# Coyote proof fence for my sheep?



## creeksidelc (Aug 4, 2014)

Here is a picture of some fence I'm building. My place has over a mile of perimeter fence, some field fenced and some barb wire. I don't have the money to replace it all with field fencing but barb wire and electric fence is cheap so I am planning on running this around the whole place. Hot wires on top and bottom and 7-8 strands of barb wire in the middle with stays every 4 ft. Do you think this will be an effective predator deterent to keep my sheep safe?


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

How tall is it? How high can coyotes jump? I would run a white el tape on top. This is to keep goats and deer from running into the fence. The deer will be able to see there is a fence there, and how high they have to jump in order to clear it.


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## ArmyDoc (May 13, 2007)

Better than hot on top and bottom would be hot ground hot ground every other wire all the way up.


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## creeksidelc (Aug 4, 2014)

I would have done the hot then ground but only the top and bottom are electric. The rest are barb wire. The fence is 50 inches tall.


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## oldasrocks (Oct 27, 2006)

50 inches won't even slow a coyote down.


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

In my opinion there is no such thing as a coyote proof fence. But a good LGD lets me have peace of mind.


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## Kasidy (Oct 20, 2002)

I ran 65 head of ewes (and their lambs) inside a five strand electric fence for 17 years. Not a single ewe out, not a single coyote in! I did put them in the corral at night. Five foot high corral fence. And we have lots of coyotes in this area.
I did have dogs get in twice, luckily I was out in the garden both times and dealt with the situation. Coyotes sneak up, touch the fence, and get shocked. Dogs see the sheep, run to chase them, go through the fence so fast they do not feel the shock.


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## sky61 (Feb 9, 2013)

Coyotes can scale tall fences. That being said, the conventional wisdom is that with electric fence the coyote will touch a hot wire at the bottom or the top and decide to go elsewhere. It is assumed they will not attempt to leap the fence in one bound like a deer would, but try to climb over the top of a 5 foot fence (or similar), much like a dog would climb a tall fence. Coyotes will also dig under a fence, but the lower electric wire should prevent this. I have coyotes in the area and use 4.5 foot electric netting to try to secure the sheep. So far so good, but nothing is one hundred percent. I think someone earlier mentioned about putting livestock in a smaller more secure paddock at night. This might also be an option. I only notice the coyotes at night, but understand that they are shrewd and opportunistic. Just some thoughts, your mileage may vary.


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## Hexe (Mar 8, 2007)

Nice fence!

Wanta come to our place and keep building to stay in practice?...


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## farmerDale (Jan 8, 2011)

Ugh, coyotes, the bane of my soul.

My answer would be it depends on the coyote. Some jump, some dig, some climb, some squeeze.

My next fence is going to be 6 feet high, and be a multi strand high tensile wire, zapping machine!

I had a 54 inch fence that encloses my chickens. Coyotes were clearing this fence. I raised it to right around 6 feet. No more jumping, but they did dig under.

Lousy beggars!

It looks like a good fence, other than the height perhaps. Depends on the coyote. I think you may stop or repel most. But then there are the high jump experts!


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## Maxpowers (Apr 4, 2012)

I went to a coyote/wolf rescue and asked what I needed to keep them out of my sheep pastures. In their coyote areas they had 10' fences and then at the top the fences angled inwards. They said coyotes could climb a 10' fence without the angled part at the top. 

I think a hot line on top and bottom will make a big difference. They'll go up to sniff around, get zapped and run off. I have a 4' fence without coyote issues but I didn't let the lambs in that pasture until they were three months old. 

Coyotes are opportunistic, surviving on the easiest meal they can get, mostly rodents. They'd have to get pretty ---- hungry before they'd confront an adult sheep.


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## creeksidelc (Aug 4, 2014)

Thanks for the replies. I'm hoping this will slow them down enough to where if one does get in my lgd can take care of him. I just don't want him getting overtaken by a whole pack until I can get a couple more dogs to back him up.


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## AlienChick (Feb 13, 2012)

Yes, with your fencing and hot wires, I don't see a "whole pack" of coyotes getting in at the same time. A hungry opportunistic coyote maybe, but your LGD should keep them away.


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## purplequeenvt (Mar 3, 2013)

Maxpowers said:


> Coyotes are opportunistic, surviving on the easiest meal they can get, mostly rodents. *They'd have to get pretty ---- hungry before they'd confront an adult sheep.*


Not my experience, but maybe my coyotes are just special. We lost 3 adult sheep last year (2 in one night). Coyotes hunt in groups and taking down an adult sheep or a deer is no problem to them.

I now have LGDs and the coyotes haven't attempted to kill anything with the dogs right there, but I know they would if we left anyone unguarded. All of our sheep are either with a dog or brought into a secure paddock at night. The coyotes routinely come into the barnyard (barn is very close to the house - 75 feet maybe) to check things out and poop right outside the fences to taunt the LGDs.

We had a trapper set some traps a couple weeks ago and we've caught 5 coyotes so far.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Hang some tinfoil smeared with grease or peanut butter on the hot wire to "educate" the coyotes to respect the fence.


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## creeksidelc (Aug 4, 2014)

Great idea fish head!! I'll give that a try. Hopefully my lgd won't try it, but he already got zapped shortly after I turned him on so I believe he wouldn't mess with it.


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## Rectifier (Jun 12, 2011)

Wow quite the fence! We only have 2 hot HT wires that were added to an existing 4-wire cattle fence. Keeps the sheep in, dogs keep the coyotes out. The government documents recommend a single hot wire on standoffs on the outside of the fence, to discourage diggers. I've not tried it, but while you're putting up all that wire... 

I actually like my fence having a couple spots for the dogs to slip in and out. That way they are free to respond to predator presence in the entire area, and can guard multiple pastures at once. I don't think any fence can be 100% coyote proof so I would rather my dogs get through to chase them.

If you've not money for field fence, I wouldn't waste the money on barb! I am through with buying barbed wire. I would go all smooth wire and energize the lot, possibly with alternating grounds. Neither sheep nor coyotes respect barbed wire. They will go through the middle. Get some springs on there and tension up some smooth wire, nothing will go through!

Edit: Well... with that much barb no sheep is getting through. But with HT electric you would need far fewer strands.


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## creeksidelc (Aug 4, 2014)

When I bought the place it was all 5 strands of barb and a few areas were field fenced. Ive decided that any new fences I build will be field fences but it is a lot cheaper to add 2 or three strands of barb to the existing than to re fence with field fence. I would love to do it all in field fence but with a little over a mile of perimeter fence thats just not in the budget right now.


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