6 Best Portable Panels For Sheep Lambing Season That Prevent Lamb Loss
Prevent lamb loss with the right equipment. This guide reviews the 6 best portable panels for creating secure, individual lambing jugs for ewes and newborns.
It’s the middle of the night, the air is cold, and you find a new ewe has just delivered twins in the middle of the main barn. One lamb is strong, but the other is getting pushed away, shivering and struggling to find its first meal. This single moment is where preparation pays off, and having the right portable panels on hand can be the difference between a thriving lamb and a heartbreaking loss.
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Why Lambing Jugs Are Crucial For Survival
A lambing "jug" is nothing more than a small, temporary pen, typically 4’x4′ or 5’x5′, set up inside a barn. Its purpose is simple but profound: to give a new mother and her lambs a private, safe space for the first 24 to 72 hours. This controlled environment is critical for the initial bonding process, ensuring the ewe licks her lambs dry and learns their specific scent.
Without this separation, a first-time mother might become confused and wander off, or another more aggressive ewe could steal one of her lambs. The jug allows you to closely monitor the newborns, making sure they are nursing effectively and getting that vital first colostrum. It also protects them from being accidentally trampled by the rest of the flock.
Think of it as a maternity ward for your sheep. It’s a clean, dry, draft-free space where you can provide fresh water and high-quality hay for the ewe while keeping a close eye on everyone. Setting up a few jugs before the first due date is one of the most effective management practices for reducing lamb mortality on a small farm.
Tarter Corral Panels: Versatility for Any Flock
Secure your livestock with the durable TARTER GATE ECG12T Corral Panel. This 12-foot long, 60-inch high green steel panel provides reliable containment.
You’ve seen these panels at every farm supply store, and for good reason. Tarter’s utility and corral panels are the versatile workhorses of many small farms. They are typically made of painted or galvanized steel, offering a good balance of durability and portability for their weight.
Their key advantage is their multi-purpose nature. After lambing season, these same panels can be used to create temporary pastures, build a sorting alley, or separate a ram. They connect with simple drop pins, which makes setup relatively quick, though it can be a little clumsy if you’re working alone on uneven ground.
The main tradeoff is weight. While portable, a 10-foot steel panel isn’t something you’ll want to move frequently by yourself. However, their sturdiness means they can easily handle a pushy ewe and will last for years. For a hobby farmer looking for panels that can serve multiple roles around the homestead, Tarter is a solid, widely available choice.
Priefert Utility Panels: The Heavy-Duty Choice
When you need something that feels absolutely bomb-proof, Priefert panels are often the answer. They are known for their exceptional build quality, often featuring a high-quality powder-coat finish that resists rust better than simple paint. This is the panel you buy when you also have a few cows or a feisty ram that treats lighter equipment as a suggestion.
Priefert panels typically use a chain-and-latch connection system. This design is incredibly secure, pulling the panels tight and leaving no dangerous gaps for a small lamb to get stuck in. The downside is that it can be slower to set up and take down compared to a simple drop-pin system.
These panels are an investment. They are heavier and more expensive than many other options, but their longevity is unmatched. If you value maximum durability and security over lightweight portability, and you need panels that can stand up to more than just your sheep flock, Priefert is the heavy-duty choice that won’t let you down.
Sydell Lambing Pens: Purpose-Built for Ewes
Unlike general-purpose corral panels, Sydell’s equipment is designed from the ground up specifically for sheep and goats. Their lambing pens are engineered with the shepherd in mind, focusing on functionality and ease of use during the busiest time of the year.
These systems often feature solid lower panels to block drafts and prevent lambs from slipping out, with wire mesh on top for ventilation and visibility. They connect with drop rods that slide into place effortlessly, making it possible to assemble or reconfigure a pen in seconds. Many Sydell systems offer add-ons like combination hay and grain feeders or headgates that can be invaluable for assisting a difficult birth or checking a ewe’s udder.
