We have the east pasture now enclosed, split into two paddocks. The sheep are currently all in one, but they will soon be split into two flocks; ewes and rams separated so that we can control breeding.
This is a big step in convenience for us. We had hoped to use devon hedges, but it soon became quite clear that the sheep were far too nimble for that to be a viable solution. Four foot tall steel field fence (a square mesh with squares each about four inches across) will keep them firmly where they belong, or so we hope and believe. It was not too hard getting them in there, but separation might be trickier. It may have to be a staged event with multiple efforts. While it is possible that the sheep might jump that fence in panic flight, it is definitely more than they casually jump. The temporary fencing was only jumped by Bolivar when it sagged.
The temporary paddock area will be thoroughly sowed with pasture seed mix so that it can recover well. We will have to undo everything there. We have not yet moved the shelters to the new paddock, but there are lots of trees which afford the sheep excellent shelter, so it is not a major concern for now. We have however put a trough with water for the sheep in the new paddock, and siphoned water from a rain barrel to meet their needs.
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