Keeping in the pen is one of the methods of raising sheep, allowing animals to grow actively and enjoy good health. Sheep farmers build special fences of various types and designs. We learn how to choose the right place for the corral, and what to consider when building it.
Why do we need a corral: advantages and disadvantages
Not every person who decides to engage in raising and raising sheep has vast fields and meadows for their grazing. In such a situation, a corral will come to the rescue - a fenced area for the free keeping of animals.
Corral Benefits:
- Finding sheep is close to natural conditions, which positively affects their health, growth and productivity.
- Prevention of attacks of predators and dispersal of flocks.
- Cost saving - no need to hire shepherds.
The disadvantage of driving sheep is the need for additional green food and vitamin-mineral complexes in the diet of animals, since the vegetation growing in stationary pens is quickly eaten and trampled down.
Types of Corrals
Corrals are of several types:
- Koshara. It represents the territory on which there is a barn for sheep and a small place for their walking. Structures of a capital nature are being built in areas with a harsh climate, and light frame structures are used in warm regions. Koshara cannot completely replace walking.
- Stationary pens. Large areas for sheep grazing with a wooden fence around the perimeter. Animals in them move freely, but do not disperse. Such pens are in operation all season.
- Portable fence. It is assembled from metal sections that are mounted on pillars driven deep into the ground. When assembled, the pen takes up a small area. A significant advantage of this design is the ability to move as necessary to new areas with grass. In winter, the fence is kept unassembled.
- Baz. It is a stationary-type corral completely covered by a canopy. It is used in areas with frequent rainfall, so as not to drive a flock of sheep into the barn during bad weather.
Which option for fencing for flocks to choose depends on the availability of territories and finances, as well as on the planned number of livestock on the farm.
What is a corral design?
A universal solution is a stationary design. On its basis, nightmarish fences and bases are being erected. Most often, the pen has a rectangular shape with a height of at least 1 m.
Corral construction principles:
- Carefully strengthen the support posts and fix the partitions so that the animals cannot knock them out.
- Do the gates wide enough, with a reliable locking mechanism.
- Equip the shelter with a canopy where the sheep can hide from the scorching sun.
- Arrange the required number of drinking bowls and feeders.
If the herd is large, it is advisable to divide the fence into sectors. This will make it possible to distinguish the flock by age and functional groups: young animals, uterus with lambs, females with ram.
Sheep Corral Requirements
The constant keeping of sheep in sheds gradually leads to losses for the farmer. It is difficult and financially expensive to maintain constant cleanliness in the room, automatic feed and water supply. It is difficult to ensure high-quality ventilation, to observe the temperature regime and maintain the necessary microclimate for animals.
Locked sheep are often sick, there are signs of lack of movement, weight gain is inhibited, and reproduction is reduced.
In addition to the shepherd, it is necessary to build a corral that must meet the following requirements:
- The area of the pen should be significantly larger than the one occupied by the barn. Spaciousness in keeping is important for sheep, despite the fact that these animals are gregarious. Youngsters love to frolic, which is difficult in cramped conditions.
- The design must be reliable and stable in order to withstand the aggression of sheep, to prevent their dispersion, to protect against the penetration of predators.
Construction Materials
When erecting a sheepfold, the following building materials and equipment will be required:
- rope, stakes for marking;
- hand drill and / or shovel;
- roulette;
- building level;
- wooden poles or timber for support at least 2.5 m long;
- gate beam
- beams for a canopy;
- boards;
- roofing material;
- nails / screws and a hammer / screwdriver;
- bolts and nuts to them;
- bituminous mastic;
- brush;
- screenings, gravel or rubble;
- cement;
- container for mixing concrete mortar, bucket.
When choosing boards in the construction market, pay attention to defective wood. Boards with knots and irregularities, as well as other illiquid materials, are quite suitable for the corral - they will cope with their functions, and aesthetic properties in this case fall in second place. This approach allows you to save money, without compromising the quality of the final result.
