6 Gates For Sheep Enclosures That Prevent Common Issues
Selecting the right gate is key to a secure sheep enclosure. Explore 6 designs that prevent escapes, deter predators, and ensure long-term durability.
There’s nothing quite like the feeling of seeing an open gate and realizing your flock is happily exploring the neighbor’s prize-winning petunias. A good fence is only as strong as its weakest point, and for most of us, that’s the gate. Choosing the right one isn’t just about keeping sheep in; it’s about making your daily chores easier and preventing costly, time-consuming problems.
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Key Gate Features for Secure Sheep Fencing
Before you even look at brands, understand what makes a gate suitable for sheep. Height is the first hurdle. A standard 48-inch gate is usually sufficient to discourage all but the most athletic jumpers.
The construction is just as critical. Look for gates with vertical stays or mesh panels. Sheep, especially horned breeds, can get their heads stuck in gates with wide horizontal bars, creating a dangerous and stressful situation for everyone involved. The spacing between rails should be tight enough to prevent this.
Finally, consider the hardware. A simple chain latch might seem adequate, but a determined ram or a clever ewe can often work them loose. Key features to look for include:
- Height: At least 48 inches for most breeds.
- Tight Spacing: Vertical bars or mesh to prevent heads from getting trapped.
- Secure Latch: Something more robust than a simple chain, especially for high-traffic areas.
- Solid Frame: Welded corners are generally stronger than rounded, crimped corners.
Tarter Wire-Filled Gate for Lamb Security
Secure your livestock with the durable TARTER GATE ECG12T Corral Panel. This 12-foot long, 60-inch high green steel panel provides reliable containment.
Newborn lambs are escape artists. They can squeeze through openings you wouldn’t think possible, making standard tube gates a liability during lambing season. This is where a wire-filled or mesh gate becomes essential.
The Tarter Wire-Filled Gate, or similar designs, features a heavy-gauge wire mesh welded directly to the gate’s steel frame. This 2×4-inch grid is too small for even the tiniest lamb to slip through, providing complete peace of mind. It effectively turns your gate into a solid section of fence, eliminating the single biggest escape route for your flock’s youngest members.
The tradeoff is weight and visibility. These gates are heavier than standard tube gates, so ensure your posts are set deep and braced properly. While the mesh is see-through, it can slightly obstruct your view into a pasture compared to an open-rail gate, a minor but sometimes relevant consideration.
Behlen Country Bull Gate: Resists Ram Damage
Rams are not gentle on equipment, especially during breeding season. They will challenge gates, fences, and anything else they perceive as a barrier. A standard, lightweight tube gate can quickly become a bent, bowed mess after a few encounters with a determined ram.
This is where a so-called "bull gate" or heavy-duty gate comes into its own. The Behlen Country Bull Gate is a prime example, built with thick, high-tensile steel tubing and multiple vertical stays for reinforcement. The primary benefit is its ability to withstand repeated, forceful impacts without bending or breaking. It’s an investment in preventing gate replacement and the potential for a loose ram.
Of course, this strength comes at a cost. These gates are significantly heavier and more expensive than standard models. You don’t need one for every opening, but for the main corral, the breeding pen, or any area where rams will be concentrated, the extra durability is well worth the price.
Priefert Slam Latch Gate for One-Handed Use
Picture this: you’re carrying two buckets of feed, a mineral block is tucked under your arm, and you need to get through a gate. Fumbling with a chain latch is frustrating and inefficient. A slam latch gate, like those offered by Priefert, solves this problem beautifully.
The design is simple but effective. A spring-loaded bolt automatically catches as you swing the gate closed, creating a secure lock with a satisfying "clunk." To open it, you just lift a small lever. This allows for easy, one-handed operation, which is a massive quality-of-life improvement for daily chores.
These latches are reliable, but they do have one vulnerability: debris. Mud, snow, or ice can sometimes jam the mechanism, so they require occasional cleaning to ensure they function smoothly. Despite this minor maintenance, the convenience they offer in high-traffic areas makes them a favorite for busy farmers.
Sioux Steel Aluminum Gate to Prevent Sagging
Gate sag is the slow, inevitable enemy of every farm. Over time, the weight of a long steel gate will pull on the hinge post, causing the gate to droop until it drags on the ground. This makes it difficult to open and close and puts immense stress on your fence.
Sioux Steel’s aluminum gates offer a direct solution. Aluminum is significantly lighter than steel but still remarkably strong and, as a bonus, it will never rust. By reducing the gate’s weight, you drastically reduce the long-term strain on your hinge post and hardware. This is especially important for wide openings of 12 feet or more, where the leverage and weight of a steel gate become a serious problem.
The primary tradeoff is impact resistance. While strong enough for containment, aluminum is a softer metal than steel and can dent or bend more easily from a direct, heavy hit from equipment. They also carry a higher upfront cost, but this can be offset by the lack of future maintenance and post replacement.
SpeeCo’s Expandable Gate for Versatile Pens
Not every opening on the farm is a standard size. Sometimes you need to block off a barn aisle, create a temporary holding pen, or divide a larger stall for lambing. An expandable gate is the perfect tool for these non-permanent, odd-sized jobs.
These gates, like the ones from SpeeCo, function like a scissor lift, expanding and contracting to fit a range of widths. They are lightweight, portable, and can be installed in minutes with simple lag bolts or even temporary straps. They are the definition of flexible infrastructure for a small farm.
It’s crucial to understand their limitation: these are not perimeter gates. They are designed for low-pressure situations inside a barn or a secure corral. A spooked ewe or a leaning flock would likely push right through one. Use them for internal management, not for external security.
OK Brand Bow Gate for High-Traffic Corrals
The entrance to your main working corral sees more action than any other spot. Constant opening and closing, combined with the pressure of animals moving through, can cause the gate posts to shift and lean over time. A bow gate is the structural solution to this problem.
An OK Brand Bow Gate, or similar design, incorporates a steel arch that connects the two hinge and latch posts over the top of the gate. This frame creates an incredibly rigid, self-supporting structure. It prevents the posts from being pulled inward or pushed outward, ensuring the gate continues to swing freely and latch properly for years, regardless of soil conditions or heavy use.
The only real downside is the overhead clearance. The bow limits the height of vehicles or equipment that can pass through. For a sheep-only corral, this is a non-issue, but it’s something to consider if the gateway needs to accommodate a tractor or truck.
Latch and Hinge Upgrades for Existing Gates
Sometimes the gate itself is perfectly fine, but the hardware is failing you. Before you spend hundreds on a brand-new gate, see if a simple upgrade can solve your problem. A weak latch or sagging hinges are common issues with easy fixes.
If your sheep are figuring out the chain, upgrade to a two-way locking latch. These can be opened from either side but lock securely, preventing animals from nosing or pushing them open. For a sagging gate, consider installing heavy-duty, bolt-through hinges that distribute the weight more effectively than standard screw-in hinges. A gate wheel can also be added to the latch end of a long, heavy gate to take the weight off the hinges entirely.
Upgrading hardware is a cost-effective way to add security and extend the life of your existing infrastructure. It allows you to address the specific point of failure without the cost and labor of replacing the entire gate and resetting posts. It’s a smart, practical approach for any farmer working with a tight budget.
Ultimately, the best gate is the one that solves your most persistent problem, whether that’s escaping lambs, a destructive ram, or just the daily frustration of a sagging frame. Take a walk around your property and look at your gates not just as barriers, but as tools. Investing in the right one will pay you back every single day in saved time, reduced stress, and secure, contented sheep.
