How to Fence Sheep: Strand Counts, Heights and Why It's Not the Same as Cattle

Sheep aren't escape artists the way goats are — our legal guide already notes they're grazers, not climbers. But “stock-proof” still means something specific, and it genuinely differs from what a cattle fence needs.

UK: AHDB's strand counts for permanent and temporary fencing

AHDB, the UK levy body, gives a clear specification for electric sheep fencing. A permanent fence needs up to five wire strands, spaced at 15, 30, 45, 65 and 90cm from the ground — the lowest three closer together, the top two further apart. A temporary fence needs up to three strands, at 25, 50 and 75cm. Either way, AHDB warns that grass can short out the lowest wire, so the bottom strand should be kept as high as practically possible while still stopping sheep pushing underneath.

Why sheep need more wires than cattle

AHDB draws the comparison directly: cattle usually need just a single strand at 90cm (two if calves are present), while sheep need up to five. The difference comes down to size and behaviour — a strand that stops a cow doing no more than reaching over it does nothing to stop a sheep pushing underneath near ground level, so the extra strands are covering a genuinely different failure mode, not just adding redundancy.

US: 35 inches of electric netting for a calm, medium flock

Cornell Small Farms' guidance, from a farmer with years of hands-on experience using electric nettings for sheep, gives 35 inches as sufficient height for medium-sized, fairly calm sheep — taller netting at 40 inches or more didn't add a practical benefit for that flock. Treat that as one experienced keeper's working figure rather than an official standard, the same way this site treats similar practical guidance for pig fencing, and expect a flightier or larger breed to need more.

Netting at that height typically has around eight horizontal strands, of which most are conductive — several thin wires wrapped around each plastic strand rather than a single wire, so a handful of netting panels can cover as much fence line as they look like they shouldn't, which also means it's easy to under-power them if you don't account for that.

Erecting electric netting badly is a real safety hazard

This is worth taking seriously rather than treating as a tidiness issue: Cornell Small Farms' guidance is direct that a sloppily erected netting can become “a death trap for sheep getting stuck and then electrocuted.” Erect netting tight and straight, use double-spiked posts (easier to step in and hold tension than single-spike posts), and reinforce corners — the weakest point on a rectangular grazing cell, prone to sagging or post collapse on soft ground.

What this means for your setup

• For a permanent boundary, plan for AHDB's five-strand spec; for rotational grazing or temporary paddocks, the three-strand or netting options are more practical to move.
• Budget an energiser with real headroom, not just enough for day one — both AHDB's permanent spec and Cornell's netting guidance assume a properly powered fence, and an under-powered one teaches sheep to ignore it rather than respect it.
• Fencing sits alongside the other setup costs in our cost guide, and pasture size from our space guide determines how much fence line you actually need.

Sources: AHDB, “How to set up electric fencing for cattle and sheep”: ahdb.org.uk; Cornell Small Farms Program (Ulf Kintzel), “Electric Nettings for Sheep: Useful Tips”: smallfarms.cornell.edu. Sources checked: September 2026.

Common questions

How many electric fence strands do sheep need?

AHDB gives up to five strands for a permanent fence, spaced at 15, 30, 45, 65 and 90cm from the ground, or up to three strands for a temporary fence at 25, 50 and 75cm. That's meaningfully more than cattle need — AHDB notes a single strand at 90cm (or two if calves are present) is usually enough for cattle, because sheep are smaller and test fencing lower down.

Why do sheep need more wires than cattle?

Because of their smaller stature and their tendency to test a fence low down, according to AHDB — a single strand that stops a cow doing nothing more than reaching over it won't stop a sheep pushing underneath.

How high should electric netting for sheep be?

Cornell Small Farms' guidance, from a farmer with years of experience using electric nettings, gives 35 inches as sufficient for medium-sized, fairly calm sheep, and says 40-inch or taller netting doesn't add a practical benefit for that kind of flock — though a flightier or larger breed might need more.

Can electric netting be dangerous for sheep?

Yes, if it's put up badly. Cornell Small Farms' guidance is direct that a sloppily erected netting can become "a death trap for sheep getting stuck and then electrocuted" — a real reason to erect it tight and straight, not just a tidiness preference.