Corral construction process
You can build a fence for sheep without resorting to the services of construction crews. Consult with knowledgeable people or read the available information on this subject. Having the blueprint on hand, having purchased the necessary materials and having made the markup, get to work.
How to choose a place?
When planning the construction of a sheep pen, take responsibility for choosing its location. It is highly desirable that it be a flat area with a low level of groundwater.
If there is a natural reservoir or stream nearby, then this will be a big plus when keeping animals. Otherwise, choose a site with a slight slope so that you can organize an artificial reservoir filled with storm water. Otherwise, think about automated drinking bowls, because the sheep refuse to drink stagnant water.
The area of the plot should be such that in addition to the construction of the shed there was the possibility of free grazing of sheep. Please note that there is a free access to the corral. If there are several access roads, this will be a significant advantage of the site.
Check with utilities if underground communications pass through the area. Their presence will become an obstacle to the construction of the pen.
Discard the site if:
- it is located in a wetland;
- has low relief or high hills;
- located in close proximity to roads or industrial enterprises;
- a cattle cemetery is located nearby;
- the pastures have soft soil or clay soil.
Marking and calculation of the area
In order not to make a mistake with the choice of the site, pre-calculate the necessary area of the corral. To do this, multiply the standards from the table below by the livestock of your herd.
Herd composition | Minimum veterinary area, sq. m per 1 individual |
Young growth | 0,8 |
Adult | 1 |
A sheep with a lamb | until 3 |
Ram manufacturer | 1,6 |
Example: There are 40 young goats. Need a corral area of S = 40 x 0.8 = 32 square meters. m
Having obtained a figure by mathematical calculations, compare it with the size of the selected area. If the minimum is met, and even “empty” square meters remain in stock, feel free to take to the drawings and construction planning.
If the area of the site is enough up close, or not enough at all, abandon the building. Another option would be to purchase another site for construction and to break the flocks into two parts.
Having decided on the site, proceed to the drawing work. This will help to visualize the future corral, with great accuracy to calculate the required amount of building materials. Another advantage of the drawing is the ability to make adjustments on paper, and not during construction.
Work order:
- Transfer all the dimensions of the corral onto graph paper, taking into account the scale, indicate the list and number of building materials in the list below. It’s easier to navigate the market, ordering and purchasing the necessary materials and equipment.
- Mark the territory in accordance with the planned size of the pen to indicate its boundaries. First, drive in small stakes indicating the corners of the building. Between them, pull a thread or rope. This landmark will serve for the smooth construction of walls and fences.
- Determine the location of the gate, opposite them, position the landmarks-stakes of the canopy. Calculate the location of the supporting pillars. Keep a distance between them of 1.3-1.7 m.
Terrain cleaning and preparatory work
The plot intended for the construction of a stationary corral needs to be prepared. For this:
- Cut off excess tall trees, if any. Sheep needs sunlight and enough shade under a canopy or from a pair of trees. After sawing up the roots.
- Clean the site of large objects: snags, tree trunks, boulders, etc. If necessary, align the area. Use a grader technique to offset high ground in the lowlands. Another option would be not raking the hills, but adding the soil brought in to the bumps on the surface of the site.
- If the area is heavily overgrown, mow the grass. If there is time before the flocks are launched into the pen, you can sow the area with herbs.
Prepare the support posts:
- To increase the operating life and prevent exposure to moisture in the soil, cover them with bituminous mastic, drying oil or used engine oil 1-1.3 m from the base. Rub the compound thoroughly into the tree. Do not leave even the slightest untreated stripes.
- After applying the protective layer, set the supports aside until they dry completely.
Hedge Installation Instructions
To install the pen, follow the algorithm of the following operations:
- Preparing pits for support columns. In the places of stake installation, when marking, dig holes with a diameter of 30-40 cm. Their depth depends on the type of soil. With dense soil, it will be enough to deepen by 50-60 cm, loose soil suggests a depression of 1-1.2 m. At the bottom of the pit, pour a layer of gravel or gravel 5 cm thick.
