How does one use/make sheep hurdles? Are they effective, mobile fencing?

I recently saw the term "sheep hurtle" in regards to mobile fencing. I'd never heard of this term before, so I started looking for info. It looks like they can be made in a variety of ways, like


(From http://www.conservationandaccess.co.uk/making-a-cleft-sheep-hurdle/. It also goes into some great detail as to how to make that type of hurtle)


(From https://www.lowimpact.org/lowimpact-topic/hurdles/ It looks more like a woven wattle fence to me, but maybe I just don't understand the distinctions.)

My question is, how does a shepherd use these things? Are they easily moved? Do they actually keep the sheep in, or do they escape? Can a whole paddock be made of them? I have dreams of one day having little sheep (maybe Shetlands?) for wool and maybe milk and meat, but I don't know the best way to move them from area to area.

Thank you!

The first pic reminds me of sheep/goat panels made of metal tubing. They interlock. They are self standing in a zig zag pattern or in a circle. For stalls, 4 together in a square will self support.

Its not uncommon to use them around deer feeders. Keeps the cows out but the deer can jump over.

The name is 'hurdle' not 'hurtle' ... unless that's the US version of misspelling English like colour/color, favour/favor, etc!

In athletics (track and field) there's events involving hurdles - they run and jump over them. Some horse races also include ones made from hedges, equestrian events too.

They're a common way of making, usually, temporary pens in a larger field so animals can be grouped for whatever reason.

The common material these days are lightweight steel post and rails, though for bigger animals like cattle and camels they use heavy duty ones moved around by tractors, etc.

If you search images for 'dog herding trials' they typically show pens made from hurdles.

So, a property would normally have it's perimeter fence made from plain or barbed wire depending on the stock being kept, a few larger enclosures maybe also made from the same, but to 'draft' animals from a larger group - like rams from ewes - they may use a small pen made from hurdles.

So, yeah, these pens could be made from traditional materials, but would need to be robust to take the knocks of animals in a confined space.

They're only meant to be temporary enclosures so work can be done on animals - tagging, drenching, hoof maintenance, collection for trucking to market, etc.

The traditional ones do look pretty though.

They're only meant to be temporary enclosures so work can be done on animals - tagging, drenching, hoof maintenance, collection for trucking to market, etc.  

Came here to say this same thing.

You could use one as a movable gate if you went with a fixed radial paddock shift system( all paddocks/pastures meeting up at a central point, then transfer livestock between paddocks), instead of having to purchase and mount multiple gates.

F Agricola wrote:The name is 'hurdle' not 'hurtle' ... unless that's the US version of misspelling English like colour/color, favour/favor, etc!

I'm probably just spelling it wrong! I can never remember is wattle fencing has Ds or Ts, either. I'm amazed I didn't spell hurdles "Hurttles"

I've seen these made from wire and (2"? Certainly not larger..) pvc, quite large to make a mobile pen from 4 or 6 panels. They worked. They didn't work *well*, and I recall some broken pvc.. but despite being underbuilt the sheep did not escape.

These are a traditional fencing material here in the UK, but as has been said above they are for temporary lightweight fencing. Half a dozen panels can be lashed together and carried on a farmers back to the fields.

They are made from hazel poles, split down their length and woven. To make them, a jig is needed. Usually this is a heavy oak or chestnut beam laid on the ground. Holes are drilled where you want the uprights to be. I’m not doing this description justice.

Here is a video instead. Note that height and length is down to the users preference, and you can even make long lengths in situ, by driving the posts into the soil and weaving a continuous fence.

We just started making some of these. Found a good buy on 1x2x10 boards, we have a bottle lamb and made a outside pen for him. We are going to use them to separate and make lambing areas. Also to help heard and load the sheep. These are very light and we use old 14g copper wire to hold the corners together. I made two different spacing so that one rail goes on top the other.

I was thinking of using them to separate parts of pastures. Easy to move we also use cattle panels, but they have gotten so expensive. This may be a lower cost solution.

The traditional style looks heavy, also had sharpened bottoms. Carry a mallet and some string and poof instant sheep corral. Watch the bbc series on farming, they use them alot. It's now available on Amazon prime.

Thanks
Brian
3HR