh) along the bottom 24 inches of the fence, topped with standard field fence or high-tensile wire. This combination adds cost but dramatically reduces predator losses in high-pressure areas.

Portable Sheep Fencing

Portable electric netting systems allow shepherds to move sheep through paddocks in rotational grazing systems without installing permanent cross-fencing. Standard sheep netting is 35 or 42 inches tall with posts every 10–12 feet and bottom line kept off the ground by 2–4 inches to prevent shorting. A good solar energizer handles up to 500 meters of netting. The entire system rolls up and moves in under an hour with practice.

The limitation of portable netting is voltage maintenance — vegetation contact and wet conditions reduce voltage to ineffective levels quickly if not monitored. Daily voltage checks during active grazing season are standard practice for operations depending on net fencing for predator protection. Some shepherds use net fencing for daily grazing then move sheep to a hardened predator-proof night paddock, reducing risk during the most vulnerable hours.

Woven Wire Sheep Fencing

High-tensile woven wire is the most common sheep fencing solution because its tight vertical and horizontal spacing prev