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sheep fencing in the suburbs

 
pollinator
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Location: suburbs of Chicago USDA zone 5b
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I'm working on firming up my plans to get a small flock of sheep, but the area where I'm stuck is fencing. The existing fence around our property is wood horse fencing, mostly lined with welded wire. I'd trust it to keep sheep in, but not to keep coyotes out. Because we have neighbors on 2 sides, we can't add a hot wire to the fence. Electronet inside the perimeter fence is a possibility, but I've heard conflicting information about whether or not it is safe if the sheep have horns. Aside from that, I'm not really sure what my options are for predator protection and pasture rotation. Any thoughts?
 
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Premier 1 netting works great for our sheep, though they don't have horns. I don't think it would cause problems though, I know plenty of people who keep horned cattle in netting with no issues....Are you stuck to a particular breed that has horns if it is a big concern of yours?
You could also call premier 1 (they are sheep experts and the company actually maintains a flock of sheep) and ask if they have issues with horned sheep.
 
Thea Olsen
pollinator
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Location: suburbs of Chicago USDA zone 5b
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Premier1 is looking like a good option for us. I haven't settled on a breed yet, but 2 of the top 3 contenders have horns.
 
Jt Glickman
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What breeds are you looking at? We have hair sheep that we are using for meat and they are awesome. Very hardy and low maintenance. We have two breeds, katahdin and black belly barbados.
 
Thea Olsen
pollinator
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The main 3 I'm considering are Shetland, Icelandic and Babydoll Southdown. I'm a spinner and a vegetarian, so I wouldn't really have any use for hair sheep.

 
Jt Glickman
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Sounds good, best wishes on your sheep endeavor!
 
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