Sheep in the rain?

[nsanywhere]

I have 4 sheep, they are my pets and live very well! I have a 1/4 acre grazing pen with a shelter (hay, minerals, etc.) and I put them out on other parts of the property during the day in an electric moveable fence with water, often near at least one tree for some shade.

I'm in the northeast and this year is super rainy, almost a thunderstorm a day! I hate to put them out, then back in, then back out...

So, I'm wondering, is it ok to leave them in the moveable pen without shelter when its raining? thunderstorms seem to scare them so I don't want them tangling up in the fence and getting hurt, upset, etc.

I know I don't manage them like a 100+ farm herd, but would still like some advice.

Thanks!

 

[marliah]

sounds like a similar setup to what I have going on except I don't have the moveable electric netting (yet ) I don't know the answer to your question but I am glad to see someone else small scale sheep farming!

 

[miss_thenorth]

My sheep stay out in the rain, unless it starts pouring, then they head to the barn. but they can tolerate the rain. Is tehre any way you could set up a movable canopy type thing, so they have a bit of shelter? You could move that when you move the netting, and then you wouldn't have to worry about bringing them into the barn.

 

[patandchickens]

It is not going to kill them, but that said, mine anyhow sure do want somewhere to get out of heavy wind-driven t'storm downpours. I am sure they'd survive without a way to get out of it but they would not be happy campers at all.

Could you knock together a little moveable hut for them, either of plywood/pallets/whatever or hoop-style? It would not necessarily even *have* to have much of a roof, just a few-feet-high wall type thing they could tuck themselves against for shelter.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[rockdoveranch]

I am in Southwest Texas. The only shelter our herds have are oak trees. In time when money allows, we would like to build 2 sided shelters.

The most important thing to remember is that sheep can die of hypothermia. So, shelter or no shelter, sheep need a high dry place where they can get out of standing water, ice or snow when it is very cold.