Chickens and sheep in electric net fencing?

I didn't know weather to put this in the sheep or chicken section. We have 30 layers (growing to 50 by the end of the year). They will be in an eggmobile, on pasture, with 4 American blackbelly sheep and a donkey(guard animal). Blackbellys lamb twice a year so their numbers will grow quickly.Can someone advise me on the best electric net fencing for tis setup? Strong enough to keep the larger animals in but small enough to protect the hens? And does anyone have a similar system? If so what are your thoughts on it? Thanks!

hiya. I keep my chooks and sheeps seperate cos I like to pass the chickens a bit later, to clear up any parasite larva(takes about a week to turn into maggots)..I use a standard sheep netting( get one that kinda "stands up" on its own, a bit) on really difficult land( old vine terraces in the Ardèche, France) more than 45°slope. Works a treat!..I use a electro net, finer weave, for the chooks...I don't shut the hen house at night. Everything fine. In the area there are pinemartins, stoats , foxes, wild boar, and hunters' dogs(honestly, the biggest constraint...some folk just don't know how to train their beasts!!)..Hope this helps.

You can't really keep chickens and sheep together because the sheep will eat all the chicken grain, and if they eat too much, they'll get bloat or enterotoxemia and could die.

Chickens have to have poultry netting because they can walk through the holes in the ElectroNet for sheep and goats.

I don't like using poultry netting with sheep and goats because lambs and kids can get tangled in it because of the vertical strings. The actual sheep and goat fencing has plastic struts instead.

sheep don't go well in electric fencing because they have the wool and it is such a good insulator.

It's true that sheep don't do well in traditional electric fencing because they can go squeeze between the strands. ElectroNet is a completely different product though. It's an electrified net, so the sheep cannot go through it. Although our Shetlands will go through old-fashioned electric fencing without batting an eye, we never had any issues with them going through the ElectroNet.

update from my part of the world: I did end up keeping them separate with their own proper fence. BUT I wanted to let you all know that we had a long story kind of situation where we needed to put the sheep in our extra poultry netting. I called premier 1 and asked them what they thought about it. They told me that their poultry netting is wonderful sheep and goat netting. They only advise the goat and sheep fencing because its way easier to put it up. currently we have 2 sets of the sheep and 3 sets of the poultry, so half the time our goats and sheep are in the poultry net. we haven't had a issue at all. The chickens are always in the poultry net, although they can fly out f that just as easy as the sheep and goat. We give them enough space I don't think their too interested in trying to escape. Obviously everyones situation is different. I just wanted to share with you our success, just incase your in a pinch like we were!

Most sheep don't do well with electric fencing because of the wool, but blackbellies are a hair breed (no wool; coat more like a goat's). I'd think they would do fine.

I do agree that it's better to run the chickens through several days later. Give parasites time to begin developing in the sheep poo...then the chickens can find and eat them. Reduce your vet costs!

Libbie Hawker wrote:Most sheep don't do well with electric fencing because of the wool, but blackbellies are a hair breed (no wool; coat more like a goat's). I'd think they would do fine.

I do agree that it's better to run the chickens through several days later. Give parasites time to begin developing in the sheep poo...then the chickens can find and eat them. Reduce your vet costs!

We actually ended up getting 1 wool, 2 will/hair crosses, and 2 hair. as well as 2 goats. they are all doing awesome.