sheep shade/cover

[kelpiegirl]

hi everyone

Am hitting tractor supply and agway today for some last minute needs for the sheep. I need your advice on a shelte for the sheep. No trees in this pasture, and they need somewhere to go for shade, and perhaps if it rains. The guy who runs the agway suggested attaching a tarp to the fence, and then to two posts, and use that. The fence is really tall perimeter, where I will be keeping them, so it may work. I have seen small shelters for calves, but of course they are not logical- too small, and I want good air flow- we ARE getting into hot summer. I only want something for the time being as this is all new, and I want to make sure this works out- before I invest in something permanent. I would be willing to go for a pre-fab shelter that I could take with me/move when the time did come.

Any ideas?

 

Julie

[juliepoudrier]

How much money can you spend? One of those metal carports would fit the bill and would look nicer than a tarp attached to the fence, but you're lokking at $500-700 for it. FWIW, I used a tarp connected pretty much as described by the Agway guy and it worked fine. If you slope it then it will allow less water to pool on it when it rains. My sheep are not so inclined to go under cover when it rains (I've seen them just lie out in the rain all day chewing their cuds), but they do like shade in the summer (but they are wool sheep, and I imagine hair sheep would suffer less without shade). Remember that the tarp will hold heat beneath it, so unless there's a breeze, the shade it provides might not be appealing to the sheep because of the "heat trapping." Be sure to place the silver side out. Or you could use as an alternative to tarps some sort of shade netting (woven plastic) that allows airflow but would also provide some shade. I think that stuff is pretty expensive too, though, but you wouldn't need much. You can also make a "hoop barn" out of cattle panels and cover that with a tarp. If you place it to take advantage of prevailing winds, it should be breezy, which would mitigate the effects of the tarp's heat retention. Any structure you put in the field will throw shade at certain times of the day. So, if you think something like a calf hut (or any of those Porta-hut type structures) would work for you for the purpose of penning up sheep, get something like that and figure out a way to open up the back end some for air flow. You can use it as a little barn and it will throw off shade (and be a windbreak in cold weather) that the sheep can use. Of course, trees are best.

 

J.

[Pipedream Farm]

Julie,

 

Have you seen these websites (lots of info)?

 

Sheep 101

Sheep 201

Maryland Small Ruminant Page

 

Mark

[mbernard2424]

I made shelters using cattle panels "hooped", nailed to a wooden frame and covered with a tarp. Do a web search for cattle panel shelters. It is like a hoop house. It will work fine if you don't have to move it and can stake it down so wind doesn't blow it down. Because I use electronet, I had to move mine so it became impractical. I'll be making new ones by cutting the cattle panel in half and then making an A-frame type of shelter.

 

Michelle

[ClickMeBC]

We built a 12x12 three-sided shed for the sheep, and it's excellent for keeping them in the shade and cool and it will keep them warm should they end up needing shelter in the winter. It took a lot of work and time, though, so may not be the most convenient. The reason I mention it - they sell similar sheds at places like Home Depot and other home improvement retail centers, but they're anywhere from $500-$2000, depending on size. It could be something to keep in mind, however, for when you're looking to add more sheep.

 

I've seen people just stake down small pop-up tents, with and without the tarp sides. I don't know how sturdy an EZ up is, but it seems to work for some.