Sheep pens

melboy

Hi,
I was goin to construct a few pens for sheep inside an old shed I have to be used during lambing etc, what would u recommend to be a practical size for keeping say one ewe while lambing. thanks in advance

rancher

melboy wrote: »

Hi,
I was goin to construct a few pens for sheep inside an old shed I have to be used during lambing etc, what would u recommend to be a practical size for keeping say one ewe while lambing. thanks in advance

I have texel ewes and I use 5ft by 5ft lambing pens and they need every bit of it

razor8

would agree with rancher 5 x 4 minimum i would reckon

Johnsey

I made some for the oul lad 3 years ago.I got 6 foot lengths of 4x1 from the local saw mills. They got dipped in the treatment tank to make them a little more durable. I made 6 foot hurdles for the sides and four foot ones for the fronts. The timber cost me 1 euro a piece. The six foots took 7 pieces and the 4 foots took 5 pieces. So pens are six foot by four. He runs a commercial flock and they were big enough for them. Hasn't had a ewe lay on a lamb yet and triplets go into a 6 x 6 pen and never a problem. Hope this is some help.

Username John

I made some up last year - both 5ft x 5ft and 5ft x 4ft. I used the smaller ones for singles.
As I left it til last minute of course, they were made in a hurry
I just got a load o 4inch x 1inch timber - left about 4inch space between boards, they about 3ft high.
I put two together with strap hinges on one side of them, just to make it easier to manage, when penning - as you could tie one side, open the other, put the sheep in and just close it across, and then tie it up. Worked good enough I thought...

rancher

Username John wrote: »

I made some up last year - both 5ft x 5ft and 5ft x 4ft. I used the smaller ones for singles.
As I left it til last minute of course, they were made in a hurry
I just got a load o 4inch x 1inch timber - left about 4inch space between boards, they about 3ft high.
I put two together with strap hinges on one side of them, just to make it easier to manage, when penning - as you could tie one side, open the other, put the sheep in and just close it across, and then tie it up. Worked good enough I thought...

I like the sides to be sheeted, I find ewe lambs in particular get very distracted when they can see other lambs

snowman707

ours are 6X4 which we find work well

the hurdles are used for a mobile handling unit during the summer months

as rancher mentioned it 's good to have them sheeted ... this wouldn't suit our mobile set up so we just use some split plastic bags and cable ties to blind them off

Chiliroses

melboy wrote: »

Hi,
I was goin to construct a few pens for sheep inside an old shed I have to be used during lambing etc, what would u recommend to be a practical size for keeping say one ewe while lambing. thanks in advance

I would use 5x5, 6x4 work well too, you need to leave plenty space especially for bigger ewes or she could crush the lamb/s.:)

HillFarmer

Any photos guys..?

rancher

HillFarmer wrote: »

Any photos guys..?

After 30 years sheepfarming, I finally bought purpose built lambing pens. 5ft by 5ft made from recycled polythene.
Solway2.jpg

razor8

them ones are pricey!

rancher

razor8 wrote: »

them ones are pricey!

16 5 by 5 pens +32 buckets + 2 headlock gates +lamb hotbox came to 2200 euros.
Was supposed to make them over the winter but had to have surgery and couldn't bend or lift for months, Very happy with them now, easy cleaned, light and won't rot or rust, doubt if I would have been any better off to make them myself

Farmer Pudsey

rancher wrote: »

16 5 by 5 pens +32 buckets + 2 headlock gates +lamb hotbox came to 2200 euros.
Was supposed to make them over the winter but had to have surgery and couldn't bend or lift for months, Very happy with them now, easy cleaned, light and won't rot or rust, doubt if I would have been any better off to make them myself

With your operation rancher you can afford them, better than giving 1100 euro to the taxman, they look well will never rot, easy to power wash at end of season and easily moved/setup/takendown

Username John

rancher wrote: »

After 30 years sheepfarming, I finally bought purpose built lambing pens. 5ft by 5ft made from recycled polythene.
Solway2.jpg

Hi rancher,
Nice setup - I looked at it there again, and I noticed there was no hay or silage feed?
Was wondering how you feed hay / silage, or what do you do?

We feed hay, and I got a few of these last year, and they handy enough.

rancher

Username John wrote: »

Hi rancher,
Nice setup - I looked at it there again, and I noticed there was no hay or silage feed?
Was wondering how you feed hay / silage, or what do you do?

We feed hay, and I got a few of these last year, and they handy enough.

We feed straw and meal when they come in for the winter, handy system, takes extra meal but silage/hay aint cheap either, then when they go into their individual pens, all you need is the straw under them along with the meal