- Installation of supports. Dip the poles into the prepared pit, level them. To fix the column, build supports using any improvised materials. Check the vertical support again, correct if necessary. Fill the pit with concrete mortar. Install all the supports in this way. At the end of the work, take a break for 2-3 days so that the concrete mortar freezes.
- Cross member installation. Fix the first crossbar at a height of 15-20 cm from the surface of the earth, nailing it to the support with nails or screwing it with screws. The longer the board, the more solid the fence will be. Attach the next horizontal butt to the previous along the longitudinal axis of the column.
In this way, install the first row of boards, and then the rest to the top of the supports.It is possible to increase the reliability of the places where the boards are attached to the post if fixing is done through a section of the board parallel to the support. With this installation, the crossbars are inside the supporting structure.
The distance between the rows of crossbars is determined by the farmer. It can be either wired shield sections with minimal slots, or a fence with a distance between the crossbars of 15-20 cm.
Canopy
The canopy serves as a shelter for the sheep from the weather and scorching sunlight. The canopy area is calculated based on the norm of 0.8 square meters. m. for each individual.
Progress during the construction of the canopy:
- Make a carcass of the canopy of beams mounted on supporting poles, for example, using the corners:
Depending on the size of the structure, additional rows of support columns may be required. They are also installed as hedge supports.
- To strengthen the structure, additionally fasten the struts with screws - on both sides at an angle of 45 degrees from each support column:
- Fasten the rafters, using bolts and nuts, to the rafters with a section of 40 × 150 mm.
If the roof of the canopy is planned gable, then the middle row of poles should be higher than the extreme ones:
If the canopy area is large, then a counter-grill from the transverse boards with a distance between them of 0.5 m will be required: - Lay the roofing material on the roof frame. Give preference to the slate, because the profile is very hot in the summer - the sheep will not be comfortable. Slate and slate the sheet, fixing with slate nails and self-tapping screws, respectively. If the canopy is small, then the beams can be sheathed with a board, and a tarp can be fixed on top.
- To protect animals from blowing and drafts, close the back and side walls. To do this, use adobe, brick, cinder block, wood and other materials. The main thing is that there are no gaps in the walls, this ensures air circulation and retains heat.
Goal
Gates are recommended to be double or with a gate for people. The width of the gate should be such that 2-3 sheep pass freely, without creating congestion and panic.
Gate mounting:
- From the beam, collect the skeleton of the gate leaf in the form of a mirror Z. Fill the boards vertically or horizontally on it, leaving a gap of 10-15 cm between them.
- Assemble the second wing in the same way.
- Screw the canopies onto the workpieces and support poles with screws. Hang the door leaves, install lock mechanisms and locks on them.
Corral equipment
In the center of the fence, mount the sheep feeders and drinkers on the supports. Keep in mind that one tank is designed for 4-5 individuals.
Types of feeders used in pens:
- Tanks for feed. Their presence is important when animals are purposefully fattened for subsequent slaughter.
- Hay and grass feeders. They are a gutter made of slats with an intermediate distance between them of 10 cm. Its bottom is solid. For lambs, such a feeder is made in the form of a wooden box on legs with a total height of 45 cm. On top of the box laths are stuffed with a distance of 15 cm between them. This prevents the spread of hay.
- Container for lick salt. You can buy finished products or make yourself, for example, small troughs of wood.
- Drinking bowls. Recommended sizes of drinking bowls: width - 40 cm, height - 25 cm. Any material can be used for their manufacture. There are also automatic drinkers on sale.
Everything necessary for arranging the fence is provided on the farm goods market. True, the cost of such acquisitions is quite high. Doing it yourself is not difficult, but the cost is several times cheaper.
Sheep pen - the structure is not complicated, so you can build it yourself. Treat site selection responsibly, because the ability to expand your livestock depends on this decision. A do-it-yourself paddock will quickly pay for itself with excellent health, sheep growth and development.