The specialization is both a strength and a weakness. These pens are fantastic for lambing but are less suited for building a large outdoor corral. They are an excellent choice for farmers who prioritize efficiency and want a dedicated, purpose-built system for their lambing barn.
Premier1 Pen Panels: A Complete Jug System
Premier1 is well-known for its thoughtful, shepherd-focused products, and their pen panels are no exception. They offer a "systems" approach, providing lightweight wire or plastic panels that are incredibly easy for one person to handle, store, and set up. This is a huge benefit when you’re tired and need to quickly create a new jug.
The wire panels are light but surprisingly rigid, and their small grid size prevents lambs from sticking their heads through. The plastic panels are even lighter, easy to sanitize, and create a solid, draft-free barrier. Because they are so lightweight, they are perfect for setting up inside a barn where you don’t need the brute strength of a heavy steel panel.
The tradeoff here is ruggedness. While perfect for a calm ewe in a protected barn, they wouldn’t be the first choice for containing a rowdy ram out in a field. For hobby farmers with limited space for storage or those who need to set up and tear down their lambing area each year, the Premier1 system offers unmatched convenience.
Lakeland Aluminum Hurdles: Lightweight & Mobile
If your top priority is effortless portability, look no further than aluminum hurdles. Brands like Lakeland produce panels that are astonishingly light—often a third of the weight of a comparable steel panel. This means you can easily carry two or three at a time, reconfiguring your barn layout on the fly as more ewes lamb.
This mobility is a game-changer during a busy lambing season. You can quickly set up a pen around a ewe that has just lambed in an awkward spot, rather than trying to move her and the newborns. The pin-together design is standard and fast, making them ideal for temporary sorting pens as well.
The primary considerations are cost and strength. Aluminum is more expensive than steel, and while strong, it can be bent or damaged by a truly determined animal or careless tractor work. For shepherds who value speed and the ability to manage the flock single-handedly, the investment in lightweight aluminum can pay for itself in saved time and reduced physical strain.
Behlen Country Utility Panels: A Farm Staple
Similar to Tarter, Behlen Country panels are a familiar sight on farms across the country. They represent a reliable, no-frills option that gets the job done without breaking the bank. These are the general-duty panels you can use for everything from lambing jugs to temporary fencing for your garden.
Made of galvanized or powder-coated steel, they offer solid durability for containing ewes and lambs. They typically use a standard pin-and-loop connection that is simple and effective. You won’t find fancy features, but you will find a dependable product that holds its value and can withstand years of use.
Choosing between Behlen and another farm-store brand often comes down to local availability and current pricing. They are a great foundational piece of equipment for any new hobby farm. You can start with a few to make lambing jugs and add more over the years as your needs for sorting and containment grow.
Setting Up Your Panels for Maximum Safety
Having the right panels is only half the battle; setting them up correctly is what ensures the safety of your ewes and lambs. A poorly configured jug can be more dangerous than no jug at all.
First, choose your location wisely. It must be inside a barn or shed, completely free of drafts. A cold draft hitting a wet, newborn lamb is a primary cause of hypothermia. The ideal size for a single ewe with twins is around 5’x5′, which gives her enough room to turn around without stepping on a lamb. For a single lamb, 4’x4′ is adequate.
When connecting the panels, ensure there are no gaps. A lamb can get its head or leg stuck in a surprisingly small space. Use the pins or latches correctly, and if you have a gap where the pen meets a wall, secure it with a piece of plywood or another panel. Finally, bed the jug deeply with clean, dry straw. This provides insulation, absorbs moisture, and gives the lambs a soft place to rest.
Your setup checklist should always include:
- A bucket of fresh, clean water, secured so it can’t be tipped over.
- A small feeder with high-quality hay for the ewe.
- Deep, dry bedding that is fluffed up, especially in the corners.
- Good ventilation overhead, but absolutely no drafts at lamb level.
Ultimately, the "best" panel depends entirely on your specific operation—your budget, your flock size, and how you plan to use them the other ten months of the year. The most important step is to have them on hand before you need them. A well-prepared lambing season is a calm and successful one.
