Fencing questions: Do you fence off your garden to keep deer out of it? If so, what fencing do you use and how high? Also, what would be the best fencing for sheep? Both to keep them in and predators out. Part 2: Goats are notorious escape artists. Are sheep a lot easier to contain?

My garden is currently fenced off on two sides only, one side is backed onto what I call my “small pasture” and the front is fenced off with gates to the main side yard, At some point, I will most likely fence in the back and the other side but its not top of the list to say the least at this point.

I do have alot of deer in my area, but I have never had a single deer that I know of in my garden, I have the hounds to bark, now coons are a bit more of a issue for me, otherwise the farm cats do a very good job keeping pretty much everything else out that is small.

My standard fencing is good qaulity sheep fencing which is 4 feet high and then I have barbwire on three strands, two low and one high on the same fencing as the sheep fence, the sheep fence keeps the sheep in, as well as being small enough at the bottom to work as duck/geese and even chicken if they don’t think to fly over and they rarely do in, I have never seen my pigs challange it but having said that, they are given walk-about’s in the big pastues and their own area is more secure fencing. Having said that, add in the horse and a very strong cow and I will be adding in the ability to turn on a single high hot wire as required.. so my fence is will be triple done..

The sheep fencing won’t keep a determined threat out, I would highly recommend hot lines for that, along with either a) a good barn with good farm dogs including at least one male dog, to walk with you and pee mark the pasture fence lines, and at least something else in the pasture to share and be protective, be it Livestock dogs, donkey’s, personally, I would most likely have gone with a mule if I had a issue, a good mule can be ridden, packed, used as a draft animal and its a amazing field and flock watcher..

Having had both goats and sheep, one of the reason’s I got rid of the goats was how hard they were on the fences, and how much more trouble they were when they got out, sheep are so much easier to keep in, and at least for my own, even if they get out, they don’t go anywhere, they just graze around the fence line or the front ditch lines or they come down and around the fences and end up grazing in my own front yard.