I am getting tired of tethering my 2 sheep each day and ready to make the committment to electic fence (perminent fence will come next year). I currently have a small pen with a shelter that I keep them in at night. I thought it would be much easier to have portable shelter that could move with the fence. I figured that wood would be too heavy. I considered something made from cattle panels with tarp, but figured the sheep would tear up the tarp. This would be their shade in some areas so thought that a plastic calf hut would be too hot. What do others use? Thanks Tami in WI

-- Tami Bowser (windridg@chorus.net), July 14, 2000

Answers

Do you have a cooperative extension in your area? We got plans from them for a portable wood calf hutch...on skids, so would have to be moved with a tractor. I think for only 2 sheep the calf hutch you have should work. How about attaching a tarp over it to reflect the heat or cut an opening at top on other end for cross ventilation. I am always a little apprehensive about tethering sheep. I know of several cases where they strangled themselves.

-- Kate Henderson (sheeplady@catskill.net), July 14, 2000.

Tami don't give up on your cattle panel idea, just change from a plastic tarp to a canvas one. Most military surplus stores carry these and also lots of survival type magazines and tool magazines have them very resonable. Northern Tool & Equipment Co. www.NorthernTool.com or 1800-533-5545 I know that my husband gets lots of these types of catalogs surely others do also that have those really nice cavas tarps! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), July 14, 2000.

Cattle panels might be a bear to move. Here's a chicken tractor that shouldn't be too difficult to rig up for sheep by using a wire fencing. Could also put a tarp up if you wanted.

http://www.utm.edu/departments/ed/cece/idea/mopens.shtml

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), July 14, 2000.

Nasco has a nice shelter they sell, that is fairly light.... It said it for Calves, sheep and other livestock. It is a type of plastic,,, but it does not seem to get to hot.. and you can order it with a side window, as to let the breeze go through.

-- Bergere (Autumnhaus@aol.com), July 14, 2000.

Tethered sheep are very vulnerable to dog attacks. Hope you can get your electric fence up soon -- they will be a lot safer. I don't think the plastic calf hutches get too hot. Our neighbors used several for their sheep, as some of their paddocks didn't have sheds. If the hutch did get too warm inside, the sheep could usually find some shade around the edges of them. The tarp and cattle panel idea would probably be less expensive, though, as the calf hutches are pretty expensive.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), July 14, 2000.

Tami, if your looking for something to lock them up in at night, a calf hut might be the best option. My sheep would be furious since they graze at night, but I'd be hesitant about leaving tethered sheep out when there would be so many hours that they wouldn't be checked on, however, I have had to do it.

for shading purposes, what keeps popping into my mind are those dining awnings that are going on sale now. They're just a frame work with a plastic tarp-like roof that extends down the 4 splayed legs. I've seen at craft shows where people hang 5 gallon buckets of cement on the insides of the legs to keep the tent stable in most wind conditions. Check at your library and at the extension office not just for sheep shelters but for other animal shelters. You might find a sow shelter you could scale up, for example. If you have access to some poles or young trees you could cut, check out the more do-it-yourself type camping books and survival books. There are a lot of ways to hang a tarp to provide shelter. I don't really know how to describe the actual hanging, but the one way I'm thinking of would look, from an end like a lop-sided V. You could also set poles then cover them with woven straw mats or wattle. If I needed shade NOW for just a couple of sheep, I'd scrounge whatever I could for poles/fence posts. Then I'd set them in a rectangular shape with the narrow ends going basically east-west. The 2 on the south side would be lower then the 2 on the long north side. I'd slap on a piece of plywood, an old piece of paneling, whatever I could find. It wouldn't be expensive to make one in each area, or you could set poles in every area and move the roof. Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), July 14, 2000.

Oh, lots of good ideas-what did I expect? I may have mislead a little, they do have a shed and paddock where I keep them at night, and I do only put them out when I am home. I did get lucky today and found 80 tposts at a garage sale for 50 cents ea. I also got a fence stretcher for only $1. I was excited! Who cares about the designer jeans on the rack next door, give me fencing equipment! Thanks for all the ideas! Tami

-- Tami Bowser (windridg@chorus.net), July 14, 2000.

TAMI, THE OTHER DAY I WAS LOOKING AT MY SMALL FARM TODAY MAGAZINES. WERE GOING TO BE ADDING GOATS TO OUR LIVESTOCK. I WAS LOOKING FOR HOUSING. TRY www.port-a-hut.com or 800-882-4884 good luck PRISCILLA.

-- MRS PRISCILLA WILLIAMS (GP83196@AOL.COM), July 20, 2000.